Leave Your Yellow Pages Behind With Redbeacon

Has there ever been a time when you needed a painter, subcontractor, plumber or another repairperson to come by your house at a short notice and did not have any recommendations from friends? If the answer is “yes”,  then consider Redbeacon. What is Redbeacon you ask?

Redbeacon notifies businesses and professionals in your area that they believe can serve you best, and invite them to submit a price quote for your job.  Then Redbeacon shows you the price quotes and profiles of people interested in doing your job, and allows you to book an appointment with them, saving you the time and hassle of calling around.Plus, Redbeacon is free!

The first question that comes to mind is “How is this different the Google”? Well, Redbeacon says “With Google, you search for a business name or category and get back local listings. You still need to follow up with each service provider to check price and availability. With Redbeacon, you get back price quotes, appointment times, and full provider profiles. When you see one you like, you simply click a button to accept the quote and book an appointment.”

To get started finding a quote for a job, go to the Request Services tab and enter in Who, What, When and What job you need to be completed. Please note that at the current time, only people based on the Bay Area (San Francisco, CA) can have the professional services that require a home visit. However, virtual assistance appears to be available for the entire country. Once you fill out the form completely, you can sign-in to the service or leave your email as a contact and the bidding process begins. Note that within one hour of my test of Redbeacon, I received two bids that were very affordable.

You can also attach this request via your Facebook page as well which will allow you to use your friends as a resource as well. This part of Redbeacon is called Friendly Advice. It allows you to invite your Facebook friends to weigh in on who you should select for the job you need done.  Your friends can vote and comment on the choices Redbeacon brings you –or— they can recommend different service professionals they’ve used in the past.  Another wise use of the powerful crowdsourcing concept.

Additionally, service providers can also partner with Redbeacon to get their services listed. Simply fill out the internal application detailing your profile details, availability and service description and Redbeacon will process your details. For small business owners, or sole entrepreneurs this is another effective way to grow your business organically.

Personally, I would look for a dog walker, personal trainer and a painter on this service almost immediately after moving to a new city or to a new area of a large city such as Los Angeles. Reading the reviews and recommendations would provide excellent value and prevent me from asking around for recommendations.

Take a look at this video and leave your thoughts in the comments section. Will you use Redbeacon when it goes live in your city?