Story Photos
 Jim Hay and his fiancee, Vickie Anderson, have started an online business in their home. Greg Ebersole / The Daily News
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Talking Business: Web site plugs local businesses
Monday, August 18, 2008 4:12 PM PDT
By Erik Olson
Printable version
E-mail this articleA new Web site went online about three months ago, but the concept of a local business directory has been rattling around in Jim Hay's head for the past four years.
Longviewbiz.com is a clearinghouse for businesses in Cowlitz County, from plumbers to attorneys to pizza places. It's also a good way for travelers and local Web surfers to find the product or service they need without leaving the area, said Hay, a Kelso resident.
"That's one of the purposes of the site ... to promote the businesses here," the 50-year-old said.
Hay learned the basics of Web design and marketing while working for a national yacht transportation company. He has a partner in North Carolina who does the nuts and bolts of building the site, but Hay runs its daily operations, including regularly updating his blog on local businesses.
The key to the site's success is placing links to local businesses high in the rankings of popular search engines, such as Google or Yahoo!, using a technique called search engine optimization, Hay said.
Hay runs the site in the basement of his home on West Highland Park Drive in Kelso, where he lives with his fiance, Vicki Anderson. As the site gets up and running, Anderson will handle the bookkeeping and other records for the business, Hay said.
Some of the basic listings are free, and Hay charges $40 per month to feature businesses. Other ads can run as high as $80 per month, he said.
"It's really designed to promote our economy here," Hay said.
Hay can be reached at Longviewbiz.com at 431-8082 or by e-mail at jim@longviewbiz.com. He normally takes calls from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
On the Net:
Longviewbiz.com
Mattress Store open for business
Three new business owners think they've found the solution to the nightly twisting and turning on an uncomfortable bed.
They opened the Mattress Superstore in Longview this spring, selling mattresses, headboards and all parts for beds at a full range of prices, said part owner Corey Tuttle, a 36-year-old Castle Rock resident.
Tuttle, along with Vancouver partners Tim O'Connell, 59, and John Cooley, 28, left a Portland mattress retail store to start their new venture in the 2,000 square-foot space located next to Manchester Bros. in Longview.
The 1920s-era building, a former appliance repair shop, had been vacant for more than two years before it was remodeled by Craig Tuttle, Corey Tuttle's brother, and Jay Cozlin.
"We literally started it from nothing," Corey Tuttle said.
The Mattress Store is located at 730 Vandercook Way. The business is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 636-0188.
Talking Business is a weekly column about business openings, closings or major changes. Contact reporter Erik Olson for any business news tips at eolson@tdn.com or at 577-2510.
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