Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, August 4, 1995                   TAG: 9508040027
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV1   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: KENNETH SINGLETARY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG                                 LENGTH: Medium

CHRISTIANSBURG ASKED TO AID BEV ADVERTISERS

That's the question Michael Abraham, owner of Christiansburg Printing, threw into the unsuspecting laps of Town Council on Tuesday.

When Abraham heard a couple weeks ago the town of Blacksburg would donate $500 to each of 30 different businesses to allow them to advertise on the town's Electronic Village, he inquired about the program. He knew a marketing presence on the Internet could be the wave of the future for businesses, giving them potentially a worldwide customer base.

That's when he heard the bad news. The grants are for businesses in Blacksburg. So that got him to thinking: Maybe Christiansburg would offer similar grants to businesses there.

"There are a number of businesses in Christiansburg that would benefit [from advertising on the Electronic Village], why don't I go to the town of Christiansburg?" he said during Tuesday's council meeting.

Caught unawares by the idea, council members listened politely and blinked owlishly as Abraham talked about computers and modems and the Internet and a witch's brew of other high-tech stuff.

Being the kind of crowd that is happiest in the Information Superhighway's slowest lane, or perhaps in a shady rest area, the council members seemed relieved Abraham didn't go into the messy details. After the meeting, several council members admitted they might sometimes have a problem figuring out how to turn their computers on, let alone how to put together a "home page" on the "World Wide Web," whatever those things are.

Christiansburg wouldn't necessarily have to donate $15,000, the way Blacksburg did, Abraham said. A smaller figure would still help at least a few local businesses.

"It should be important to them that businesses do well, and this is something that they can do to help businesses do well."

But there were questions, and Abraham allowed as to how he didn't have all the answers. Would businesses have to hire a consultant, or is grabbing a piece of the Internet something they can do themselves? Would this be a one-time expense, or would maintenance fees and updating costs keep rearing their ugly heads? Would the grant cover the entire cost?

It turns out there are a crop of consultants springing up in Blacksburg who have the answers.

Their prices range from $25 for installation and $25 per month for space on the Internet to $500 or more for more extensive services. A page on the Electronic Village provides information about six consultants providing computer services in Blacksburg.

Several Christiansburg businesses already advertise on the Electronic Village, including Comprehensive Computer Solutions and Wades Foods. Courtney Vargo, information manager with the Electronic Village, said 300 people from Christiansburg have registered through her office with the Electronic Village. Almost certainly more have registered through Virginia Tech, she said.