Google Fiber brings big opportunities for small businesses

Small businesses make up more than 80 percent of San Antonio's workforce

SAN ANTONIO – Small business manager Wes Baerga may be Google Fiber's biggest fan.

"It's probably going to be like when people waited in line for iPhones. I'll be first in line!" Baerga said.

He works for the digital media company Vuepoint Creative and he's one of the business' six employees.

"Since everything we do as a digital marketing company is online, it's the equivalent of taking us from a country farm road and dropping us right on the interstate, in terms of the speed and capacity of what we're able to do," he said.

Baerga says Google Fiber could improve every aspect of his job.

"We're able to connect with our clients and businesses faster, we're able to complete business faster. So we're able to do a lot more of it quicker," he said.

Baerga represents a big chunk of the market. About 80 percent of San Antonio's community is made up of small businesses.

"If you're a small business owner in San Antonio, this is a game changer in many ways because you can access more data, you can bring it, you can store it," said Ramiro Cavazos, the CEO of San Antonio's Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Cavazos has always been vocal about the benefits Google Fiber could bring to San Antonio's economy, including a big boost in competition.

"Those other providers are now having to raise the bar. Many times competitors become cooperative for a city they want to do business in, so for us it's great news," Cavazos said.

Not to mention, giving small businesses the edge they need to compete with big companies.

"Most definitely," Baerga said. "It's going to give us a leg up."


About the Author

Courtney Friedman anchors KSAT’s weekend evening shows and reports during the week. Her ongoing Loving in Fear series confronts Bexar County’s domestic violence epidemic. She joined KSAT in 2014 and is proud to call the SA and South Texas community home. She came to San Antonio from KYTX CBS 19 in Tyler, where she also anchored & reported.

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