Broadband Ambassador Profile

By IIA

Becky Collins, who calls herself “Granny B,” is an IIA Broadband Ambassador. She lives in tiny Homer, LA, which has a population of only 5,000. But she sells her homemade pillowcase dresses to customers from as far away as Canada, England, Italy and even Japan, thanks to a broadband Internet connection.

Granny B started making the frocks for her own granddaughters. Then the daughters and granddaughters of her friends just to have them, and people encouraged her to sell them on eBay. From there she made the leap to her own Web site. Today, the site attracts up to 3,000 visitors a day, and The Oprah Winfrey Show has called her about being a guest on a show about women entrepreneurs. Collins, who works out of her house, typically sells about 20 dresses a week.

She believes that keeping her business afloat would have been nearly impossible if she had instead opened a boutique in Homer’s struggling downtown. “The Internet has brought the world to my doorstep. Living in a small rural community, I could not have had a successful business (without it),” she said. “As the owner of a small home business, being able to market my product via the Internet is vital. As our nation becomes connected by broadband service I think it will transform the way small businesses operate to be more successful.”

Granny B’s dresses can be found at grannybsclothesline.com.