By Elizabeth Dimick
Sara Mannix of Mannix Marketing has been working in the internet marketing business for 18 years.
Mannix said she “kind of fell into the business” working for Inside Edge, a marketing company in 1995, when clients asked her about how to get their businesses to a top spot on the few search engines there were at that time. She took to the internet and figured out how to get more traffic flow to the sites of her clients.
In 1996, Mannix decided to start her own business in an effort to be more of a stay-at-home mom. She never thought that the business started as a side job would end up becoming so successful.
That same year Google was created, and Mannix Marketing was already number-one on the Google search engine by 1997.
Mannix Marketing has several different functions. One part of Mannix Marketing is the ownership of dot-com websites such as LakeGeorge.com, Saratoga.com and Albany.com. Through these websites, she partners with the chambers of commerce in the cities her sites feature.
Mannix currently employs 11 people to maintain the dot-com sites for Mannix Marketing, as well as a handful of people who handle the sales aspect of the websites.
She said her husband Mark is her, “silent partner” who is the “backbone” of the technical side of her business.
“If I did not have Mark to make sure all the technological stuff was taken care of, I do not know what I would do,” she said.
The other function of Mannix Marketing is creating and maintaining websites for businesses from all over, by enlisting SEO specialists that make sure a website has the right keywords and desired layouts to make it rise to the top of search engine lists.
Mannix said being an entrepreneur has its benefits and some downfalls. One of the benefits her and her family enjoys is the ability for her to be able to schedule her work around her family life.
“If one of my kids has something really big and important going on, I can make sure I am there for that. I have the freedom to take time whenever I need it,” she said.
Mannix also commented on one of the caveats of being an entrepreneur. “It never turns off,” like a regular job a person can leave for the day and the job is left behind until tomorrow.
“You are always thinking about the job and business. Your mind is constantly thinking about work. You cannot just punch a clock and it is gone,” she said.
Mannix said she is happy with the size of her business is now. Having a tight-knit business allows her clients to get more personalized service, tailored to their needs.
“I really do not want to see my company grow over more than 30 employees,” she said. “I feel the size we are now is a good size. We can really listen to our clients and meet their needs on a more individual basis.”
Mannix marketing is located at 11 Broad St., Glens Falls. Its website is www.mannixmarketing.com and the company can be reached by phone at 743-9424.