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liveBooks Secures $5 Million in Funding From Strategic and Private Investors
SAN FRANCISCO, CA, Nov 04, 2009 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) --
liveBooks, Inc., (www.livebooks.com) the leading provider of
award-winning websites that allow creative professionals to promote
and manage their businesses online, today announced that it has
secured $5 million in funding from strategic and private investors.
This allows the company to expand into new markets and create more
flexible and affordable payment and design options for its customers.
With this funding, liveBooks has:
1) Lowered the cost of entry into the liveBooks suite and service so
that any professional can now afford a liveBooks site;
2) Introduced a subscription-based service to eliminate the need for
front-loaded monetary commitments;
3) Launched pre-designed site offerings with unrivaled choices in
terms of number, design and utility;
4) Broadened its market reach with new, creative professional
industries such as graphic design and interior design
The net result of these changes is that every creative professional
now has access to an affordable solution designed to differentiate
their online offer, without the need to get involved in the
technology of running a website.
"We have been impressed with liveBooks' approach to the photography
industry and believe that a liveBooks site is a great solution for
anyone selling a visual product to manifest their unique brand on the
internet," said Laura Shore, senior vice president of communications
at Mohawk Fine Papers. "Our strategic relationship with liveBooks is
an important component of our effort to expand our sphere of
influence beyond paper products and to incorporate a 360-degree focus
on products and services related to the graphics industry."
For customers who want the benefits of liveBooks' proven design
expertise and intuitive site administration in a more affordable
package, the company is now offering an unrivaled array of
pre-designed themes and layout options with subscriptions priced at
$39 a month. liveBooks is also extending this pricing flexibility to
its customized design customers who want completely unique sites that
are both visually stunning and true manifestations of their brands.
Single customized sites will require a one-time design fee plus a
subscription charge.
"liveBooks' website platform empowers professional photographers with
the tools they need to easily and successfully leverage the power of
the internet to run their businesses," said Chris Rainier, National
Geographic Photographic Fellow. "At a time when creative professionals
in all disciplines are facing job cuts and finding making a
sustainable living increasingly difficult, the new liveBooks offering
-- which is at a price that even a student can afford -- will be a
saving grace. This gives me hope for the future of the global and
independent creative photographer working as a professional."
liveBooks has a history of creating beautifully designed and
easy-to-manage websites for the world's top photographers, such as
Rainier, nature photographer and host of PBS's "Adventures to the
Edge" Art Wolfe, and celebrity photographer Harry Benson. Since its
inception, liveBooks has created sites for more than 7,000
photographers and creative professionals.
"We're extremely proud that our work has helped professional
photographers grow their businesses over the past five years and we
remain committed to delivering exceptional designs and customer
service to the photographic community," said Andy Patrick, CEO and
president of liveBooks. "This financing allows us to take advantage
of the significant growth opportunities in other creative markets
where professionals' business needs are similar to those of
photographers. This, together with the implementation of the more
scalable, SaaS- and subscription-based business model, presents our
customers with more affordable options in these difficult economic
times."
liveBooks was incorporated in 2005 and quickly became well-known for
developing and delivering customized websites that allow professional
photographers to easily manage their online presence with an
intuitive drag-and-drop interface and advanced search marketing tools.
The 75-person company is headquartered in San Francisco, with offices
in the United Kingdom, Romania and throughout the United States.
To reflect the expansion of its business model and offerings,
liveBooks today re-launched its website at www.liveBooks.com. The
company can be reached at (888) 833-4605.
About liveBooks
liveBooks, Inc. provides award-winning websites that serve as a
business hub to help professionals in creative industries like
photography, graphic design and interior design save time, promote
their businesses and make more money. The company works with an
extensive ecosystem of advisors, partners and consultants to deliver
unrivalled products, services, partner applications and customer
experiences through the powerful combination of small-business
acumen, award-winning designs, a scalable platform and extensible
architecture. liveBooks is committed to customer success through
design leadership, business integrity and its belief in the power of
image and creativity to enable social change.
Media contact:
Marci J. Hait
Matter Communications
978-499-9250 Ext. 238
Email Contact
SOURCE: liveBooks
http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/emailprcntct?id=F78E911D2D1FAFC5
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