
By Susan Dickson
Staff Writer
As the economy reels and local businesses suffer – with several forced to close their doors in recent weeks – business for Carrboro’s hidden economy is quietly booming.
Unbeknownst to many, Carrboro has become something of a mini technology-business mecca in recent years, with Internet businesses like Newfangled Web Developers, Blogads, Schmap! and Caktus Consulting headquartering their companies here.
Mark O’Brien, co-owner of Newfangled Web Developers, said he moved his business – a web-development company serving clients across North America – from Providence, R.I., to Carrboro for the quality of life here, but has discovered hidden benefits.
“It’s local to the university, so there’s a great employee pool. It’s central to lots of places,†he said.
Having other Internet businesses nearby hasn’t hurt either, O’Brien said. Newfangled is located in the same building as Blogads, a company that connects national advertisers with blog readers through its network of 3,500 blogs.
“We’ve made a lot of connections with them,†he said. “They speak our language.â€
Overall, Newfangled has been doing very well and just published a book targeted toward companies looking to do more with their websites.
“We’re planning on staying here for many years to come,†O’Brien said. “Carrboro is a great base of operation for us.â€
Carrboro Creative Coworking owner Brian Russell, who has worked with a number of technology businessesthat got their start in shared spaces at his coworking facility, said because Internet-based businesses have more choice in where their companies are located, owners often base their decisions on quality of life and values – which has led many of them to Carrboro.
“It really boils down to quality of life,†Russell said. “I think a lot of these folks want to live in communities that are thinking about being sustainable and global climate change.â€
Internet businesses springing up in Carrboro has helped other businesses – including those not focused on the web – that sometimes need their services.
“Being in physical proximity to people makes it easier for them to do business with each other. It lowers barriers. … It makes trust greater,†Russell said. “Small-town trust and knowledge is very desirable to people who are used to a high-tech lack of trust.â€
Joel Sutherland, one of the founders of full-service web agency New Media Campaigns, said Carrboro has been the right choice for his company.
“Carrboro has been a wonderful place to do business as the creative industry is really booming here, and the Triangle in general has become a center for innovation,†he said.
The company launched in 2006, when its three founders won UNC’s business-plan challenge as undergraduates. Though NMC’s first office was located in RTP, the founders quickly moved it to Chapel Hill and then to Carrboro in 2007, drawn to the independent culture, affordable rent and great restaurants.
Russell, who recently announced that he would close Carrboro Creative Coworking at the end of September, said he believes that local businesses will need to follow the lead of local Internet businesses and utilize the web in order to bounce back.
“It comes down to embracing the Internet and sales online,†he said. “I’m all about local business and local ideas to support that … but there’s no reason we should be ignoring global markets.â€Technology businesses – both local and non-local – are thriving right now, and Carrboro should focus its energy on that, Russell added.
“If we don’t increase the amount of wealth being invested in Carrboro in that industry … the harder it’s going to be for us as a community to benefit from it,†he said.
Staff writer Vicky Dickson contributed reporting for this article.