Bring your business into the 21 st Century with MMD Technologies
By Jan Staab
For Heartland Women (February 10, 2009)

No matter the size of your business or what products and services you offer, you can benefit greatly from a powerful online presence. However, precious few of us have the skills and experience it takes to make a Web site work. If this description sounds familiar, call Sami Kern at MMD Technologies.

MMD is a full-service multimedia production company. Sami is the owner of MMD and has been in the Web design and development business since 1999. “I started doing this in graduate school to make some extra money. I discovered there was a good market for it and that I enjoyed it. So I kept on doing it,” she said.

Instilling her clients' with confidence in her abilities has kept Sami in business all these years based solely on client referrals. “We at MMD are a Christian-based company. We pride ourselves on quality customer service. I personally bring a lot of expertise to the table and a variety of skills to offer all my clients,” she said. “It is rewarding when I have a potential client who says `where do I start?' When I am able to help them and hear them say how much I have helped them, it is wonderful.”

Sami's bachelor's degree in marketing and master's degree in interactive multimedia (both from SIUC) uniquely suit her to help you create and market your business identity. Through MMD, Sami offers her clients everything from graphic design and web hosting to Internet marketing and search engine optimization. In a nutshell, she will design your logo, business cards, brochures, Web site and any other promotional tools you may need to make your business known. Then, Sami will show you how to make these tools work for you.

Sami also acts as a computer educational consultant. She will come to your business and train you and your employees in the use of software or hardware that can benefit your business. “I have been contracted to teach all the web design classes at John A. Logan College's Center for Business and Industry,” Sami said. MMD Technologies is also an approved vendor for U.S. government and state of Illinois education and web design affiliated contracts.

It sounds like a tall order to fill. But Sami has handled tall orders before. Her strength as a person and a professional grew through a series of obstacles she has faced in her life. In the span of a few years, she was beaten by an intruder in a friend's home, was run over by a truck and underwent brain surgery intended to relieve her crippling migraines. “I actually watched the truck going over my head as it went onto my spine,” Sami said.

Injuries sustained in the truck accident left Sami with a fractured pelvis and the need to learn to walk again. Neither the drunk driver who hit her nor the man who beat her was ever punished for his crime.

While many of us would resent these experiences, Sami has learned from them. “There has been a tremendous change in me. It has shown me how much strength I really do have,” she said. “It seems like Satan has slapped me down several times and I just keep getting back up. All of this has given me a renewed sense of self-confidence. I mean, if an F-250 cannot keep me down, nothing can.”

And so far, nothing has. Sami is still motivated by a deep entrepreneurial spirit that pushes her to serve her clients' individual needs. The flexible schedule and portability of her business allows her the chance to have more quality time with her family and to work on her own terms. However, it also makes meeting her clients' needs all the easier.

“I can take my laptop and wireless hookup anywhere my clients are. I take the office with me and bring my clients design templates to look at,” she said. “That can be especially helpful for small businesses that would lose money if the owner had to shut down midday to keep an appointment. It also allows me to get one-on-one feedback on a design instead of sending an e-mail.”

For small businesses that are just discovering their own place in the market, Sami has this advice. “Create a business plan even if it is a simple one. That is what helped me the most,” she said. “A business plan will help your vision for your business to become clear. I was so much more focused after I sat down and put my ideas down on paper. I realized what I needed to do to make each part of the plan happen.”

Once you have your plan, let Sami help you make your vision a reality.

MMD Technologies can be reached by phone at 889-2573. Call them for your free consultation. You can also visit them online at www.mmdtechnologies.com.