A Year and Company in Review

This year, our little business grew 10 fold. It was amazing to be a part of that. It came with challenges both big and small, and blessings both small and big. Considering the odds, the economy, and my fears – well, it is humbling and I am so grateful to all of the people and businesses who trusted in us and contributed to our growth.

Emmanuel (my husband and partner) established UplinkSpyder years ago as an IT company, mostly providing desktop and server support to small businesses. In 2009, he expanded in to telecom and at the end of 2009, web development for some of his clients. This is where I came in.

I began to support the business with my own skills and talents and very soon it became clear that the best service we could provide together was internet marketing… whether through website development and management, social media, online marketing strategies, etc. So in 2009, the company began downsizing its IT footprint, and growing the rest. But it wasn’t until late 2009 that we began to gain momentum.

In 2010, we hit a few milestones and began to feel more confident. We brought more people in to the organization to help in a more stable way and gained depth in each area of our focus. My marketing and communications background fused more and more soundly with Emmanuel’s technical and business development background and as a result we were able to make an impact for a few small businesses and organizations, many of whom remain clients to this day.

In 2011, we experienced steady, if not rapid, growth and met a few more goals. We hit a big milestone partway through the year, which was complemented nicely by a website award for the new Southtowne Rotary website. Because of the tremendous effort that went in to establishing the site, I was also awarded Rotarian of the Year for the Southtowne chapter, the biggest honor I can remember in a very long time. Best of all, we were able to make a big impact for many more clients, both in our area and beyond, clients we are not only grateful to because of their business, but also because they have provided us with a look in to their success, given us their friendship, and allowed us to add to their growth. That’s the true passion behind what we do… the success and growth of others. Ours would not be as sweet without it.

Our goal for 2012 is further growth, but more than that, we want our business to positively affect our community. We want to be able to hire and give back…. beginning with Bethesda Lutheran Church, who we are building a new image and website for as I type... it is our donation for the year and a personal thanks to God for his abundance and blessings.

We have been through our fair share of trials to get to this point. We are constantly learning, adapting, growing, and improving. It’s impossible to be in business for yourself without that ability… at least in this industry. This is the beginning of our story… the second chapter is about to start and we hope you will check in on us as we journey. If you are a current client, thank you. If you are a future client, welcome.

Blessings,

Deanna Rivera