Cainan Barnett, former marketing director for Isringhausen Imports, is launching a new nonprofit to help local small businesses and community organizations create and maintain their digital presence without breaking the budget.
Blok by Blok Inc. builds custom websites for small businesses and nonprofits for a one-time flat fee of $1,000. Barnett, who has spent his career working in graphic design and web development, said he saw businesses and nonprofits being overcharged by web developers to create and maintain their online footprint. He estimates that most organizations are spending $100 to $300 a month on website-related costs, translating to $1,200 to $3,600 a year.
“All the pressure falls on business owners themselves to be their own marketers, and then they go to a web developer and get a bid for $5,000 to $10,000 to build a website, and they can’t afford that,” he said. “Just hosting a simple website shouldn’t cost people $300 a month. I’m looking to ease the burden on small businesses and nonprofits.”
As a nonprofit itself, Blok by Blok will be able to offer these services at a lower rate because it will be subsidized by grant funding, donations and corporate sponsorships. The organization currently is awaiting final approval of its 501(c)(3) status.
Barnett, who resigned his position at Isringhausen Imports last week, said he has identified several state grant opportunities focused on just the types of support services for small businesses and nonprofits that Blok by Blok offers. He also plans to seek out larger, established businesses in the Springfield region who would be willing to sponsor a smaller business seeking to expand its digital presence.
Barnett already has designed more than a dozen websites using the model he created for Blok by Blok, which can be customized to meet individual organizations’ needs. For example, Barnett built Vondra Social House’s website, knowing the restaurant needs to regularly update its menu.
“I built a code to allow them to just take a picture of their menu, and they can upload it and have it done in five minutes,” Barnett said.
Businesses and organizations interested in having a website built by Blok by Blok can apply at BlokbyBlok.org/apply. Currently, Blok by Blok will be focused on serving the Springfield community, Barnett said.
“This is my home, this is my community,” he said. “Over the past four, five years I’ve gotten to know a lot of business owners in the city, been on nonprofit boards, and I’ve seen this common problem come up again and again. I want to focus on the Springfield community and set them up for success.”