AtHomeNet Company History

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The Early years

AtHomeNet Inc. is a firm that began as a small family business and now serves well over one million homes spread across 48 states. The company is technology based, dealing primarily with creating and hosting websites for Homeowner Associations, Condo Associations, & Association Management companies. It is a story of the entrepreneurial spirit envisioning a service concept that was once considered an optional luxury but has now become a necessity to most communities. It is also a story of developing relationships with clients who define the products and features we offer. Just as our websites are interactive, so is this client/service provider exchange. This process makes AtHomeNet unique in not only recognizing the need for such a service; but constantly adapting and enhancing the service in a way that empowers our customers to be a part of standardizing the use of a technology in a method that was previously unheard of.

AtHomeNet was founded in March of 1998 by the husband and wife team of Jeff and Susan Sanders. Living in a Homeowners Association themselves, they quickly recognized the need for a better method of communication between neighbors, the board and even the community management company. The internet was just becoming popular with the general public and its uses as a communication tool were obvious so an internet based community web site application seemed the perfect solution. The value of establishing or participating in an existing HOA or Condo Association in communities both locally and nationwide was beginning to be viewed as a standard by which the efficiency of communities would be measured.

Jeff Sanders, President of AtHomeNet, previously worked as a Computer Programmer and Systems Analyst in the Financial Services industry. He started in 1984 developing in C++ and eventually transitioned to Internet Development using Microsoft ASP.

Susan Sanders, Vice President, has a background in business management. Susan worked for 10 years in the Institutional Division of a Financial Services company. Her roles included managing staff, assisting international branch offices, and analyzing division financial data.

Tired of the long commute to their respective jobs day in and day out, Jeff and Susan were determined to use their combined expertise in management/marketing and computer programming to come up with a product in a niche market that could both enhance the lives of the consumer and their own personal lives.

Undaunted by the challenge of slowly but steadily growing from the ground up in a subscription based business model; Jeff and Susan knew that if they could combine a product that was universally needed without losing the highly personalized customer service their 1st clients enjoyed, they would have a good chance of revolutionizing the way people ran their communities. With so much emphasis placed on maintaining and increasing property values, Board activities and administration, and social and family events and opportunities; offering a community website service that could meet the professional demands of a Condo or Home Owner Association, while simultaneously offering user friendly access to residents was to become the focal point of their efforts.

From its inception, AtHomeNet was a subscription based service having never fallen prey to the advertising based model that caused the failure of so many dot com companies. Their first client was signed in October of 1998 and the company has experienced triple digit growth ever since. Although the years have brought thousands of clients and very large communities, Jeff and Susan take an active role in being personally involved in every aspect of AtHomeNet�s operations. From getting on the phone with an individual HOA president or community administrator and listening to what they�d like to see in the service, or talking to a potential customer about how the business started and has grown, the couple has adopted the mantra of treating every community with the same level of commitment they treat their own.

2000 and Beyond

In March of 2000, AtHomeNet did an initial round of financing with investors purchasing 10% of the company. This influx of cash allowed AtHomeNet to increase its marketing budget and to build brand awareness. Board Presidents who needed time saving strategies, community volunteers who were tired of handing out fliers door to door, and Association Managers attempting to synergize their communities� communication were beginning to become aware that there was now a company whose existence was tailored to their meet and exceed their needs. Homeowner Associations, Condo Owner Associations, and Association Management Companies nationwide could now place their communities and their trust in a firm that exclusively provided, developed, and maintained a complete online solution to fit their unique set of challenges. This exchange between the client and the entire AtHomeNet staff became the foundation for the personalized relationship that Jeff and Susan continually strive to develop, treating each customer and community as an extension of their own.

To further the all important client/service provider relationship AtHomeNet was built upon; each year AtHomeNet hosts an up close and personal training session where they and their staff give classes on mastering the features and functionality of the AtHomeNet website service. With classes geared towards association websites and community association management websites, Jeff and Susan take a hands-on approach to teaching their service and listening and learning what their clients� needs are at this annual event. With a few perks in the day such as dinner and prizes, training camp also gives Administrators and Association managers from around the country a chance to get to know each other and share stories of their own website successes.

AtHomeNet has clients in 48 states ranging in size from a 6 unit condo to an 8500 home master association and in the fall of 2007 crossed the milestone of having more than a million homes using the service. AtHomeNet currently has 31 employees including sales, support, development and graphic arts staff, whose sole mission is to fulfill the needs of every member of the AtHomeNet family of clients; meeting and exceeding customer expectations at every opportunity.