Streetwise Business Networking & Marketing

“Wall Street vs. Main Street.” This contrast of corporate attitudes and traditional values was an oft-used catchphrase during last fall’s presidential election.

The start of 2009 has brought new leadership, new hope and, most importantly, new solutions for businesses of all sizes to increase their online presence cost effectively at a time when marketing and advertising dollars are scarce. Fittingly, one of those solutions can be found on Main Street. The exact address: 7Mainstreet.com.

This new online tool takes the Internet’s familiar yet static “Yellow Pages” directory and transforms it by adding social networking features similar to those of Facebook and LinkedIn, plus e-commerce features like those found on eBay. The result is a completely new environment in which companies large and small can connect with one another and where individuals can sell their products and services directly.

Who it Helps – How it Works
Studies show that 64 percent of small businesses have no Web site. For these organizations, 7Mainstreet.com can be a primary online channel. And the site can help larger regional and national organizations “act local.”

Financial institutions or professional services firms, for example, can create individual profiles for each of their local offices or experts.

In a challenging economy, the site’s secret weapon is its low-cost point of entry. Businesses register or activate a pre-existing profile free of charge and either build out their own content or have a profile custom built for just $600. Businesses and individuals seeking to sell goods and services through the patent-pending online marketplace will find that their content and transactions are free of many charges found in major e-commerce sites.

Setting up shop on 7Mainstreet.com is a simple process and, unlike existing directories, it’s more than just hanging a shingle. Businesses can populate their three-page profiles with rich content such as photos, videos, blogs, hyperlinks and custom color schemes that reflect a company’s look and feel, free of intrusive banner ads found in other directories.

From there, the avenues are limitless, so what’s on your road map? Whether you’re creating business-to-business relationships, building a network of consumers or product reviewers, implementing not-for-profit donor campaigns or seeking refuge from daunting e-commerce fees, there’s somewhere to turn.

It’s the right direction for businesses looking to make the most of their resources in 2009 and beyond. To learn more, visit www.7Mainstreet.com.