Young entrepreneurs open Blacksuits Inc.

Fresh from the classroom, Zack Bonebrake and Damion McDunn have launched their own Web site design firm, Blacksuits Inc.

Bonebrake and McDunn started the business in April 1999 and incorporated in January 2000. Skye Carroll joined the company in April 2000 after freelancing in the field for a short time.

McDunn, 25, is still working on his studio art degree with a minor in architecture at Drury University.

Bonebrake, 25, received his studio art degree and business degree from Drury. Carroll, 26, has two degrees from Drury, a bachelor of science in architecture and a bachelor of arts.

Bonebrake said he decided early in his career that he was not cut out for corporate life in a large company.

After working for a software company for a short time, he and McDunn teamed up to develop a Web site for a fair-sized company, which set them on the road to self-employment.

The two chose the name Blacksuits as symbolic of their role. They are the background guys who create the company image but remain unseen by the public, like black-clad stagehands who manipulate the scenery but are never seen.

"We make the client look good while we remain obscure," Bone-brake said .

After only a few months in the business, the company moved from a downtown office to its current location at 210-A W. Commercial in early April 2000. Carroll joined the team not long after the move.

The old-town atmosphere appealed to the business owners in both locations, and the lower rent helps keep the overhead down, Bonebrake said.

Because the cost of doing business in general is lower in this area than in many parts of the country, the company can stay competitive in the Web design business.

To date, the trio has developed Web sites for companies as far away as California.

Blacksuits has had little trouble marketing its services. Nearly all of its business has come through referrals from friends and satisfied customers. Their first major client is still a regular customer.

Each new project gains the team knowledge and experience.

Besides their collective expertise, the firm has a pool of specialists to draw from if the job calls for something beyond the technical skills of the three principals.

Each of the young men has confidence in his own technical and creative talent to achieve what the client wants.

They usually work together so that all three are familiar with each project.

Web positioning is important to the success of a site. Bonebrake said that he and his colleagues make sure the site is structured correctly and contains all the information necessary to ensure it will be ranked high by search engines.

"We have enough varied background to provide solutions for any client," Bonebrake said.

It can sometimes be a challenge to determine what the client wants and needs.

The Web is still new enough as a marketing tool that it leaves some business owners scratching their heads.

"If they don't know exactly what they want, we probe to help them find a direction," Carroll said.

Along with the initial set-up, Blacksuits maintains and changes Web-sites as needed for the individual client.

When initiating a site, besides specific information about a company, Bonebrake said that Blacksuits will research all aspects of that industry and its potential market. He uses the Web extensively for research.

Blacksuits bids jobs by the project, once the needs and goals of the client are established.

The company sometimes works on an hourly basis on smaller maintenance or updating projects.

In the future Blacksuits plans to continue what it is doing and expand.

Bonebrake said he and his associates also have some Web-site plans of their own.

There are areas such as job placement services that could stand some improvement, Bonebrake said.

The main focus of the company is to follow the market on the Web and keep up with technology.

"We have the advantage as a small company; if something changes we can shift with the flow," Bonebrake said.