The Internet Association and Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz Highlight Internet Innovation Empowering South Florida Small Businesses

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, The Internet Association stopped in Hollywood, Florida for a small business crawl to highlight local entrepreneurs who are using the Internet in innovative ways to grow their businesses, create jobs, and attract new customers. The walking tour included stops at four unique businesses: Hollywood Antique Center, Presence Community Acupuncture, Hispanic Unity of Florida, and Gino’s Market.

The Internet Association’s President and CEO Michael Beckerman led the tour on Johnson Street joined by U.S. Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23), Hollywood Mayor Peter Bober, area commissioners, and members of the Johnson Street Business District. Internet Association member companies AOL, Yelp, and Uber joined the crawl. Participants gave remarks at each stop and interviewed merchants about how the Internet economy is changing brick and mortar small businesses in South Florida and how Internet technologies are empowering entrepreneurs to reach consumers across the globe.

“The Internet is flourishing on Main Streets in South Florida,” said Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz. “The Johnson Street business district is booming with customers and creativity, and there is a strong sense of community here. Today was a unique opportunity for me to learn more about how brick and mortar businesses in Hollywood are utilizing the Internet to engage customers, expand sales, grow their businesses, and create jobs.”

“Today, we heard success stories of how the Internet is driving economic growth in South Florida,” said Michael Beckerman, President and CEO of The Internet Association. “In today’s world, no matter how big or small the shop, the Internet is essential to running and growing a business. Even Mom-and-Pop, brick and mortar small businesses can benefit from the Internet. With an online presence, brick and mortar establishments can connect to consumers who may live a few blocks or thousands of miles away with one click of a mouse.”

For nearly two years, The Internet Association has served as the unified voice of the Internet economy in the nation’s capital, working with Congress, regulators, and the Administration to craft sensible Internet policies for the federal government. The Internet Association is committed to solidifying forward-thinking, consumer-first, Internet policies with federal laws that flourish economic growth and promote the Internet economy on Main Street. The organization has hosted crawls across the country in Lynchburg, VA, Austin, TX, Washington, DC, and Brooklyn, NY. It has also hosted a virtual one via Google+ Hangout in Arkansas. The next small business crawl is expected to take place in the ensuing weeks in South Dakota.

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