Venture Forward by GoDaddy

Two years ago, GoDaddy decided to quantify the impact of an overlooked demographic: the 20 million online microbusinesses that use its services. These are most often one-person operations, many of which aren’t even registered as businesses.



Company data scientists worked with researchers at major universities, combining data from the Census Bureau, BLS and other public sources with GoDaddy’s own data. They found that communities with more microbusinesses per 100 people have higher household median incomes, recover more quickly from recessions, and create more jobs.



The research could be valuable for mayors and other lawmakers who can implement policies that can help spur the creation of these microbusinesses. We decided to launch a content program that could create multiple entry points into the data—profiles of entrepreneurs, community spotlights, interviews with policymakers, and more.



As we were starting, the pandemic hit, casting new urgency on the effort. We told the stories of people like Zach Sass, a Tennessee chef who started teaching cooking classes online when his restaurant closed, and Kay Luttrell, a Navy yeoman, who sold candles out of the Virginia Beach Motel where she was sent to quarantine.



The research showed that communities with more microbusinesses suffered fewer low income job losses as the pandemic hit. So we talked to experts and created data-driven articles and charts.



The research led us to Fairfield, Iowa, a tiny town with a rich history of microbusinesses inspired by the maharishi who taught the Beatles to meditate. There, we met people like Jim Masterson, who had just moved his horse massage business online.



And we profiled Denison, Texas, which issued grants to local businesses so they could build websites and sell online. The stories became platforms for the research, shared in ways that resonated with our target audiences.