'Tis the Season to Claim Your Free Listing on Weston Patch

The holiday season is, without question, a business-friendly time of year. People are out shopping for the perfect gift for that special someone or just out enjoying all the sights, sounds, and smells of the holiday.

Don't let this opportunity to connect with your customers pass you by.

In October 2010, we launched Weston Patch complete with the area's most comprehensive and detailed business directory, (called "Directory" in the menu at the top of the page).

You can find descriptions, hours, what credit cards are accepted, even parking — all verified by an actual human being, and all 100 percent local.

And no more driving around to a shop only to find it closed three months ago. We are constantly updating our database to reflect reality on the ground.

Yes, we are pretty proud of it, but we still need your help.

Above and beyond a free listing, owners of local businesses can "claim" their own listing on Patch.

What's in it for you or your customers? Once you've claimed your listing (and our super quick verification process is complete) you will be the proud owner of a small business dashboard where you can make certain changes and updates to your listing. The first step is to get your free Patch account, find your listing and find the button that says "Do you own or manage this location? Claim it." The rest is easy.

Once up and running, you can see how many users have rated, reviewed or follow your business on Patch. You can e-mail your customers to seek out more reviews, and link the Patch Place to your Facebook or Twitter account. Add a scrumptious photo of your latest dish or update contact information when you finally have a minute to rest, which we know is usually at 2 a.m. It's as easy as typing out a Facebook status update or uploading a photo of the kids.

Think we got something wrong? We hate mistakes at Patch so we'll do everything we can to get it right. You can request a new description if you think your business is inaccurately described.

Everything above is completely free, which is awesome, but we know some of you want to do even more. For a fee you can upgrade your listing with a personalized video profile, add a direct message to your customers and become a featured business on the Places page. 

Our readers love Main Street because they care about their community. We know you do too, so please let us know whatever we can do to help maximize your presence on Patch.