Redesigned Shustir site brings small businesses more powerful social networking and search optimization at no cost; empowers consumers to find, buy from, and unite to support independent businesses.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As the economic climate continues to be stormy, Shustir.com wants to be your weatherproofing. The site, which launched earlier this year, has been providing thousand of small businesses and independent entrepreneurs with powerful e-commerce technology. Now, after a site redesign and improved social networking tools, Shustir doesn't just want to change the way the 29 million small and independent endeavors in this country do business online; it wants to start a revolution.

With a social conscience that transcends commerce, Shustir is emerging as an advocate for the growing ranks of consumers uniting to support small businesses, which generate some $1 trillion in revenue annually, comprise up to 90 percent of all U.S. businesses, and whose health is vital to our economic recovery. This is particularly true of local economies, where up to an estimated 70 percent of dollars spent with independent, local merchants remain in the community.

Chief among Shustir 2.0's enhancements are more robust, easy to use social networking tools. While consumers increasingly cite recommendations on Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites as strong purchase motivators, a miniscule number of small businesses are active on social media. A recent Sage Software/AMI Partners study found more than 260,000 small businesses in the US and Canada use social media as marketing tools. This, however, equates roughly one percent when compared to the total population small businesses in these regions. The redesign also brings enhanced search engine optimization and marketing tools to Shustir's virtual storefronts, moving hard to find, virtual cabins in the woods onto the web's version of the Interstate. To help flag down traffic Shustir has begun a daily blog titled 1 in 29 Million that showcases these hard to find businesses. It will give a voice to a different independent storefront every day, increasing their exposure and forwarding Shustir's mission.

Shustir's founders, former Lehman Brothers colleagues Shu Kim and Khanh Pham, see a picture emerging far bigger than their site. "We deeply believe that everyone should have their own store, whether as primary source of income, or for other reasons. We're all good at something, and can do or make something that others find of value," said Kim. "Shustir can unleash that inner entrepreneur in all of us, and make it instantly possible for the world to know about it."

"At the same time, our mission is to keep the world small, meaning, to keep dollars in local communities," said Pham. "Service-oriented businesses, food retailing and so many others that depend on their neighbors' dollars must become part of the online conversation, and we know our tools can immediately make that happen."

Small business owners cited lack of time and lack of budget as leading reasons why they hadn't yet engaged in online marketing. Shustir knocks down both barriers by providing a free and instantly optimized virtual storefront, with multimedia capabilities.

For an optional monthly investment of $25, business owners can use the full range of e-commerce tools offered by Shustir, geared to enable competition against even the largest online businesses. To help offset even the cost, Shustir passes on any revenue earned through Google Ad Sense placement directly to owners of virtual storefronts where ads appear.

In support of this powerful social statement, Shustir is also launching a customizable video, giving businesses a powerful tool to establish their online presence. A tongue-in-cheek send-up of big business and its often less-than-conscionable practices. the video enables small business owners the ability make it their own by inserting their own name and business information into the footage.

For more information about setting up a virtual storefront or advertising on Shustir.com, please visit www.shustir.com or email contact@shustir.com.