Devon Business Directory

The following page provides you with helpful hints on how to use this Online Business Directory.

Business Search

To do a basic business search you will need to complete one or all of the three boxes, business name, business type and postcode. Click on the Search button at the bottom of the page and a list of those businesses matching the criteria will appear.

Alternatively you can use the Advanced Search Criteria and use the drop down menus associated with Company Location, Business Type and Business Size, to select the search criteria required. Once some or all of the boxes are completed you may again click on the Search button at the bottom of the page for a list of those businesses matching the selected criteria to appear.

To view an individual business record click on the company name within the returned list. This will enable you to view all the information held about the business on four tabs, Address, Business Classification, Business Type and Additional Information. A location map is also provided at the bottom of the page, viewable on every tab.

There are five options available when viewing an individual business record.

• Add to Your Address Book - by clicking on this you will be given the option to open or save a VCard file containing the contact information for this business to be added to your contacts database e.g. Microsoft Outlook.
• Add to your contact list - (see Contact Lists) - you must be a registered user to use this tool (see Registration)
• Download or Print PDF - by clicking on this you will be given the option to open or save a PDF of the business information viewable through Adobe Reader.
• Email a link to this page to a colleague/friend - when this option is chosen a form will open to complete both your and your colleague/friend's email address. Once the Send button is clicked an email will be sent to the chosen person on your behalf with details of who sent them the information and a link to the business record page on the Online Business Directory.
• Modify These Details - (see Modifying a Business Record) - you must be a registered user to use this tool (see Registration)

Registration

There is a link to the registration page on the Home page (left hand column). You will also be asked to register when you are given the option to use any of the tools restricted to registered users (saving searches, adding a business, modifying a business record etc).

To register as a user all you will need to provide is your name, email address (which will be your log-in name) and a password. The service is completely free and will allow you to:

• Form a contacts list of businesses
• Save and retrieve earlier searches
• Request modifications to a business record, for which you are an authorised representative
• Request to add your own business if it is not currently on the Online Business Directory

By completing the registration form you will be able to access the above tools with immediate effect. To Sign In on future visits to the Online Business Directory please go to the sign in page, a link to which is located on the left hand column on the Home page. The sign in form requests your email address and password.

Saving Searches

Once you have done a business search you have the option to save the search for use at another time. You must be a registered user and signed in to use this tool. (See Registration) In order to save a search you must give it a name and a description. This will enable you to easily identify the various searches on your Saved Search page.

When you are signed in as a registered user of the Online Business Directory a link to your saved searches will appear at the bottom of the Business Search page. By clicking on this link you will see a list of all your saved searches. You may use this page to either view a search again or delete searches that you no longer require.

Contact Lists

You must be a registered user and signed in to use this tool. (See Registration) When you are signed in to the Online Business Directory a link to Your Contact List will appear at the top right hand side of all pages. To view your Contacts List click on this link. To add a business to your contact list you must first select and view the business record through the Business Search function.  Select the Add to Your Contact List option, located below the business record information. This will automatically add the record to your Contacts List. If you wish to remove any contacts on your list at any time simply click the 'remove' button on the right hand side of the entry on your Contacts List.

Adding a New Business

To add a new business you will need to complete the form on the Add New Business Page. A links is available to this page on the left hand column on the Home page. You will need to be signed in as a registered user to use this tool (See Registration).

There are four tabs on the Add Business Page to complete. The first 'Address Tab' allows you to fill in the Company Name, Address details, Telephone Number and Website address. The minimum you must complete are those fields in bold type.  Please Note: Do not click on the Add button at the bottom of the page until the information you wish to provide on all tabs is complete.

The second is the Business Classification tab. On this there are a number of ways of classifying your business, by Cluster, Sector, Standard Industry Classification and Thompson Code. Click on the drop down arrow to the right of each classification category and select the classification that best fits your business activities. Please select the Tertiary SIC as a minimum. By completing this information it will enable visitors to the Online Business Directory locate your services more easily.

The Company Type tab contains three categories, Company Size, Government Employment Band and Ward. Click on the drop down arrow to the right of each category and select the group that applies to your business.

The final tab is for Additional Information. This has four sections where you can provide further information about your business and 'personalise' your entry on the Online Business Directory. The first enables you to upload a company logo, which will be visible to visitors to the site when they view your business details.  To do this click on the Browse button to the right of the Company Logo field. Select the logo file on your computer and click on Open. The logo file format must be either GIF or JPEG and no more than 500KB in size.

The Content section allows you to enter additional text about your business to be viewed by potential customers, information about the services or products you provide and any other comments, which you feel, would be beneficial. Any information you provide here will be displayed on the Additional Information tab of your business entry on the directory.

The third option available is to upload a brochure about your business, which can be viewed and downloaded by visitors. To do this click on the Browse button to the right of the Company Brochure field. Select the brochure file on your computer and click on Open. The file format must be PDF and no more than 500KB in size.

The final field can be used to write a message to the providers of the site, which will not be viewed, on the public directory.

Once all the information you wish to provide is complete click on the Add button at the bottom of the Add Business Page.

Please note Harrogate Borough Council provides this Online Business Directory and therefore only businesses within the administrative boundary of the Council will be displayed on the directory.

Modifying a Business Record

To request modifications to any of your business information held on the Online Business Directory you will need to be signed in as a registered user (See Registration). You will first need to find and view your business record via the Business Search page (see Business Search). Click on the Modify These Details link, which can be found under the information held on each tab. You will be asked to complete your name, position within the business and a telephone number. Once this information is entered click on Submit.

In order to make changes to a business entry you will need to be verified as an authorised representative of the company. As soon as this process is complete you will receive an email confirmation. You will then need to sign back in to the Online Business Directory, locate your business record and again click the Modify These Details link.

Now that you have been verified this link will take you to the Modify Details page for your business record. There are four tabs to complete that correspond to the four tabs viewable by visitors on the Online Business Directory; Address, Business Classification, Business Type and Additional Information. These tabs will be pre-filled with the existing information held about your business. To modify the information held select each tab in turn and change or add any information as appropriate. (For more detailed information on completing this form see Adding a New Business, as the form is identical). Once all the required changes or additions are complete click the Save button at the bottom of the page (viewable on all tabs).