Do we really need another local search engine or another social network?

HECK NO!!

We believe we need 268 of them.

If the Internet is good for anything, it's good for finding what you need and making connections.

Search engines like Google, Yahoo, MSN and Ask and Social Networking sites like MySpace, Facebook and Linkedin are front and center in the global view of cyberspace.

They can quickly introduce searchers and community members to the products,  services, groups and causes they are interested in.

They deliver news, education, old friends, new friends (and potentially future X's) along with unlimited information.

These massive, global search engines and networks are incredibly powerful and effective systems, but they aren't perfect.

Often times, these major players are no friend to the small local business owner.

It takes many advertising dollars plus clever (expensive) web design and programming to create a website that naturally ranks high on the search results.

These are resources and skills that unfortunately, many homegrown 'mom and pop', or local establishments simply don't have.

Major social networks can take a lot of time and in frankness favor people who operate a national business.

It would be hard to say to the local auto shop, heating and air, restaurant owner or painting contractor that they must create a Facebook page and if they say they have a MySpace page you may want to report them.

We saw the flaws in the major solution providers offerings and...

think we are launching a better model.

We asked: Can we improve the online search and social network experience and value for the local small business owner and the local consumer?

Our vision was to create a national network of truly local resources.

If you live in Raleigh NC and pull up a search engine to look for a Greek Restaurant or Auto Garage, you probably want to find one in or very near Raleigh NC.

We know Google offers their Google local maps service that lists several local sites at the top of their results page.

But there is a problem.

Go ahead and do one of these searches and look down at the 10 organic results - you'll see links to; big businesses, citysearch, yellowbook and yellowpages, and the other  major aggregator sites. 

Don't make the mistake to click on one of these.  Because they're really in the business to sell advertising you could be clicking on 4 or 5 pages before you discover you can't get to the business you thought you'd find.

Okay, in fairness there might be one or two sites displayed that have been 'optimized', but we submit that the hidden jewels of every local community are most likely on page 3 (or 300).

The social networking wave isn't much different for the small business owner - people want to do business with people they know, like and trust and that's best done eyeball to eyeball or by using old technology... a hand shake.

This is why we created our inSide(area_code).com platforms.

We think there is a place for every one of our 268 engines and communities... within 268 real live communities.

We're see local differently.