KnowAboutNetwork

General Information

The www.knowaboutnetwork.com was founded in 2001 by Michael Bell, a Canadian publisher located in Peterborough Ontario Canada. At the time he was publishing a monthly entertainment tabloid The Wire, and while on vacation envisioned an online magazine that could be operated anywhere through an online management system designed specifically for publishers. The first site www.knowaboutpeterborough.com went online as basic html by the end of that year. Early in 2002 the first piece of management software was completed and went online with the addition of www.KnowAboutAtlanta.com, where the company's first programmer lived. At that point, KAN began offering a business opportunity to independent affiliates that allowed the use of a KnowAbout local city directory to sell online adverting packages to local businesses. In 2003, the company established their first corporation KnowAbout Canada Inc. and appointed Rick Teather as its president and first national affiliate. A model was "fleshed out" to include a complete operations manual, sales and marketing materials and a considerably improved management system; KAN 2.0. Since its beginnings, the KnowAboutNetwork has grown to over 150 sites with independent affiliates in 6 countries. They are regularly listed in Entrepreneur's "Start-Up" magazine and field information requests from around the world.

International Growth

KnowAbout Port Alfred South Africa was the first site to be launched outside of North America, and since going live in 2003, it has been joined by affiliate sites in Mexico, Nigeria, India and Australia. KAN is currently in negotiations with individuals in both Australia and India to launch national affiliates, with a goal of littering those countries with hundreds of portals.

Print Directories

In the fall of 2004 KAN launched its first print directory in Peterborough Ontario, KnowAbout Downtown. It included over 100 business located in The Downtown core and was supported by the downtown's business improvement organization, the PDBIA. As a compliment to the online directory the print was a great success and the KAN model grew to offer other affiliates the same opportunity. KAN directories are currently being published in Peterborough, Kawarthas, Northumberland and Thunder Bay Ontario CA, Port Moody and Coquitlam British Columbia CA and Melbourne Vic Australia.