Alex Fees: I'm Alex Fees on Small Business Television coming to you from Cleveland Ohio at the COSE 2008 Small Business Conference. COSE, that’s the Council of Smaller Enterprises. And joining me here now is Karl Preston. Karl, I appreciate you being here.
Karl Preston: Hi! Thank you.
Alex Fees: Karl is with Microsoft, the local business development manager right?
Karl Preston: Exactly:
Alex Fees: How does that all fit on your card Karl?
Karl Preston: It’s a stretch in there, very small font.
Alex Fees: We've all heard of Microsoft.
Karl Preston: Yes.
Alex Fees: Tell me about the local business development section of Microsoft.
Karl Preston: Okay. Well, it’s Microsoft brand new initiative in which we’re going out and trying to reach out to the small business communities. We've realized in the past that we would put on various conferences similar to the one that we’re at here today, and try to get all these small business customers to come see us. But we've taken a different approach, we've decided that we’re going to go out and reach out to these small businesses to where they reside.
So, we’re working with great folks like our folks here at COSE to help support them in their efforts whether it be large conferences like this or maybe even some of their smaller events that they’ve got going on around the city.
Alex Fees: Well Karl, a company like Microsoft is reaching out to small business owners that is music to the ears of small business owners. What can a small business entrepreneur do for corporation like Microsoft?
Karl Preston: Well, we depend a lot on small businesses. We've realized that that is the fastest growing part of any business side, I mean whether it be enterprise, small business is growing even in this struggling economy, small businesses are still striving going through. We’re trying to make them aware that we are not the one size fits all. We do have lots of products and services that are designed specifically to help them to maximize their potential.
Alex Fees: Okay. And what about your participation at organizations like COSE, is this your first year here?
Karl Preston: Yes this happens to be my first year here and I'm very, very excited about being here. We actually have a booth over here which I'm working with one of our great local Microsoft partners are here in the area so we’re helping provide them with a little bit of help by giving them that booth. We’re just kind of helping out preparing materials and things along those lines.
Alex Fees: Alright Karl here at COSE 2008 Small Business Conference. I'm sure that you and other representatives of Microsoft are being solicited by small business owners. For those people who are going to see this interview, where can they go to get more information about what they can do for company like Microsoft?
Karl Preston: Well, we’ve go lots of resources; the one that we’re working on to try to help them out is our www.mslocalbiz.com.
Alex Fees: Mslocalbiz.com.
Karl Preston : And on that site, you're going to find lots of information about all the products and services that we offer such as Vista Windows, Response Point, things like that but we’ll also give you resources on how to find events like today or the smaller events that COSE are doing, and some of our other great partners are doing throughout the area. It will help to connect you with some of these partners if you're interested to get these services within your own organization then we will connect you with those partners that can actually implement those services as well.
Alex Fees: All right good deal. Karl Preston with Microsoft. I appreciate for you being here.
Karl Preston: Alright, thank you.
Alex Fees: I'm Alex Fees on Small Business Television coming to you from COSE, the Council of Smaller Enterprise, small I might add only by name.
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