When Jennifer Gardner was laid off from her archaeology job in 2014, she knew it was time to evolve her part-time pet-sitting gig into a full-time business. So she launched Platinum Paws, a premium pet-sitting services company offering in-home care to all types of pets in Washington County, Maryland. But after a few years in operation, this solo entrepreneur realized she needed help if she was going to grow her business. “I had no clue, really, what to do with marketing, so I started looking at Verizon Small Business Digital Ready,” Gardner says. Since discovering the program, Gardner has taken more than 50 courses, including live coaching sessions on search engine optimization (SEO) led by veteran digital marketing expert Maisha Walker. With Walker’s help, Gardner says she started receiving more business inquiries by phone — up from zero to 15 or more each month. And her revenue has gone up by 25% year over year, for which she partially credits the Digital Ready program. “The Verizon program is: Here’s what you need to know to run a business,” she says. “And then here’s what you need to know to run and grow your business. It’s not a cookie-cutter approach.” To sign up for Verizon Small Business Digital Ready, visit digitalready.verizonwireless.com. An individual user's experience may vary and results are not guaranteed.

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