Brownbook - the local search business directory that has everything

With the recent addition of a ShareThis button and 12 prepared widgets, in addition to all the other cutting edge features it offers that I wrote about in my previous blog post, Brownbook.net really is the online local search business directory that has everything

The new 12 just-add-username widgets (almost)

Brownbook.net now surely deserves an award for being the world's coolest business directory. With its latest enhancements, it's packed with so many online marketing gadgets, it wouldn't be out of place in a James Bond movie!

It addition to the fact that Brownbook already:

• is truly global, allowing listings in 240 countries
• is completely free
• can be edited by anyone
• allows full customization
• provides a QR Code for every business listing as standard
• provides page views and clickthrough stats
  
• includes IM, VoIP, Twitter and Blog fields
  
• allows B2B endorsements, and
  
• allows sections of business listings to be used as widgets on other sites (bidgets)
  

it now ALSO has replaced its "Twitter This" button with a ShareThis button on every page:

Brownbook.net's new ShareThis button

and it has made available 12 widgets for easy addition to business listing pages; pretty much all you have to do now is give your username! The 12 widgets are:

• Skype
• MSN Live Messenger
• Meebo
• Twitter recent posts
• Wordpress recent posts
• Blogger recent posts
• Facebook profile
• LinkedIn profile
• Flickr photostream
• YouTube channel
• Google Street View
• Bookingbug (see also: http://blog.brownbook.net/2009/10/take-live-bookings-and-availability-in-your-brownbook-business-page/)
  

There's no doubt about it - Brownbook.net is very cool!

Why Brownbook.net is the most remarkable local search business directory on the net

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In addition to offering many cool features that really help increase the online visibility of small to medium-sized businesses - all for free - Brownbook.net also has a lot of internet "firsts" to its name

• Brownbook is actually a global business directory because it allows businesses in 240 countries to be added – but it is also a local directory at the same time. I don’t know of any other ‘local’ directory that is also fully global (other than Google’s).

• It offers a great deal all for free – in fact, it offers much more than some other directories that charge a fee for extra functionality.

• It is billed as the directory anyone can edit – that includes address details, tags, videos, photos, widgets (e.g. Twitter feed or Goggle Street View), reviews, formatted text and page layout to enable full customization and individuality (some directories offer just a ‘box’ identical to the other guy’s ‘box’). Here are 3 examples of enhanced, customized listings: http://www.brownbook.net/business/31008544/sjk-products-ltd - http://www.brownbook.net/business/31015039/pulse-light-clinic (includes Google Street View) and http://www.brownbook.net/business/31014168/miamismcom---miami-beach-real-estate-resource.

• Brownbook is the first business directory to allow widgets in listings (e.g. Google Street View or Twitter feed).

• It was the first to allow you to use any unit within your listing as a widget in itself for use on other sites such as your blog (called Bidgets in Brownbook-speak).

• It was the first to enable the addition of Google Street View in a business listing.

• It's the first to provide QR codes as standard within each business listing.

• It's the first to provide page view stats for every listing.

• It was the first to provide these all these additional contact fields: IM, Twitter, VoIP and Blog.

• and it was the first to include a new B2B endorsement feature where companies within the directory can endorse others and so generate more links to their listing. Here's an example of a business listing in Brownbook with 100+ endorsements: http://www.brownbook.net/business/31008591/worldwideprnet

Further reading:

The Guardian: Brownbook finds success with 'freemium' model
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2009/aug/20/startups-advertising

Toxin-free products I like and recommend

I thought I'd share the toxin-free products I've found. I tried out several brands but, for the moment at least, have settled on these

I use Faith in Nature hand soap:

Pitrok deodorant:

Daniel Galvin Junior shampoo and conditioner:

Aloe Dent toothpaste (they make mouthwash as well):

Ecover washing machine laundry liquid, fabric softener, stain remover, washing up liquid and dishwasher tablets:

You like these products too? Found better products? Recommend other brands? Let me know!
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But my listing is out of date...

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The traditional business directory industry's 'little secret' is that even in the biggest directories, up to 15% of records are out of date, incorrect or wrongly classified. The main aim of the founders of Brownbook was to make it dead simple for people to correct things when they spot problems (something very hard to do in most traditional directories) - hence the introduction of wiki-like principles in Brownbook.

The beauty of it is that, if you find that your own business (or anyone else's) is inaccurate in any way, you can simply correct it yourself - or report it for deletion if it's, say, a duplicate or if the business no longer exists. This is a fine example of crowdsourcing in action!

In this way, Brownbook- the free global business directory anyone can edit - is made more accurate every day.
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Awesome sites digest

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Using Twitter as I do, and just generally being exposed to all sorts of sites in all sorts of places, I come across some really good ones from time to time, so here are a few I that come to mind:

• 2shared.com

This site allows you to quickly share a file with others by simply uploading it to the 2shared site. The browse box is right on their home page. Once the upload is complete, it returns a live link which you can send to others so they can download the file. Not sure how this compares to usendit, but best of all - 2shared requires no login!

• hootsuite.com

This twitter service is ideal for those with multiple Twitter accounts. The latest v2.0 which was released just the other day is superb. It gives the advanced Twitter user exactly what they want, all in the right places. I wish the "Show more" link showed more than it did (past tweets) and Hootsuite don't seem to be too hot in the support department. Ostensibly, they provide support via getsatisfaction.com but I have 3 outstanding queries - the first being 3 days old - and am still awaiting a response.

• JK Wedding and JK Divorce videos

So much has been said about these already - suffice it to say, they are both brilliant. I found the wedding video quite moving because of the vast amounts of happiness that excuded from my screen when I watched it, and the divorce version was very cleverly done and very funny. Here's a recreated added bonus.

• Moving image version of Google Street View-style 360 degree image

This one I find difficult to grasp! A still 360 degree photo I can just about understand, but how do you take a 360 degree video and then allow the viewer to wander around anywhere (up, down, left, right) while the video is playing? Knot together several videos all taken simultaneously whilst pointing in different directions? Well I couldn't see the join, could you?

• Brownbook.net

For small to medium sized companies, serious about getting more online exposure, adding themselves to Brownbook.net, the free global business directory anyone can edit, is a must. Fields supplied include: web, blog, Twitter, VoIP and IM. It's also possible to add your QR code as well as your Google Street View link plus widgets and it includes bidgets (for export to other sites). Brownbook.net has to be the coolest business directory ever!

• humanrights.com

Do you know your rights? This beautiful site is packed with data - pretty much everything there is to know about your rights, especially the Universal Declaration of Human Rights - and it includes a PSA for each right given in the UDHR, plus a documentary on the history of the subject. Join the campaign to prevent human rights violations in those countries where the UDHR is not being adhered to.