Select the pencil or edit icon next to the entry you want to edit. This will take you to the Business Directory information screen. Edit the entry and then select the “Save” button at the bottom of the page to apply your changes.
Business Directory
The Business Directory allows you to create a listing of businesses in your area. Users can search businesses by name, keyword, category and sector. Business owners can also add and manage their businesses directly (with a built-in approval process).
Accessing the Business Directory
To access the Business Directory from the back end of the i:Create Content Management System (i:Create):
- Select “More+” from the i:Create Utility Bar located at the top of the page
- Select “Business Directory” from the dropdown menu
If you have a pop-up blocker enabled, you'll need to select the “Click here to launch Business Directory Administration” button to access the “Business Directory Entries” page.
Business Directory entries
From the “Business Directory Entries” page, you can add, edit and remove entries from the Business Directory module.
Add a new entry
Select the “Create” button. This will take you to the “Business Directory information” screen. Here you can enter the information for the entry you are creating, including uploading a logo and images.
Please note:
- All fields marked by a red asterisk are mandatory
- You don't have to add information to all fields
- If a field is left blank, it will not appear on the public directory
- You can hide address information by unselecting the “ShowOnPublic” checkbox
Once you've entered all of the information, click the “Save” button at the bottom of the page. Your new entry will be added to the Business Directory located at the bottom of the “Business Directory Entries” page.
Map set-up
A Google map will be generated for each entry once the address has been entered and the entry has been saved. If the address pin on the map is not in the correct location, you can drag and drop it to a different spot on the map.
Select the trashcan or delete icon next to the entry you want to delete. This will open a “Delete Confirmation” pop-up box asking if you are sure you want to delete the entry. Select the “Cancel” button if you no longer want to delete the entry. Select the “Delete” button to confirm and delete the entry. Deleting an entry is permanent. To restore the entry you will need to re-add it.
Search for an entry
From the “Business Directory Entries” page, you can search for an entry by name, category, number of employees or status.
Type in the name of the business you are looking for into the “Name” field. Click the “Search” button. Your results will be displayed at the bottom of the screen in alphabetical order.
To search by category, use the Business Directory Category search field then:
- Type in a business category, such as food and beverage (the system will automatically predict the answers)
- Select the correct business category from the options that appear
- Click the “Search” button
To stop searching by that category, click the “Remove” button next to the selected category.
To search for businesses with a certain number of employees, use the “Number of employees” search field. Type the number of employees you are looking for and then click the “Search” button. Your results will be displayed at the bottom of the page in alphabetical order.
You can search the status of a business in the Business Directory module. For example, some businesses may request to be included but may not be approved. Use the “Status” field and select either “Approved” or “Pending Approval” from the dropdown menu then, click the “Search” button. Your results will be displayed at the bottom of the screen in alphabetical order.
Approve a new entry
When a business owner adds their business to the front end self-serve business directory, you will get an email letting you know that a new business entry was created. This entry will not be visible to the public until it is approved.
To approve a new business entry from the “Business Directory Entries”:
- Search the Business Directory using the “Status” search field
- Select “Pending Approval” from the dropdown menu
- Click the “Search” button and a list of all businesses pending approval will appear at the bottom of the page
- Select the pencil or edit icon next to the business you want to review. This will take you to the Business Directory information screen
- Review all of the information carefully to make sure it is accurate
- Make any necessary changes to the information provided—you will need to add business categories as members of the public are not able to select these directly
- Select the “Save” button at the bottom of the page
Once you are satisfied, you can approve the page from the Business Directory information screen. Under the “Basic Info” section, change the “Status” field from “Pending Approval” to “Approved” and then click the “Save” button at the bottom of the page. This business will now be visible to the public.
Business Directory categories
Business Directory categories help users search for local businesses. You can add, edit and delete categories from your Business Directory. From the “Business Directory Entries” page, click the “Config” dropdown menu in the top right corner. Select “Business Directory Categories” from the menu and this will take you to the “Business Directory Categories” page.
Add a category
You can add a new category by filling in the “Name” and “Parent Category” fields on the “Business Directory Categories” page. For example, you could create a parent category for accommodations and then add hotels, motels, campgrounds, etc., as categories.
If you are adding a new parent category, only type in the name and leave the “Parent Category” field blank. Click the “Add” button.
When adding categories, you can use North American Industry Classification System codes.
Edit a category
Select the pencil or edit icon next to the Business Directory category you want to edit. This will automatically enter the category name into the “Name” field at the top of the page. Make any desired changes to the name or parent category and then select the “Update” button.
Delete a category
Select the trash can or delete icon next to the Business Directory category that you want to delete. This will open a “Delete Confirmation” pop-up box asking if you are sure you want to delete the category. Select the “Cancel” button if you no longer want to delete the category. Select the “Delete” button to confirm and delete the category.
Business Directory entry statuses
You can assign various statuses to Business Directory entries, or the system may automatically attribute a status depending on where it is in the approval workflow. View the different statuses available:
An 'Approved' Business Directory entry is an entry that has been approved by an admin user. Only 'Approved' entries appear on your public-facing Business Directory. Entries with any other statuses attributed to them are not considered 'approved' and will not show up in the directory.
You can attribute a 'Closed' status to a Business Directory entry for any business that has since permanently or temporarily closed since they were submitted in the directory. If you attribute a 'Closed' status to an entry, the entry will be taken off the public-facing Business Directory.
You can attribute an 'Expired' status to a Business Directory entry that has information that needs updating or which has information that you're not sure is current. If you attribute an 'Expired' status to an entry, the entry will be taken off the public-facing Business Directory.
You can attribute an 'Inactive' status to a Business Directory entry that is not currently active, or that may be seasonal. If you attribute an 'Inactive' status to an entry, the entry will be taken off the public-facing Business Directory until you attribute an 'Approved' status to the entry, allowing it to be posted once again.
You can attribute an 'Incomplete' status to a Business Directory entry that requires more information from the business owner. Ensure that you contact the entry's owner to get the information you need before switching the entry to 'Approved'. Any entries with the 'Incomplete' status are not posted to the public-facing Business Directory.
You can attribute a 'Moved' status to a Business Directory entry for a business that has moved from its original location when the entry was first posted. Ensure that you contact the entry's owner to get the new location information before switching the entry to 'Approved'. Any entries with the 'Moved' status are not posted to the public-facing Business Directory.
You can attribute a 'Not Public' status to a Business Directory entry that you would like to keep in the system for only Business Directory back end (admin) users to see. Entries with the 'Not Public' status are not posted to the public-facing Business Directory.
Entries with the 'Pending Approval' status have been submitted by a public user or created by an administrative user and has yet to be reviewed and approved by the appropriate approval authority.
Entries that are created by a public user and submitted to your organization for posting are automatically given the 'Pending Approval' status until an administrative user makes any necessary edits or approves the entry by switching its status to 'Approved'.
If a business owner or member of the public updates an existing entry, it is taken off the public-facing Business Directory and its status becomes 'Pending Approval' until the update is approved (at which time it is re-posted with the 'Approved' status).
Business Directory sectors
You can add, edit and delete sectors from your Business Directory. Contact GHD Digital support or your Project Manager if you have any questions about adding sectors to your Business directory.
Export a Business Directory
To export all of the data from your Business Directory to an Excel spreadsheet:
- Click the “Export” button on the “Business Directory Entries” page
- An Excel spreadsheet will automatically be generated