Small business owners lobby against Yellow Page distribution restrictions

3/9/2011

Many business owners rely on Yellow Page advertisements to help them gain awareness among local consumers. Now, the city of San Francisco is trying to implement restrictions that limit the distribution of Yellow Page books, which has many small business owners in the city up in arms, the Wall Street Journal reports.

The city enacted the restrictions in an effort to cut back on waste caused by unwanted or unneeded Yellow Pages books that were being delivered to consumers. The policy proposed last month would ban unsolicited deliveries of the business directories, requiring homeowners to sign up for a copy in advance.

Small business owners that rely on the Yellow Pages phonebooks for exposure are opposed to this proposition for obvious reasons.

"While the internet has grown, the Yellow Pages still serve an important role in keeping small businesses growing," Steve Falk, the president and CEO of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, told the source.

Although the Yellow Pages are an important source of publicity, these business owners should consider investing more of their budgets into online marketing. If funding is an issue, they could apply for commercial loans to help generate the resources necessary.