Whilst living in the USA and seeing the rapid growth of eBay in the 1990s,
Fiona Lloyd and family saw the potential of developing a web based business utilising the success of eBay and the many opportunities the internet presents to assist charities and fundraising organisations.

Once back in the UK in 2004 they looked at various ways in which they could utilise eBay and the internet. Following the formation of Alpexus Ltd to develop these web marketing ideas they commenced assisting a number of charities to benefit from eBay opportunities.

In common with the charities they worked with, Nightingale House Hospice did not have a significant web presence which meant that they could not advertise their own eBay items and services . Seeing the opportunity, Alpexus provided the hospice with their own website. This was the early beginning of HomePages Friends, the company Alpexus formed as a web marketing business that works with charities and not-for-profit organisations to help them use the internet to fundraise.

The business plan was developed to allow HomePages Friends to expand the ways for the Hospice and other charities to raise funds as well as have a free working website. Their experience of affiliate programmes in the USA meant that they knew that the internet offered many ways for charities to benefit from the numerous revenue sharing opportunities potentially available.

With searching the internet forming such a major component of web usage it was always going to be important to form strong partnerships in this area. Ask.com was chosen as the search engine provider, proving to be responsive and open in its style and thereby allowing HomePages Friends to operate revenue sharing with its voluntary clients in an open and transparent manner. Other affiliate partners continue to be added.

Since its conception in 2006 HomePages Friends has grown phenomenally within the 3rd Sector and is  now in the process of developing  a sister brand to offer the same good quality websites with internet service revenue sharing to individuals, companies and associations.