Win a Small Business Q&A on Bedford Patch

Everybody at Patch loves local business!

In honor of today, we want to launch a new contest.

It's a drawing, really ... sort of like dropping a virtual business card in a jar.

Beginning this week, and moving forward, Bedford Patch will search through our list of claimed business listings in our Patch places directory.

We'll randomly select one business each week and contact the business owner, manager, chef or other professional for a meet-the-owner-type question-and-answer session or an in-depth look at that business' roots in Bedford and what makes it special.

All you have to do is "claim your FREE listing."

The process takes only minutes and is sure to increase community awareness about your business.

Read more about our listing claims below and watch the attached one-minute video for a brief description on how to claim your listing. You can also click the attached PDF for easy instructions.

About our Bedford business directory

Patch places is a spot where users can find descriptions, hours, accepted payment methods, and much more for spots around town.

All users can add events taking place at local spots, can rate the business on a scale of one to five stars, and can add a review.

But owners of local businesses get extra bonuses when they claim a listing.

Owners or managers should search for their business listing and select "claim you listing" in order to make updates to the page. A form will pop up asking for your name, contact information, and proof of ownership.

Within a few days, someone from Patch should contact you to verify your authenticity, and then you'll be approved as the business owner. Once approved, you'll have a "Manage Your Listing" button on the top of your Places page. Click the button to be taken to your dashboard.

From the dashboard, you can make changes and updates to your listing. On the left side of the dashboard you have several options: Your Stats, Edit listing, Manage Photos & Media, Reviews, Free Tools, Paid Tools, and Contact Sales.

Your Stats:

Here you can see how many users have rated, reviewed or follow your listing. You can e-mail your customers to seek out more reviews, and link the Patch Place to your Facebook or Twitter account.

Edit Listing:

Add photos, website information, hours of operation, contact information and more under the "basic info" tab. Some of this information cannot be changed, but you can request a new description if you think your business is inaccurately described.

Choose "extra info" to add information like the founding date of your business, what kinds of payments you accept, if there's street parking or a lot, and much more.

Manage Photos & Media:

Here you can add and edit photos and choose which image is featured. If you have video or PDFs, you would add that here too.

Reviews:

You can see what people have to say about your business.

Free Tools:

Post events and add job openings to our classifieds section, also known as the Marketplace.

Paid Tools:

You can upgrade your listing with a video profile, add a message from the owner and become a featured business on the Places page for a fee. Learn more about these options and how to get in touch with a sales team member.

So claim your listing today to help keep Patch users up to date with your company and keep your listing looking fresh. And if you claim your listing, email the Bedford Patch editor at Ryan.OConnor@Patch.com to talk about possible stories that can be posted about your business right here.