10 Questions For Saratoga's Kat & Mouse Owner Kathy Long

Kat & Mouse SEO and Web Design, 14567 Big Basin Way, suite C1, offers search engine optimization, social media marketing and web design and consulting services all over the Bay Area. The business was started in 1995 in Santa Cruz. Hours of operation are by appointment only. Details: 408-647-2327, or email by filling out this form.
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Saratoga Patch: What did you dream of being as a kid?

Kathy Long: I went from wanting to be a concert pianist to being a pediatrician. But I really wished I had dreamed of being a dancer 'cause that's what I love doing most in my spare time. 

Patch: How does your personality play into your business?

Long: I'm a giver and really care about people, so being in business to help other businesses is perfect for me. I care very much about seeing them succeed and bend over backwards to make sure I've done the best I can, often working into the wee hours of the night to not only get a job done, but to do it as perfect as perfect can be. I'm also very competitive which really helps when I'm doing SEO (search engine optimization) because I'm relentless in trying to get my clients to the top of Google.

Patch: At what moment did you decide to open a business?

Long: It was in 1995. I was working in Seagate's Corporate Communications department when my boss said "You'd be good at this." The "this" was the Internet and I hardly knew what it was at the time. That same year I took him up on it. I taught myself HTML. I built the very first online restaurant portal website, the newspaper picked it up, and then the requests to build websites started coming in. The rest is history. 

Patch: What inspired you?

Long: When I was at Seagate I was a business presentation specialist and worked primarily with sales and marketing. That got me going in the field because designing and writing presentations wasn't that much different than building a website. But I didn't stop there. I immersed myself in everyone and everything that was in any way related to the field of web development. I brought on a software developer, then studied programming myself. When a client wanted to know if I could get him #1 in Google, that fired me up to learn SEO. I did and got him #1 where he has sat for eight years. And I still haven't stopped. I have an insatiable thirst for knowledge and so the Internet and the wealth of knowledge it contains continues to fire me up. I guess you could say that is my inspiration for doing what I do. But if you want to know what inspired me to be an entrepreneur, I would have to say it was myself. I'm an independent, creative thinker who can't be put in a cubicle. I had to have the freedom to think and do as my own creative energies and impulses directed me. 

Patch: Describe the biggest challenge of owning a business in the Saratoga?

Long: Fighting the urge to just leave the office and go for a walk downtown or in the surrounding hills. 

Patch: Describe the best thing about owning a business in Saratoga?

Long: My office is right in the middle of the sweetest little town in Silicon Valley. It's quiet, It's quaint. And it's so small that it's easy to get to know other business owners. It really feels like one big family here. And we have the best restaurants for miles around with five-star lunches for under $10. 

Patch: What is one thing you would never change about your business?

Long: My values. I don't even have to think about that. I will never compromise honesty and excellent service to make a bigger buck. 

Patch: What is your business' greatest asset?

Long: Besides our values, that would be our expertise in all things related to internet marketing. And why do I say that when any other Internet marketing company would say the same thing? Our results speak for themselves. When a client calls and says, "You increased my business 17 fold in one year," then I know I can say we have the expertise and really mean it. 

Patch: What is your favorite spot in town?

Long: Big Basin Cafe where I pet the dogs on the way in and drink a latte at a table by the window while I check my email in the morning. The ambiance there pretty much epitomizes Saratoga to me. 

Patch: What's one thing the community should know about you?

Long: Besides all of the above, that my door is always open. I'm very outgoing and love meeting new people. And if you bring me a latte from Big Basin Cafe and come sit with me, I'll look over your website with you and give you some tips on how to succeed online. I would enjoy that.