Kennesaw Family Grows Online Business Together

For more than a year, Kennesaw resident Ken Adams left his family and friends and traveled back and forth to Missouri for a job. Now he is back home and using his online expertise to bring his family and the local business community closer together.

Ken and Donna Rae Adams have launched GeorgiaLocalSearch.com, a hyperlocal search site designed to serve local online shopping needs of consumers at home, in the office or on the road.

Why start a business in a struggling economy?

"I think it's a great time to start a business," said Ken Adams, who has over 27 years experience in online advertising. His wife of more than 30 years, Donna Rae, serves as president of the home-based company, and their 24-year-old son, Kenny, is involved with sales. "I just really missed Kennesaw and wanted to draw closer as a family."

GeorgiaLocalSearch.com interacts with videos, text to mobile, Facebook and Twitter to experience a "true local search" and can help consumers browse business listings and explore locations within a 10-15 mile radius of where they live, play, or work via the internet.

"Our goal is to become the favorite local shopping destination within the communities we serve," said Donna Rae Adams, who worked at BellSouth for many years. "In a challenging economic environment, it's important that we consider those local businesses when making purchases."

The site serves Cobb, Cherokee, Douglas and Paulding counties and hopes to add Bartow next year, said Adams, explaining that "hyper-local" means getting it as close to consumers as possible.

"We're here to help local businesses connect with buyers via the internet," he added. "We generate leads and interest in local brick and mortar businesses in our community."

Adams said that most of the local chambers of commerce and business associations have joined the movement to encourage consumers to "buy local." American Express even sponsored the day after Black Friday to encourage holiday shoppers to keep their dollars in their local economy.

GeorgiaLocalSearch.com offers several packages to help businesses get the word out about their products and services. "About 85 percent of our visits come from Google and other search engines," said Adams. "But we're 50 to 70 percent less expensive than those other internet search sites."

The couple, who also have a 19-year-old son, William, attending , are active members of Roswell Street Baptist Church, and have a deep faith which carries over to their new business venture.

Their family mission statement "acknowledges the influence of God in our daily decisions and future success."

For more information, visit the website at www.GeorgiaLocalSearch.com