Pallone and Internet Association Highlight the Value of the Internet to Small Businesses in Asbury Park

BECKERMAN: “The internet connects Asbury Park’s small businesses to customers well beyond the city limits, allowing them to expand, hire more workers, and contribute to the local economy.”

Asbury Park, NJ – Today, the Internet Association, along with Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), today visited Asbury Park, NJ to meet with small businesses there to discuss the critical role of the internet in Asbury Park’s growth and success.

“The internet connects Asbury Park’s small businesses to customers well beyond the city limits, allowing them to expand, hire more workers, and contribute to the local economy,” said Internet Association President and CEO Michael Beckerman. “Internet-enabled businesses mean more opportunities, now and in the future, for Asbury Park. The internet industry thanks Rep. Pallone for his leadership in creating policies that will continue to help the businesses we saw today in Asbury Park to thrive.”

“Small Businesses are the engine of our economy and we need to make sure we are giving them the tools to compete in a global economy,” said Pallone. “I am impressed by what these small businesses have been able to achieve using the internet. I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress and the Internet Association to ensure that the internet is accessible and a force to help create jobs for entrepreneurs in Asbury Park and throughout New Jersey.”

Internet Association and Rep. Pallone visited four small businesses in Asbury Park that use the internet every day to make sales, engage the community, and connect with customers.

First up was Confections of a Rock$tar Bakery, which uses social media platforms to make the bakery a social center in town and leverages an e-commerce platform to expand their business. The second stop on the tour, at the music venue House of Independents, highlighted how House of Independents uses social media to attract both music fans and musicians, improving their ability to engage with fans and promote their events. Next, the tour visited Second Life Bikes, a non-profit bike shop that uses its website and social tools to broaden its mission. The tour concluded at the co-working space Cowerks, which fosters local small businesses through an internet-enabled shared workspace.

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