EVERYONE IN Franklin County loves our area for different reasons. Some people love the opportunities to get involved with their neighbors, some enjoy the beautiful places that bring us outdoors, and some are here because they love the water. About three years ago, Greg Born came to town to enjoy a little bit of all of it. Born grew up hiking, backpacking, and enjoying the outdoors. He always wanted to own a home by the water. Finding the right time in his life and a beautiful spot here in Franklin County, he and his wife made the move.
“I love the community’s personality, the culture, and just the sense of welcomeness,” Born described. The challenge he and his family discovered quickly was that they didn’t know where to go to learn about the many amazing things to do in this area. Nothing is in one place, from businesses to things to do to a community calendar, and it was all difficult to find. “Everything was on Facebook. You have to search through all of these countless similar Facebook pages across the internet to find the right page or post. It was difficult at best to find hiking trails, interesting historical places, restaurants, and even a local plumber.” Realizing there was an opportunity not only to support and highlight local businesses but also to take the guesswork out of finding what you need in our community, Born created Tim’sFord411.
TimsFord411.com is a website dedicated to being an informational hub for residents and visitors to our area. On TimsFord411, you can find a plethora of information about our home. You can see weather updates, a calendar with local events, local restaurant favorites, a “things to do” category, a section called “Learn about TFL,” where you can read about what makes our community special and unique, and even a job board page. Tim’sFord411 is a “one-stop for everything in the Tims Ford Lake area.” There’s even a monthly newsletter you can sign up for.
Business owners can also build professional profiles and tap into this virtual community to increase their visibility. The people searching the website are just in our area, increasing the value of someone seeing your profile. Business owners have the option of purchasing a “Business Membership Plan.” The “Pro” plan would include a personalized profile, the ability to add photos and testimonials, top-tier search results, messaging capabilities, listings in numerous categories, plus more for $199 a year. At $17 a month, it seems economical for businesses to increase their visibility and online presence.
This collection of business profiles, housed in a website attracting people looking for things to do and businesses to support in our area, is a unique opportunity to build brand awareness. TimsFord411 is also a resource for people planning to move to the area. Real estate professionals can share available listings in the same place prospective buyers can read about the beautiful things this area offers.
Born advises Franklin County residents, “Learn and ask as much as you can about this area; it’s amazing what you’ll find.” He is making that easy for all of us. TimsFord411 lays out all of the information about our community in one place, making it easy to get involved and find what you love. “I want to give back to the place that I love, and I want to help these amazing local businesses,” was Born’s goal in starting this online community, which is already seeing hundreds of new visitors a day. TimsFord411 is an excellent resource for visitors, residents, and business owners. GN
