2020 has been quite the year, but for Eternity it was a year of reflection. We have been in business for 20 years now, and have experienced an immense amount of growth throughout that time. Although there have been difficult times, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, we continue to succeed with an impeccable team and clients that love and support us. We truly have a great deal to be thankful for.
We could not have gotten where we are without all of you, our readers, our clients, and of course our hard-working and dedicated team. After a time of reflection and in celebration of 20 years, we decided to share 20 milestones that we have accomplished throughout our time together.
1. Founded in a Dorm Room
In 2000, Mike Lannen the Founder and Owner of Eternity founded Eternity in a Champlain College dorm room. The foundation of the business was founded on providing free websites to local non-profit agencies. This began a solid word of mouth referral stream that began the growth of the business. Jensen Hall is where it all began, and the rest is history.
2. Hired First Freelancers
In 2004, Mike Lannen hired friends from college and local creatives to act as freelancers. This is when Mike took networking into his own hands and utilized his connections to grow his business.
3. Pine Computers + Eternity
In 2005, Mike worked with Jon Williams from Pine Computers to sell it while Eternity was in its own growing stages. Pine Computers is no longer around, but it used to be run by Jon Williams from South Burlington.
4. Moved to First Office
In 2007, Mike Lannen and Pine Computers shared an office space, providing Eternity with its first-ever office and space to grow. Eventually, we moved to a private office a few years later in South Burlington, Vermont.
5. Purchased Vermont Web Programmers
In 2008, Eternity acquired VWP (Vermont Web Programmers) from the owner in Middlebury, Vermont. VWP was a small web development shop and the owner was looking to retire. Eternity purchased the client list and this doubled our client base overnight as well as created the ability to start hiring employees and growing the firm.
6. Hired First Employees
In 2008, Mike Lannen was able to start hiring employees to join the Eternity team. This was a huge milestone for the business!
7. Partnered with Mollie Lannen
In 2008, Eternity partnered with Mollie Lannen. Mollie also then purchased CW Print + Design (formerly Copy World) from her Aunt in 2009. She has since grown CW exponentially and is able to offer print services for Eternity clients. Check them out for any print marketing needs!
8. Rising Star Award
In 2011, Mike Lannen was recognized by Vermont Business Magazine and was honored to receive the Rising Star Award.
9. Established Branch Office in Barre, VT
In 2009, we were finally able to expand and establish an office space in Barre, Vermont where the owner and founder Mike Lannen resides. This was convenient for him, but also for many of our clients in and around Central Vermont.
10. Moved HQ to Downtown Burlington, VT
In 2015, Mike invested in a Downtown Burlington, VT location for our HQ office space. Our HQ was previously located in South Burlington. This created convenience for the team members, but also for business growth in the greater Burlington area.
11. New Logo and Identity by Rob Liberty
In 2016, Rob Liberty, one of our Senior Designer and Developers created a new and improved logo, as well as a brand identity. This set the scene for a new era in the world of Eternity!
12. Expanded in Content Creation - Hired Meghan
In 2019, we were growing and our clients expressed a need that we knew we needed to provide. That is when we hired Meghan Richards as a Content Specialist. She has now been with us for a year and a half and has helped to grow our business and develop a process for our clients.
13. Expanded in Digital Marketing - Hired Shawna
In 2020, we experienced even more growth and a demand for a dedicated digital marketing professional. That is when we hired Shawna Shortsleeve as a Digital Marketing Specialist. She has now been with us since the very beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and has focused on creating digital marketing advertisements for our clients during her time.
14. Expanded in Social Media - Hired Grace
In 2020, we quickly adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic and understood the social media demand that many clients were experiencing. That is when we hired Grace Safford as a Social Media Content Creator. She has now been with us since September, and we are so excited to see what she brings to the team in 2021!
15. Expanded in SEO - Hired Isabelle
In 2020, we expanded again by hiring Isabelle Halpern. She began training in 2020, but we will benefit from her addition in 2021 and look forward to seeing what she brings to the team!
16. Best Web Developer in Vermont (VBM)
In 2018, 2019, and 2020 we were voted the Best Web Developer in Vermont (Vermont Business Magazine) and we were honored to be recognized for all our hard work throughout those years.
17. Slack Integration and Process Refinement
In 2019, we took our process and our team communication to a whole new level. We invested in Slack, a software that made internal and external communication so much more smooth and consistent. In addition, we also established a project process that involves all of our team members and works well for our clients.
18. Revenue Growth - 52%
In 2019, we were proud and excited to announce that we witnessed a 52% revenue growth. This was not only because of a tremendous team effort but also because our clients believed in us and continued to support us through word of mouth.
19. Over 750 Website Launches
In 2020, we are excited to announce that we have officially launched over 750 websites throughout 20 successful years of business.
20. Client Shout Out
We had the privilege to work with dozens of new clients in 2020, but below are just a few highlights.
- In 2020, we continued to work with Let’s Grow Kids and developed a new website for a new decade.
- In 2020, we built new relationships with new clients and landed Trusst toward the end of the year.
- In 2020, we worked with Love Burlington to build them a website that will support the Burlington community during a time of need.
Thank you for joining us on our journey thus far. We are 20 years in, and we plan to be here for Eternity. We look forward to doing that alongside all of you. As we go into 2021, make sure you not only have a revenue-generating website, but also a digital marketing strategy that works. If you are struggling with either of these, do not hesitate to contact us. We are here to help!
