The Small Business Web, the trade association dedicated to connecting small businesses with cloud services, is now an incorporated 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization. With nearly 200 member companies, the organization also named its board of directors, including executives from Google, Constant Contact, Intuit, X.commerce, and AppDirect, as well as Olark live chat and BatchBlue. The Small Business Web’s new designation and expanded board will allow it to help more small businesses succeed through the use of cloud services.

The new board of The Small Business Web

• Chair, Pamela O’Hara (CEO, Batchbook)
• President, Sunir Shah (CMO, Olark live chat)
• Director and Secretary, Kevin O’Brien (Senior Director, Constant Contact)
• Director, Chris Generalis (Partner Development, X.commerce)
• Director, Daniel Saks (Co-CEO, AppDirect)
• Director, Stephen Cho (Director, Software Partner Business Development, Enterprise, Google)
• Director, Alex Barnett (Group Manager, Developer Relations, Intuit)

The cloud offers a great opportunity for time-starved small businesses – both to help them quickly accomplish day-to-day tasks and improve their bottom line. The challenge, however, is finding the right organizations that will bring real business results. As the only organization fostering this connection, The Small Business Web fills a void in the market.

“Business is now done online, and the best business software is also now online. We believe if small businesses will grow in today’s economy they need affordable access to the same tools and technology that big companies have,” said Shah. “We’ve seen incredible growth in our membership as the small business cloud software market has exploded in recent years and we look forward to doing more to build this market.”

The Small Business Web fosters this connection through a combination of open APIs, secure and reliable cloud services, technical education, and a community of organizations willing to innovate and share ideas to foster small business growth. Companies like Constant Contact have already proven this model out. Constant Contact’s AppConnect Program allows developers to use its open APIs to create innovative, seamless integrations between products and services. For instance, Formstack, a member of The Small Business Web, used Constant Contact’s APIs to create an in-product integration that allows Constant Contact customers to add a form right into their Email Marketing campaigns.

“For small businesses, it’s all about making things quick and easy so they can get back to running their business,” said O’Brien. “By taking out the complexity, they can accomplish tasks efficiently and provide more value to their own customers. I’m thrilled to be working with such a dedicated, talented group of people to help bring this concept to an even wider audience of small businesses.”

“Small businesses employ more people than any other type of company, so enabling their success helps to prime growth across the board,” added Saks. “I'm excited to be part of an organization that empowers small businesses with some of the best, most innovative software and services the cloud has to offer.”

“The companies that comprise The Small Business Web are driving innovation in cloud software,” said Generalis. “Participating in The Small Business Web provides a direct connection to the next generation of commerce capabilities.”

The Small Business Web has big plans for 2013, including the creation of a set of technical standards for distribution partnerships and integrations. The Small Business Web will hold its Annual Summit in February and host a SXSW event to celebrate the growth of cloud services for small businesses. For more information on these events and to learn how to become a member of The Small Business Web, please visit http://www.thesmallbusinessweb.com/.

About Small Business Web

Founded in 2009, The Small Business Web is the trade association for cloud-based software for small businesses. The idea began, like many things, with a friendly chat between like-minded folks and an alliance was formed. With every additional company that joins The Small Business Web, the dream expands: one small step for the Internet, one giant step for small businesses. Today, The Small Business Web claims nearly 200 member companies who are working together to make the Open Web the best place to build, find and sell software for small businesses.