Jumpstart Your Web Dev and Design Firm with WebsiteSpark

fact sheet Vendor: Microsoft Corporation (www.microsoft.com) Vendor's Information: About Microsoft vendor resources Does your company have 10 or fewer employees? The Microsoft WebsiteSpark program offers visibility, support and software for professional Web developers and designers. Find out what it can do for you today.

One of the long-touted advantages of the Internet is its ability to level the playing field and help small businesses compete with the biggest names in industries like retail and media. But starting a business that revolves around the Internet still requires a lot of the same know-how as it did to start a business 30 years ago. You still need to have the right tools, a network of contacts, and the ability to market what you're selling.

Microsoft's WebsiteSpark program helps small Web development and design shops with no more than 10 employees succeed by providing the tools and expertise they need to create Web sites and applications for their clients. Getting access to Microsoft tools and technology is, of course, a big help for firms that may not have the resources to buy or upgrade their tools on their own. But WebsiteSpark also gives its members a chance to take advantage of the marketing and business development muscle of one of the largest companies in the world.

Harness the Resources of Microsoft with WebsiteSpark Web pros, who work at companies with 10 or fewer employees, can join Microsoft's WebsiteSpark and find new business opportunities through connections with partners and customers around the world. WebsiteSpark also provides Web pros with Microsoft software and solutions, as well as support and training opportunities. Learn more and sign up today.

There are no upfront costs to join WebsiteSpark, which works in much the same way as Microsoft's BizSpark program works for ISVs. Let's begin with the tools.

For design, development, and testing, WebsiteSpark provides its members with:

• Three user licenses for Visual Studio® 2008 Professional Edition
• One user license (for the primary contact) for Expression® Studio 2 (or 3)
• Two users licenses for Expression® Web 2 (or 3)
• Three user licenses for Windows Web Server® 2008 R2
• Three user licenses for SQL Server® 2008 Web

WebsiteSpark members that are self-hosting and enrolled in Microsoft's SPLA Essentials program receive four processor production licenses each of:

• Windows Web Server 2008 R2
• SQL Server 2008 Web

Members also receive access to the DotNetPanel control panel, which helps control website hosting parameters.

WebsiteSpark members also have access to support and training resources.

• The primary WebsiteSpark contact gets two technical support incidents to cover break-fix issues
• Unlimited access to technical managed newsgroups on MSDN
• Unlimited program support for non-technical issues

Being a WebsiteSpark member also exposes Web shops to broad community support through their access to Microsoft partners and other WebsiteSpark members.

New Business Opportunities
The right tools are only half of the battle when you're a small firm trying to compete. WebsiteSpark members get to show off their projects, capabilities, and skills in the WebsiteSpark Marketplace, which provides a simple interface to connect with potential customers. WebsiteSpark members can also harness Microsoft's vast partner network to find Microsoft partners with complementary skills.

The Web App Gallery can help WebsiteSpark members showcase new Web applications they built or find the right application for a project in the works. The gallery's off-the-shelf Web applications are tested to work on the Microsoft Web platform straight out of the box.

How to Enroll
Interaction between small Web shops and Microsoft partners is one of the goals of WebsiteSpark. To enroll in WebsiteSpark Web professionals can receive a nomination from a Microsoft Hosting Partner, Network Partner, or a Microsoft Champion. WebsiteSpark members are then eligible to receive discounted pricing on Web hosting services from the hosting partners.

The basic eligibility requirement for Microsoft WebsiteSpark is that the Web shop's primary business is Web development and design and that it has 10 employees or less. Within six months of enrolling in the program, WebsiteSpark members need to deploy a publicly accessible website using the software provided by the WebsiteSpark program. That site must be hosted on a Windows Server or through a Microsoft Hosting Partner. Simply report the site's launch through the WebsiteSpark portal.

Web shops can maintain their enrollment in WebsiteSpark for three years, but will be asked to verify their eligibility on each anniversary of their enrollment. Upon completing their participation in the WebsiteSpark program, members pay a $100 program fee, which represents the only cash payout they will make during their enrollment.

That means WebsiteSpark members get professional tools and support, help with marketing their business, and access to the Microsoft community and partners for up to three years for only $100. That not only helps to level the playing field, but it can grow a business as well.