Visit www.MerchantCircle.com/corporate and search for a jeweler in your city or some other city. What information is provided? Are any jewelers in your city members of MerchantCircle? Search for other products and services and describe the benefits this network provides to the consumer.
Small businesses account for 90 percent of all companies in the United States, and many do not have resources to spare for promoting their businesses. Newspaper, radio, and the yellow pages have been the mainstay mediums for local businesses, but they can be expensive. As a result, many businesses are turning to the Internet. One survey found that over one-half of small businesses using the Internet are creating or maintaining a social-networking presence on sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Foursquare. However, social-networking media can be daunting to a small business owner, so MerchantCircle offers a network that brings customers and local businesses together. Founded in 2005, MerchantCircle is now the largest online network of local business owners, with 1.3 million members. Consumers can go to the site to search for local businesses or ask questions and get input from any of MerchantCircle’s business members. MerchantCircle business members can interact with each other to help grow their businesses.