A weekly look at the latest products and services designed to help you run a better business.
For some companies, online classified ads remain an affordable and effective marketing tool. Problem is, they're ugly. A newly updated service now lets business owners use maps and video to jazz up their postings.
VFlyer, a San Francisco-based online-content and classified-submission platform, has added new multimedia tools to its service. VFlyer, which enables users to create a classified ad once and then have it posted on leading online marketplaces such as eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY) or Craigslist, now lets users display a small video thumbnail within each ad that expands to an embedded version of a video clip on YouTube or other video-sharing site. The service also supports Yahoo Maps (NASDAQ:YHOO) mash-ups, so that vFlyer advertisers can easily place a graphical map within their ad.
Enhanced classified ads created through vFlyer can also be distributed via e-mail as HTML files.
VFlyer offers a free, ad-supported service, as well as a number of subscription options ranging from $19.95 to $79.95 a month, depending on the number of active classified listings.
The Ultimate Classified Ad
The first step in finding the perfect new employee is spreading the word. For small-business owners who want an inexpensive way to broadcast job openings, Geebo.com, a Sacramento, Calif.-based online classified ad website, now lets employers feature their employment ads on some of the most-trafficked websites in the United States through partnerships with Yahoo, Google (NASDAQ:GOOG), and MySpace.
Geebo.com, a regional community-based classified service currently in 83 cities nationwide, offers unlimited character space for job descriptions. Job seekers can search postings by keywords, industry, or location, and can upload their resume to the site. Employers and recruiters can search the resume bank for free.
A 30-day job posting costs $75 and Geebo.com listings may also appear on Indeed, Jobster, Oodle, and Simplyhired.com.
Protect Your Employees
One out of five full-time employees is impacted by domestic violence, yet only 4 percent of workplaces provide employees with training and support, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence, based in Bloomington, Ill., is expanding its website to be a better resource for employers trying to educate their employees about issue of partner violence.
Caepv.org provides information, research, and tools related to domestic violence, as well as best-practice and program ideas from employers across the nation. The site provides sample policies, articles, and training materials that employers can use to minimize the effect of partner violence on the workplace.
"Because domestic violence's impact does not stop at the office front door, America's employers need to take action -- by putting in place accessible programs and policies for colleagues and victims alike," Kim Wells, executive director of the alliance, said in a statement.10 Weird Businesses That Make Money Out Of Nothing