We're probably all familiar with traditional online business directories. And we've heard how important it is to manage a listing for our own business on the myriad of directory websites designed to reach a worldwide audience online. There are even services designed to help us do just that. But what we don't hear enough about is the importance of business directories for our own neighborhoods locally.

A traditional business directory is a database or list of companies categorized by niche. These lists let users search for particular companies, products, or services more precisely.

For place managers and local community leaders, a business directory extends far beyond this basic use. An up-to-date business directory is a critical record keeping resource for the development of a neighborhood. The best business directories are tools for data analysis, contact and relationship management, tracking storefront vacancies, "placemaking" projects, and marketing a small business community as a place rather than as individual businesses.

 If you’re a place manager, you might struggle to collect accurate data on the local businesses, properties, or other aspects of your community. That’s where Ginkgo can help you out.

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“Ginkgo has revolutionized how our BID analyzes and presents our district’s data. ”
- Daniella LaRocco | Director of Planning & Economic Development, The Village Alliance

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What is Ginkgo?

Ginkgo is a cloud database and mapping platform for place managers. The platform helps you track the business data of your community with geographically precise information. This is useful to accurately locate your business records in relation to the correct storefront, building and property, and it helps you visualize the diverse mix of businesses and entrepreneurs in any given area of your neighborhood, town or city. 

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Why Ginkgo?

Place management and community building is a complex process. Designed by city planners and technology geeks, Ginkgo's proven technology provides an intelligent framework for keeping up to date records by automating tedious data management and analysis workflows. Ginkgo is for the managers of dynamic mixed-use neighborhoods who want to build a safe, equitable, and thriving communities. Getting a clear picture of your neighborhood just got a whole lot easier.

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How can the platform help

A community of small businesses is stronger than an individual store. And you have the opportunity to help them work together under your non-profit organization. 

However, you will need technical tools and expertise to facilitate this process. This is where Ginkgo can help:

• Cloud-based platform: Ginkgo's customer success team works with you to set up an intelligent cloud-based platform that centralizes your record keeping and data analysis around a single map-based system to measure your organization's impact locally.

• Gauge common needs: We help you use the platform to survey local business owners in order to assess common needs and share the results with your partners and local stakeholders, informing the development new programs and services.

• Websites: Use Ginkgo to power your organization's Content Management System (CMS) for your website, or simply embed a customizable interactive map directly onto your site. Add submission forms to your website for new businesses to add their listings to the directory upon approval. Ginkgo also automatically generates a landing page website that can be used as the business’s main website if they don't already have one. And you can help them manage this page through your community's "Member Portal."

• Map-based neighborhood guide: Ginkgo launches a map-based neighborhood guide to help residents and visitors access a complete view of all the places to shop and experience local activities right around the corner. Embed this map on your website, or build a completely custom guide app using your Ginkgo database.

• Take control of your community's records: Ginkgo enables you and your business community to assign specific attributes to business records that may be unique to your community and important to use for data analysis and to look up records on the fly.

• Grant and loan applications: Use your business directory in Ginkgo to help your local businesses apply for grants and loans by providing them with data about their neighborhood’s mix of business conditions, market stats, and any unique attributes that help them make a clear case for funding.

• DOOH Advertising: The platform assists with Out Of Home Advertising for your community by providing advertising agencies and digital signage companies with API access to business listings.

• Strategic planning: Equip your community with real-time data analysis to inform planning and development directions by installing decals and signage with QR codes on storefront windows and public areas that link to a locally curated guide for deals, events and all the things to do around the neighborhood. 

• Regular reporting requirements: Ginkgo automates the creation and delivery of reports to your local stakeholders. This provides regular updates on vacancies and the breakdown of occupied storefronts.

• Capital accumulation: Ginkgo helps property owners and businesses access capital to improve storefronts. There is a growing number of funding programs available to help place managers and their stakeholders improve storefront conditions.

Establishing your business directory is an important step towards building a resilient commercial district for small businesses and commercial property owners. Choosing Ginkgo for your database and mapping needs gives your community the technical edge it needs to get started.

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Community examples

Here are some examples of how community leaders use Ginkgo to measure and improve their neighborhood’s conditions, increasing storefront activity by maintaining high quality of life standards for public spaces. 

• 34th Street Partnership improved its asset tracking with Ginkgo
• The Stamford Downtown used Ginkgo to create a strategic Downtown Directory Map
• Long Island City Partnership launches LIC Local to help with wayfinding and community engagement
• Pitkin Avenue Business Improvement District launches BrownsvilleNow to improve engagement with local businesses
• The Flatiron 23rd Street Partnership utilized Ginkgo to equip their social service outreach team with mapping tools to better provide client services to those in need

Ginkgo is a useful tool to help you build the neighborhood you and your community stakeholders envision. You can use Ginkgo’s step-by-step guides to help you get started on your journey.

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