RapidBuyr to Power OfficeArrow Daily Deals

CONCORD, Mass., Sept. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- RapidBuyr (www.RapidBuyr.com), the daily deal site catering exclusively to small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) with deep discounts on B2B products and services, today announced it has entered into a strategic partnership agreement to exclusively power and deliver daily deals for OfficeArrow, the online community of over 350,000 small business owners and entrepreneurs that offers social media tools, interactive content and resource sharing to help businesses grow.  

In addition, OfficeArrow co-founder and CEO Robert Ball has joined RapidBuyr as Chief Financial Officer and EVP of Corporate Development, bringing more than 30 years of entrepreneurial and Web 2.0 experience to the RapidBuyr team.

OfficeArrow pioneered the daily deal model for business-to-business products and services, aggregating small business buying power by building a community of entrepreneurs, startups and small businesses.  In addition to daily deals, OfficeArrow offers social media tools and interactive content to help members build networks and relationships and grow their business.

Under the terms of the agreement, RapidBuyr will exclusively power and deliver daily deals to the OfficeArrow community, offering deep discounts of up to 80 percent on vital B2B/SMB products and services. In addition to local/regional merchant deals in nearly 10 major U.S. markets, the OfficeArrow community will have access to national offers from some of the most well-known brands in the industry. RapidBuyr deals range from computer hardware, software, web development and design, SaaS and cloud offerings, peripherals and IT outsourcing to marketing services, meeting space, staffing assistance, information subscriptions, office furniture and equipment, local services, travel and sporting and business events.

"We are very excited to partner with RapidBuyr to offer even better deals to our active community of entrepreneurs and office professionals," said OfficeArrow Chairman and Co-Founder Mike Lewis. "Sourcing great deals for our members has always been a core focus for us and our partnership with RapidBuyr will provide great value to our community.  We also look forward to expanding our community, content and social media resources to RapidBuyr's network of more than 11 million SMBs."

Ball is a seasoned entrepreneur and veteran online expert with senior-level executive experience that includes a variety of roles at Akamai Technologies, the leading provider of cloud optimization services.  Ball led Akamai's international operations, where he grew the company's international revenues four-fold in less than two years, served as General Counsel and managed Akamai's record setting IPO and, as Vice President of Business Development, directed Akamai's corporate strategy, and development, strategic partnership and international expansion. Prior to Akamai, Ball co-founded and managed the Internet and e-commerce practice of Alston + Bird, LLP, one of the nation's top corporate and technology law firms. A recognized expert in online commerce, startup strategies and social media marketing, Ball has been a contributor to The Huffington Post since January, 2011 and was a featured speaker at the inaugural Daily Deal Summit.

"Robert clearly understands the challenges small businesses and entrepreneurs face on a daily basis, and we are thrilled to have his caliber of expertise on our team as we expand  the RapidBuyr network to meet the evolving demands of today's small business marketplace," said Tom Aley, president and CEO of RapidBuyr. "The combination of OfficeArrow's well-established member network with RapidBuyr's capacity for delivering money-saving deals to the SMB audience will give B2B vendors unprecedented access to this virtually untapped market."

For more information about RapidBuyr and to check out the national or local deal in your area, visit www.rapidbuyr.com.

About RapidBuyr

RapidBuyr offers local and nationwide daily deals for small and medium-size businesses (SMBs). The site provides millions of businesses with deep discounts of up to 80 percent on products and services such as computers, software, peripherals, information subscriptions, general merchandise, local services, travel and sporting events.  Founded by successful entrepreneurs from Amazon, Microsoft, CNET, Dow Jones and Ziff Davis, the company's exclusive relationships with BuyerZone.com and American City Business Journals power local distribution and enable access to a highly targeted business audience. For more information, visit www.RapidBuyr.com.

About OfficeArrow

OfficeArrow is the first online community designed exclusively to help start-ups, small business owners, entrepreneurs and office professionals. OfficeArrow features resources for its 350,000 members to save money on everyday purchases, access relevant articles and social media tools, make powerful connections and get advice from experts and peers to better manage their business.  The company offers advertising and engagement solutions to partner companies to reach its community.  For more information, visit www.officearrow.com.

SOURCE RapidBuyr