This Is Guernsey

By Tom Edwards

A DOTCOM entrepreneur has been named a champion of the country’s fastest growing franchise.

The Best of Guernsey features companies in an online business guide after they have been recommended by their customers. Guernsey franchisee Kate Heywood has had more than 150 businesses join the website since December 2006.

‘Instead of offering just a single listing like other online business directories, the Best of Guernsey provides a full-page profile of every featured business with contact details, customer reviews, images, audio and a link to the company’s own website if they have one,’ said Mrs Heywood.

‘What’s nice is that as well as providing a critical service for people who want to source good-quality businesses, it’s all very positive.

‘People are often quick to criticise and be negative about business, but this offers a way for companies of all sizes that are doing good things to gain exposure. The site encourages people to support and shout about their favourite businesses and the entrepreneurial spirit shown by many.’

The Best Of franchise has received numerous prestigious accolades and now attracts more than two million visitors a month nationwide, making it one of the top 50 most popular websites in Britain.

It was named Best E-Company 2007 at the Sharp Edge Awards, won Natwest Online Business of the Year 2006 and went straight in at number three in the Sunday Times Tech Track 100 in September 2007.

Mrs Heywood has been heralded as a Best Of champion for being one of the best performing franchisees in the group.

‘I have built the Guernsey site up on my own and worked very hard. I was up against some large areas in the UK, so I was pleased with the recognition,’ she said.

She said 60% of people in Guernsey had internet access, compared to only 7% just five years ago.

Going online and tapping in a quick Google search has become the preferred method of finding a service or business, rather than leafing through the Yellow Pages.

Online local searches have soared to 15bn worldwide in just four years and that figure is expected to reach 30bn by 2009.

Mrs Heywood said despite the dominance of the internet, more than half of small- to medium-sized businesses did not have their own website.

‘That’s what’s so good about the Best of Guernsey because it acts like a mini website for these companies and gives them the opportunity of an online presence, as well as driving more traffic to those companies that do have websites.

‘A lot of members have gained substantial new business from being featured on the site.’