An entrepreneur’s story: Starting a business service Web marketplace in a down economy
Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009, 7:30 a.m.
Monday, Oct. 19, 2009, 4:30 a.m.
The trend of businesses going online forming more and more services is nothing new, but the number of online marketplace is increasing at a rapid pace, even in the current economic downturn. These marketplace Websites can help businesses accomplish tasks as varied as outsourcing work, recruiting employees, finding service providers and buying supplies. Although this trend has pre-bubble origins, the current recession has seen an increase in marketplace sites that power these marketplace and increased business adoption.
In this edition of Smith Business Close-Up with the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, Reed Alexander Atkin, a recent MBA graduate, talks about how, despite the recession, he launched an online service business with the help of the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship.
Atkin founded and heads up Legal River, an online marketplace dedicated to helping lawyers and businesses connect. Businesses can use to post their legal needs and desired lawyer qualifications, and then receive responses from interested lawyers. Atkin has a successful track record of building, launching and growing businesses in the consumer services, e-commerce and b2b space. Prior to co-founding Legal River, he operated and grew a supplemental education business located near Seattle. He launched Legal River in January with the help of the Dingman Center’s entrepreneurial Jumpstart program, an intensive two-week program to help University of Maryland students start and grow businesses.
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Smith Business Close-Up is co-produced by the Robert H. Smith School of Business and Maryland Public Television. The television segment focuses on the latest thinking in business management, and features in-depth interviews with Smith School faculty and other members of the school’s community of business leaders. Where to watch
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WMPB-TV (Ch. 67), Baltimore Media Contact
Greg Muraski
Media Relations Manager
301-405-5283
301-892-0973 Mobile
gmuraski@umd.edu
About the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business
The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and flex MBA, executive MBA, online MBA, business master’s, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia.