Greenville Receives Google eCity Award for South Carolina

Independent research firm IPSOS & Google recognize strongest online business communities

GREENVILLE, SC – Google announced Greenville has received the 2014 eCity Award for South Carolina. The eCity Awards recognize the strongest online business community in each state – the digital capitals of America. These cities’ businesses are embracing the web to find new customers, connect with existing clients and fuel their local economies.

“Our ‘e-City Awards’ recognize the new ‘digital capitals’ of America,” said Lilyn Hester, Google’s Southeast Public Affairs Manager (NC, SC). “We’re proud to recognize this growing entrepreneurial-spirit—and the role that it plays in both creating jobs and sustaining local economies. With 97-percent of Internet-users looking for products and services online, it’s clear that success is about being connected.”

“Small businesses power our communities and local economies, and e-commerce has become an essential part of that process,” Senator Tim Scott said. “Congratulations to Greenville on being named a 2014 eCity, and to all our businesses who are innovating and growing by harnessing the power of the internet.”

Google worked with an independent research firm IPSOS to analyze the online strength of local small businesses in cities in all fifty states and Greenville is among the ranks of America’s leading cities in the digital economy.

“It’s evident that in today’s economy, small businesses must be on-line,” said Greenville Mayor Knox White. “Downtown Greenville’s success is an example of a local economy that is thriving on e-commerce.”

“When we launched Beija Flor, our website was one of the first tools we developed. Over the past 8 years, it’s grown to become our most effective tool, enabling us to sell directly to consumers across the country,” said Emilie Whitaker, owner of Beija Flor. “Starting our business in Greenville is one of the best decisions we made. The community is very supportive of local entrepreneurs and we quickly found support from local media and organizations like the Clemson Small Business Development Council.”

South Carolina businesses already know that Americans are turning to the Internet to look for local goods and services. Businesses need to be where their customers are, and in 2014, that’s online. Yet, more than half of all U.S. small businesses do not have a website. Over the next 3 years, businesses that make use of the web are expected to grow 40% faster and are twice as likely to create jobs. With small businesses creating two-thirds of all new jobs, the potential impact of getting these businesses online is enormous. Google hopes that these “digital capitals” will become an inspiration to other areas—throughout the nation—of what can be accomplished by spearheading business development on the Web.

For more information on the eCity intiative, please visit our website at www.google.com/ecities.