This profile was originally published on was published Feb. 27, 2020.
BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
Some people are motivated by the desire to make money, but Nathan Thornton finds his motivation in treating people right.
In other words, the way he goes about his job is influenced by what he experienced growing up in a small town. It’s about giving people a good product and treating them right.
Thornton is the owner and sole employee of The NET Group, a business he started while he was still a student at Bradford High School. The 2011 BHS graduate, who is the son of Donnie and Brenda Thornton of Starke, provides such services as webpage design, web content management, e-commerce development, social-media marketing and custom web applications.
“I’m in it to make money, but at the same time, it’s a service I’m trying to provide,” Thornton said. “A lot of (other) companies want a ton of money to do it. We’re kind of the affordable, local option.”
At the start of his business, Thornton created websites for businesses, with WEAG 106.3–FM and Madison Street Pharmacy being his first clients. He still works with businesses, but is devoting much of his focus now on city and county governments. In fact, the city of Starke is one of Thornton’s clients. He’s excited about having been involved in tweaking the city’s seal in honor of Starke’s 150th year of existence.
Most of the cities and counties that are his clients are similar to Starke and Bradford County in that they’re not the largest cities and counties in Florida. They remind Thornton of home, and that’s the way he treats those customers.
“We’re more of the local company even for the areas that aren’t local,” Thornton said. “Like Calhoun County — they can go to Tallahassee and spend $10,000 on a website. I can give them a site for a lot less than that.
“I like working with the smaller communities. I wouldn’t want to do the city of Tallahassee or Gainesville or Jacksonville.”
Thornton believes he provides a welcome alternative, noting that it’s mostly large companies that deal with government websites.
“A lot of people want that localized service,” he said. “You would get good service with a bigger company, but they’re not going to come to your office and sit down with you and spend time with you or bring ideas to you.”
Lending a hand, creating a business and a career
As a youth, Thornton was interested in computer repair, especially in regard to software. He was certainly the person to turn to in his household. His mother, Brenda, in a May 12, 2011, Telegraph-Times-Monitor story, said, “He just kind of had a knack for it. What started happening was, if somebody in the family had trouble, they’d be like, ‘Nathan, come help us.’”
Thornton had no thoughts about web design until WEAG General Manager Chuck Kramer asked him if he would create a site for the radio station.
That led to Thornton participating in website training and eventually creating The NET Group.
While still in high school Thornton had such clients as WEAG, Madison Street Pharmacy, Shongaloo Fisheries, Pipeline Contractors and the Arc of Bradford. WEAG and Madison Street Pharmacy are still clients today.
It was in 2013 when his focus began shifting more toward city and county governments, though his intention wasn’t to cease taking on businesses as clients. He still enjoys working with businesses.
Like the cities and counties he works with, he prefers businesses that are smaller in size — the ones that are unique to the communities they’re located in.
“Your small, local businesses are good to work with, too,” Thornton said. “It gives me some diversity in what I’m doing, so it’s not all government all the time.”
As he took on more cities and counties as clients, Thornton realized that he had his answer as to whether providing services via The NET Group would become a full-time career.
“As I started getting more cities, I knew I was going to have to commit long-term,” Thornton said.
Virtual city halls and county courthouses
Besides the city of Starke, the cities and counties The NET Group has as clients include Hampton, Union County and Union clerk of courts, Bronson, Fort White, Greenville, Jasper, Lee, Madison, Micanopy, Dixie County clerk of courts, Hamilton County and Hamilton clerk of courts, Levy County clerk of courts and Madison County.
In regard to those entities that had existing websites, Thornton said the number-one complaint was that those websites weren’t user-friendly. Therefore, when he creates a site, his goal is to make things easy for visitors, with links appearing in multiple places on a page and having such features as an “I Want To” tab that allows you to click and select an option, such as paying a utility bill or applying for an occupational license.
“When I design a city website or county website, I design it as if I was a citizen trying to get information,” Thornton said. “I want it to be easy to use.”
Thornton said he wants his websites to be virtual city halls and county courthouses. By going online, people should be able to find all the information they need without having to call the entity in question or making a physical appearance.
“Basically, I want to make everybody’s lives easier,” Thornton said. “If the citizens are happy, the elected officials are happy. Everybody’s happy.”
What’s helped his business recently is the fact that governments have to have websites that are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. It’s not just the websites themselves, but also the documents that are posted to them.
“The reason all these people have gotten sued is because of their documents,” Thornton said. “The website is important — making that compliant — but you also have to take into account the stuff you put on the website.”
Thornton has performed a lot of research, taken classes and partnered with software companies so that he can help his clients be compliant. It has been a challenge, he said, noting that in regard to PDF files, for example, “there are like 20 things you have to do.”
“It’s hindered us a little bit, but we’re still trying to make every effort we can to get as much information as we can online,” Thornton said.
Working from home — a new home
Almost all of Thornton’s clients are in Florida, but he actually moved to North Carolina, near Franklin.
“I really like the mountains — the whitewater rafting you can do up there and the hiking,” Thornton said.
In this day and age, with the kind of business Thornton has, it really doesn’t matter where he lives.
“The internet’s changed the way people work,” he said. “I could live anywhere. I could live in the Caribbean if I wanted to. Anywhere I can have internet so I can do my job.”
As it is though, Thornton said he probably spends half of his year back here in the Sunshine State. It’s important to him to be able visit with his clients in person and maintain a personal relationship.
“Most of (my clients) know I live in North Carolina,” Thornton said. “They appreciate, I think, the fact that when there have been issues that have come up, I’m right there as if I was (still living in Florida).”
