On April 7, 2010, The SCORE Foundation announced a public/private partnership, formed in response to the FCC’s National Broadband Plan. One of the partnership’s goals was to help accelerate the growth of small business, by highlighting businesses need for digital education and for access to low-cost broadband. Many Fortune 500 companies were involved, and the launch got a lot of industry attention. Not long after the announcement, the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Small Business heard testimony from many stakeholders, including SMB representatives across the country. One of those people was Lindsay Dofelmier, co-owner of Urban Agent Team, a Boise-based, real estate agency that was born during the Great Recession.
Lindsay brings a fresh perspective to real estate; in fact, her technical fluency helped her create a very successful small business. In light of the fact that her typical peer was a 51-year old woman, Lindsay theorized that technology was the secret ingredient to targeting her demographic, the “Millennial” generation. Also known as digital natives, “Millennials” are tech-savvy and accustomed to on-demand content and communication.
Lindsay figured out a way to be constantly accessible to not only her colleagues and paperwork, but also to her customers. She used a variety of Internet-based, cloud computing and social media tools to collaborate and communicate instantly and effectively – for free. These tools, including HP’s Mini, lent fluidity to her business model that resonated with her target market. She positioned the company in an unorthodox fashion, embodied by their motto: “We’re NOT Your Parents’ Real Estate Company.” Lindsay’s theory was correct. She has since expanded into the Seattle and Portland markets, and is successfully competing against established, traditional real estate agencies in her markets. Not bad for a small company that’s only two years old.
Lindsay’s compelling testimony to the U.S. House of Representatives detailed the potential she realized through her access to the Internet. Her testimony is below.
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