How U.S. Military Families are Making Life More Interesting in Germany

Buzz Off Base takes the guess work out of finding the best shops, services and entertainment near U.S. military bases throughout Germany.

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How U.S. Military Families are Making Life More Interesting in Germany

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(Free-Press-Release.com) March 20, 2010 --Kaiserslautern, Germany. Less than a year ago, Buzz Off Base started as a Facebook group by just one person who wanted to help people in the Kaiserslautern Military Community learn more about the local area. Today, Buzzoffbase.com is the # 1 source for Americans searching for the best shops, services, entertainment in Germany.

Military and civilian families stationed at locations all over Germany have been flocking to the website. What's special about Buzz Off Base is that it’s an interactive guide that lets people review, rate and recommend businesses that they have used, enabling other people to make informed choices about where to spend their money based upon the experiences of others. As well, members can add new businesses and events to the website, share information, and chat about what's great (and not so great) in the local area. It’s an ever-expanding source of consumer information.

Buzz Off Base was established in mid 2009 by John Edmonds, who hails from Dallas, Texas. John has been living overseas for 14 years and has spent the last 4 of those in Germany. He explains, “There’s a real hunger out there for information about events and entertainment, but even more so about what business are reputable and American friendly. Over 100,000 Americans live in Germany and every year nearly 25 percent of this community leave the country and are replaced by newcomers. In the past, you had to rely on the advice of one or two friends or colleagues. Buzz Off Base helps people find the best businesses and entertainment in their area based upon the recommendations of thousands of people.”

The website is completely free for members and local businesses to use. Members can sign up for an account and immediately start benefiting from information and reviews on the site. Business owners can list their basic business details and photo on the website at no charge and consumers can review their services. Business owners can also upgrade their membership and take advantage of the ability to expand their business profile, interact with customers, and much more. John believes his site will help the German business community attract more American customers and also help Americans make better decision about where to spend their money.

“The global financial crisis has hurt businesses and families alike. People simply are not spending as much as in the past and the exchange rate deters people using local businesses. People want to be sure that when they buy something they are receiving value for money. Advertising doesn’t really help small businesses or consumers in this kind of situation. What is needed is a strong customer referral system (word-of-mouth advertising). Why? People trust and believe their friends, colleagues and others in their social network. Buzz Off Base is a place where businesses can build a solid reputation, which helps both the business and consumer.

John’s simple idea has grown into something he could have hardly imagined. Thousands of people from Ramstein, Landstuhl, Spangdahlem, Grafenwoehr, Vilseck and other military communities across Germany have joined his Facebook page since it started in July 2009. To date, nearly 20,000 guides and reviews have been downloaded from his site. John explains, “When I saw the huge positive reaction to my page and reviews, it encouraged me to develop my idea further and create a website. I’ve been steadily working on it for nearly six months and had help from people from all over. I’ve been overwhelmed by response and so thankful to those who have contributed to the site and made it a success.”

Within the coming three years, Buzz Off Base plans to expand to U.S. military installations in Italy, Spain, and Greece. In five years, they hope to expand to installations within the United States. “Our website is the perfect fit for bases in non-English speaking countries but it is also a good fit for bases in rural parts of the United States. Most corporate websites cater to the needs of big cities but that’s not usually where military bases are found. My hope is that one day Buzz Off Base will be able to help military families in every corner of the world.”

More information can be found online at http://www.buzzoffbase.com

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