Sublime

Start Up Cocktail Company Confronts Market with Free, Professional Online Presence

Sylvia Garvin and her friend spotted an unmissable business opportunity while travelling. They recognised that in the United Kingdom (U.K.) there were few retailers of the truly fresh fruit juices and smoothies that they were experiencing overseas, despite a preoccupation with healthy eating and nutrition. Their inspiration soon became reality. Mobile juice bar Sejuiced opened in London’s Portobello Road Market and traded at sports events, festivals, and exhibitions.

“Microsoft Office Live Small Business offers enormous support for Sublime, from launching the brand to helping the business grow.” Sylvia Garvan Founder Sublime

In November 2006 the enterprising duo decided to extend their business. Sublime is a mobile cocktail bar service, specialising in premium, fresh fruit cocktails. Market tests proved Sublime was a viable concept, but Garvin and her friend were restricted by a limited marketing budget. A smart, effective Web site is critical for a new business to generate interest, but for Sublime, most Web site development options were simply too expensive. Rather than postpone the launch, they turned to Microsoft® Office Live Small Business. This is a complete set of Internet-based software and services specially designed for small businesses, providing users with a domain name, e-mail accounts, and a Web site. Best of all, the service is free.

Big Business for Small Companies

Garvin had no previous experience of building Web sites. But using Office Live Small Business, she designed and created a Web site in a matter of hours. In doing so, she developed a professional online presence without the expense of buying an IT infrastructure or hiring technical professionals. Office Live Small Business is hosted, so all Garvin needed was a computer and Internet connection. She says: “The new site has already generated lots of sales leads and is helping us to compete with bigger, more established companies.” Office Live Small Business delivers search engine optimisation, so Sublime can attract business from online searches immediately. As the business progresses, the duo plan to take advantage of some of the more advanced features of Office Live Small Business, using it to manage individual projects with clients, and to coordinate the customer database and targeted marketing. Says Garvin: “Microsoft Office Live Small Business offers enormous support for Sublime, from launching the brand, to helping the business grow.”

For more information on how Office Live Small Business can affect your company please visit:
http://www.officelive.co.uk

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