thanks for sharing

HelpHive is scorching the earth for future services that might actually have a shot at creating value.

Of course, you could argue the same aggressive tactics can be found in the DNA of Google’s SideWiki. So long as Google destroys value in its efforts to enhance its corpus, you will continue to find startups that attempt to emulate these unsavory practices.

Are you freaking kidding me?

I suppose if you can’t simple call a business and make a meaningful presentation that results in a deal to advertise, you resort to tactics such as this or the MerchantCircle widespread deception you identified a few years back.

My advice to anyone wanting to sell advertising to small businesses.

1. Get off your butt and meet with them or call them.

2. Explain exactly what you are doing and exactly how you charge.

3. If you need to, prove that you’re for real by doing before charging.

4. If the business owner wants no part of you, either remove them entirely, or publish their information unmolested.

This plumber has every right to be furious, and HelpHive has no prayer of being successful long term if they can’t run a legitimate business without hijacking.

Many SMBs share Mr. Conklin’s concerns. Our strategy consulting firm has run across similar reputation management problems in work for clients over the last two years. Other local search sites also interpose themselves between potential customers and the businesses themselves. For example, CitySearch (“Own this business?”) and Local.com (“Enhance your listing”). SMBs already stretched to manage a web presence must now monitor how a growing number of third parties represent them on the web. A blog post entitled “Merchant Circle: How are they profiting from your business name this week?” speculating that Merchant Circle (“Is this your business?”) may be substituting one affiliate’s phone number for the correct direct display number for “many of the hotels in their US business listing index” has drawn negative comments about their version of this practice.

One of the commenters on that post described this increasingly common business model as “beat me because it feels so good when you stop.” Would making the offer opt-in change the value of HelpHive’s business model? Then HelpHive may have expropriated some tangible, if only tiny, value from Mr. Conklin’s business without remuneration.