NewWard Development, LLC has been named among the nominees for business of the year at the Chamber of Southern Saratoga County. “NewWard is a small company that has a big impact”, says Managing Partner, Melissa Ward. “We help our clients to achieve growth, actively participate in the local and international community both in terms of business development and volunteer work.”
Incorporated in 2004, NewWard Development, LLC™ started as a sole proprietorship in 1999 owned and operated by Melissa Ward. Due to growth and market demand, Melissa teamed up with application developer and internet guru Robert Newberry. Together, they provide a full array of web development services. Melissa focuses on graphic design, internet marketing, marketing consultations, maintaining hosting services and provides business development training through seminars, teleseminars, writing articles and one on one consultations, all while maintaining the business operations of NewWard itself with the help of administrative assistant, Lorraine Buchal. Bob is proficient in application development, database design and responsible for the creation and maintenance of Renttropolis™, the company’s web based property management software solution and TXTnow™, the email to SMS marketing solution.
The company’s philosophy lies in the belief that geography plays a small roll in what any company can accomplish. “If you want to stay local you certainly can, but the Internet provides everyone with the opportunity to do business on a global scale. It’s all about possibilities, and that’s what makes my job so fun and exciting”, states Ward. “There is nothing more satisfying then sitting down with a client who has a new business concept, laying the ground work for getting their message out there and watching it happen. The only way NewWard can be successful is by helping its clients be successful; it’s really as simple as that.”
Owning a micro business can be challenging at times, but there are some very distinctive advantages to it. NewWard has been able to not only keep up with changes in the market, but be at the top of the technology curve through the creation of web based applications and constantly maintaining current in terms of web languages, design techniques and marketing philosophies. There is always something new to learn and by grasping new technologies, continuing education and utilizing new development techniques, the members of NewWard are always at the top of the game. Being a micro business keeps NewWard flexible enough to be able to stay with the flow and meet existing and future market demands.
NewWard’s success is, in large part, due to the creation relationships and partnerships with other businesses. NewWard aligns itself with experts in various fields to ensure not only its own success, but the success of its clients. NewWard attributes the ability to create, maintain and grow those relationships to its membership and extensive involvement with the Chamber of Southern Saratoga County. Every single one of NewWard’s key alliances is with a fellow chamber member. Owners of small businesses tend to try to wear “all the hats” but there are only so many things that one can be great at, after that you need to call in for backup, and NewWard has plenty. Among the NewWard team is an accountant, a lawyer, marketing and p.r. professionals, a business development strategist, personal and professional coaches and a virtual assistant. In essence the goal has been to create a virtual think tank, put together resources that are going to force a business owner to think outside the box. Having the ability to reach out and get another perspective is invaluable.
The members of NewWard are extensively involved in the community. Through the Twin Bridges Rotary club, NewWard has been involved with both local and international volunteer work. The two largest projects are the annual Spirit of Thanksgiving Dinner, with the goal being, no one in the Southern Saratoga area spend the holiday alone, the other an international project near Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, where Melissa spent two weeks helping to rebuild a school. “Having the opportunity to travel to Africa was, by far, the most profound experience of my life. From the moment I stepped off the plane I was in sensory overload, everything I experienced was completely different from anything I have ever known before. The chance to not only experience, but to actively participate in a different culture expanded my own sense of the world and life itself. It was truly a life altering adventure.” Currently the president of the Twin Bridges Rotary and Publicity Director of District 7190, Melissa’s involvement in Rotary is an integral part of her volunteer work. While one person may have the capacity to do something, it is through Rotary that the ability to help down the street or across the globe exists.
In addition to its core business, NewWard is also involved in educating business owners in their own marketing and business development. The philosophy being, if you move forward with the knowledge that you are doing what you are passionate about, actively participating work that truly resonates with who you are as a person, success becomes a logical conclusion instead of just a possibility. Currently in the process of co-authoring a new book, Melissa has taken the stories of business owners who have experienced their own defining moments and dug deep to bring out their core passions and created business based on those passions. Breaking away from the security of a daily job and having the courage to do what it is that you truly enjoy is a personal and professional accomplishment. You can be completely satisfied with your life and still have the desire for more that is what keeps you moving forward and growing. The stories and techniques included in the book strive to assist any entrepreneur in their mission to create a life and work environment that they can thrive in.
NewWard Development, LLC™ is proud to be recognized by the Chamber of Southern Saratoga County for the contributions it has made to both the business community and the community at large. We will maintain our involvement, continue to seek new opportunities for growth and commit to continually expand not only our own reach, but the reach of our clients and partners.
Visit www.newward.com for more information about NewWard Development, LLC