Search startup confident of success

What: SearchForItHere.com, in Tacoma

Who: Paul Festian, 44, president and founder

Mission: To create a search engine tailored to small businesses so that it will become the first choice for consumers to connect with local services. It charges businesses $39.99 per month for a listing — instead of tacking on per-click charges larger search engines assess.

How it works: Festian contends Google, Yahoo or MSN/Live Search represent the long way around for consumers: If you are looking for a motorcycle muffler, you could end up going through pages of search results before you find what you want. "When you use our search engine you go online, find what you want, order it and log off," he said.

Employees: Three, including himself and his wife. "I don't need a humongous staff, because I don't have to pay people to take down credit-card numbers," Festian said.

Financials: The company is privately financed and has 45 clients. Festian expects growth once word gets out that companies don't need to pay click charges; he projects pulling in $25,000 a month by November.

Buffet style: Small businesses need the Web, but payments for click-search ads can be expensive. A company that makes $2,200 a month can be crippled by a $1,500 search tab. Festian hopes that when businesses find out they need to spend only $40 a month with no extra per-click charge, they will sign up.

Legacy application: "I know this idea will work," Festian said. "The purpose is to hand my daughter and her kids a company they can run and make money. This company will bring generational wealth to my family."

— Charles Bermant