Using the Web to Support Small Business

(NewsUSA) - In years past, Americans asked their neighbors about the best mechanics, dry cleaners and plumbers in town. Today's local gems often go undiscovered while consumers head to well-known chains, regardless of the service they receive. However, Americans can use consumer rating Web sites to find and support the high-quality, local businesses that they've never heard of.

From restaurant reviews to the latest buzz on local pet sitters, childcare centers or physicians, Web sites provide valuable consumer information. "With so many people moving across the country and fewer of us knowing our neighbors well, it's gotten harder to find that over-the-backyard-fence reference," said Angie Hicks, founder of Angie's List (www.angieslist.com), a Web site that reviews local home service companies as well as personal services or healthcare. "We take that neighborly referral concept to the next level. So, instead of taking one neighbor's word, you have the firsthand accounts of 15 or 20 people in your city."

Angie's List, now the nation's leading provider of consumer ratings on local service companies, started out by visiting homeowners door-to-door. Hicks asked locals about their experiences with nearby businesses, then developed memberships. Today, over 650,000 homeowners use Angie's List to find businesses in more than 330 categories, from architects to dentists to window cleaners. In addition to its Web site, Angie's List also takes phone calls and publishes a magazine.

"I really enjoy being able to tell people about good companies and accentuate the positive out there," said Vicky Polito, an Angie's List user. " I really think that people who work hard to provide good service really like knowing that they are going to have a satisfied customer who can and will tell about that (experience)."

Supporting high-quality, local businesses helps create vibrant communities. A dollar given to a local business often recirculates before leaving town, helping support several small shops and their employees.