|
Interland
Survey Finds Majority of Small Business Owners Unsure
How the CAN-SPAM Act Affects Their Business
[March 3, 2004]
ATLANTA, Mar 3, 2004 (BUSINESS WIRE)
-- Interland, a leading provider of Web hosting and
online services for small and medium-sized businesses,
today revealed the results of a recent nationwide study,
which shows a huge lack of understanding of the new
CAN-SPAM Act among small businesses. In response to
this obvious need for more information, Interland is
making available a free, new publication A Small Business
Guide to Understanding CAN-SPAM Legislation.
According to the survey, which was conducted
in February among small businesses already online, the
majority (62 percent) have either not heard of CAN-SPAM
or are unaware of how the Act affects their business.
Yet the same respondents showed heavy dependence on
e-mail communications. Among small business owners:
-- 85 percent communicate with existing
customers via e-mail,
-- 80 percent communicate with their
partners and business
associates via e-mail, and
-- 67 percent communicate with potential
buyers via e-mail.
The CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 is the nation's first federal
legislation regulating spam. Designed to curb offensive,
misleading and costly bulk e-mail, the law criminalizes
the act of sending commercial e-mail with falsified
headers and has established new rules for e-mail marketing.
In order to send legitimate commercial e-mails, it is
imperative that small business owners review and follow
the guidelines set forth in the CAN-SPAM Act. To make
this easier, Interland developed A Small Business Guide
To Understanding CAN-SPAM Legislation.
"Companies caught unaware of the
new law but engaged in e-mail marketing could be in
for an expensive lesson," warned Jonathan Wilson,
vice president and general counsel at Interland. "The
CAN-SPAM Act creates very specific requirements for
commercial e-mails, including both civil and criminal
penalties for violations. We have recently seen a flurry
of litigation surrounding unauthorized downloading of
music from peer-to-peer networks, and it is very likely
that, sooner or later, some unaware small business is
going to feel the power of this new anti-spam law in
a similar way."
The 13-page guide contains a collection
of articles, tips and resources on how businesses can
work within the new law to correctly use e-marketing
techniques, specifically e-mail, to facilitate commercial
interactions and transactions. Written in a straightforward
style that sidesteps legal and technical buzzwords,
the publication was assembled with the busy small business
owner in mind.
"As technology evolves and small
businesses have access to more communications options,
it is critical that they are aware of any legislation
or guidelines that regulate how they communicate with
their customers, prospects and business associates,"
said Kim T. Gordon, president of National Marketing
Federation, Inc. "Savvy small businesses will educate
themselves on the Act's requirements and adopt best
practices to ensure their compliance. Those that don't
could be putting their businesses at risk."
Some of the nationally recognized industry
experts that have contributed to A Small Business Guide
To Understanding CAN-SPAM Legislation, include:
-- Kim T. Gordon, president of National
Marketing Federation,
author, small-business coach and one of the country's
foremost
experts on entrepreneurial success.
-- Jeffrey Tarter, executive director
of the Association of
Support Professionals (ASP).
-- Jonathan Wilson, vice president and
general counsel at
Interland and founding chair of the Internet Industry
Committee for the American Bar Association's Public
Utility,
Communications and Transportation Law Section.
Small business owners interested in receiving a free
copy of A Small Business Guide To Understanding CAN-SPAM
Legislation should visit Interland's small business
resource Web site www.SBsuccess.com or call toll-free
1-800-336-9883.
About Interland
Interland, Inc. (INLD) is a leading
Web hosting and online services company dedicated to
helping small and medium businesses achieve success
by providing the knowledge, services and tools to build,
manage and promote businesses online. Interland offers
a wide selection of online services, including standardized
Web hosting, e-commerce, application hosting, and Web
site development, marketing and optimization tools.
For more information about Interland, please visit www.interland.com,
e-mail moreinfo@interland.com or call 1-800-335-9883.
SOURCE: Interland
For Interland, Atlanta
Edelman Public Relations
Marisa Puthoff, 404-262-3000 x6346
marisa.puthoff@edelman.com
|
