Help Us Build the Best Neighborhood Directory Ever

Echo Park Patch.

The possibilities are endless, and we're just getting started.

Right now we're reaching out to businesses, reminding them about our Patch Places.

Patch editor Anthea Raymond has an MBA from Anderson's Graduate School of Management, so she knows why--especially now--we need to support the entrepreneurial spirit of our local small businesses.

Best Directory. Ever.

When we launched in December 2010, former Echo Park Patch editor Lea Lion worked hard to put together a directory for Echo Park.

But now we need your help to make it comprehensive, especially now that the site will focus more on Silver Lake.

So check things out and if you find a business that isn't here, tell Anthea Raymond at anthea.raymond@patch.com.

Same's true if the place has closed or changed locations.

And, if you want to write a review or rate this business, you can do it, too.

Are You a Business Owner: Claim Your Listing

Do you own a small business?

You can take charge of your own page and put up events and sales and notices about what is happening at your shop.

You'll have the right to put up better photos of your store, maybe feature a few items inside, and even post videos of your business.

Local Businesses Get Extra Bonuses When They Claim Their Free Listing.

Owners or managers can sign in and search for their business. Underneath the photos, there is a box with the question: Do you own or manage this location?

Claim it! Just click Claim it! and a form will pop up asking for contact information and authorization to claim it. Within a few days, someone from Patch will contact you to verify your authenticity. You'll then be approved as the business owner and will see a "Manage Your Listing" button.

From there, you have lots of options to add photos, see your statistics and edit the listing.

Here are the tools you'll see and what they mean:

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 and Twitter accounts.

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, parking information and more.

Manage Photos & Media:

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

Reviews:

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

Free Tools:

This is an easy way to 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. You can learn more about these options and see how to get in touch with a sales team member.

Claim your listing today to help keep Patch users up to date with your company and keep your listing looking fresh.

Questions? Contact me at anthea.raymond@patch.com