Dear Friends,

Thanks for coming to my website. My name is Allen Shaw, a Texas native very happy to have returned home after many years working on the East Coast and abroad. I'm quite fortunate to find that I can live here and enjoy small-town life while continuing to provide valuable services to a variety of clients, regardless of their location.

Nonprofit

I had the privilege of working full-time with nonprofit organizations from 1993 to 2005, in various roles ranging from direct fundraising, to website development and programming.  The first seven of those years were spent mostly with direct service providers for youth in the fields of youth development and service-learning, and in the remaining years I worked in direct support of international conference programs designed for the government, education, and diplomatic sectors.  While the work was often challenging, and the unique constraints of the non-profit sector sometimes frustrating, I tremendously enjoyed my work with these organizations and the lessons I learned through those years.

In 2005 I made the big decision to branch out on my own and return to my parents' hometown in northern Texas. Having already built online data management systems for distributed teams, I was pleased to find that, indeed, much of the work of website and Web software development is unhinderred by distance.  This reality has allowed me to partner with a great team of designers and developers, and to offer our services to clients in cities around the U.S. and overseas.

Website Design

I have been programming for the Web since 1998, when a student organization I worked for asked me to develop an online registration system for their international exchange program.  As with many tasks in the non-profit world, this fell to me not because of my job description, but because I was willing to take it on.  From there I continued learning and taking new opportunities as they arose.  In 2001 I took a full time position as database manager for a non-profit in Washington, D.C., and within a few months was busy converting their contact management system from MS-Access to a custom built online system.  I fell in love with the challenge and art of website and web software development, and since then I've worked entirely in that area.

In May of 2010 my company, Two Mice and a Strawberry, acquired NS Web Solutions from a long-time friend who was ready to try other things.  With this step, we're able to offer our clients a top-notch web hosting service and related products, along with an array of cost-effective graphic design solutions for logos, websites, and printed materials.

Services

My goal is to provide a full range of website solutions for budgets ranging from close to nothing to a few thousand dollars.  Of course that is a big range, so your solution will also vary greatly -- from domain name registration including a simple free website with banner ads, to a fully customized interactive website with specialized functionality including membership management or e-commerce sites. Whatever your needs and budget are, I will work with you to make it happen.

Often the most valuable service I offer is dialogue.  I've found that many clients are not sure what they want and know only that they need something better than what they have.  For this reason I've made it a point to be available for general inquiries from both existing and prospective clients.  Whatever questions or ideas you have, I'm happy to give you a professional developer's perspective.

Please don't hesitate to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , include a phone number if you'd like me to call you.  Let's talk about the solutions you're looking for.

Sincerely,
Allen Shaw