January does that thing it always does.
People start new businesses.
Others finally decide to take a side hustle seriously.
Plenty of established businesses look at last year and think, right, what actually worked.
One thing that comes up again and again is visibility.
Not in a “we need to go viral” way, but in a much more basic one. People looking for what you do locally just need to be able to find you.
That is where the A Little Bit of Stone business directory comes in.
Why the directory exists in the first place
If you run A Little Bit of Stone for any length of time, you notice patterns.
The same recommendation posts pop up over and over.
The same three or four businesses get tagged every time.
Newer businesses barely get a look in, not because they are bad, but because no one knows they exist yet.
Facebook posts disappear quickly.
Websites only work if someone already knows your name.
So we built the directory as a permanent place for local businesses to sit, quietly doing their job in the background.
It is already being used
The directory has been running for around ten months now, alongside the main website and social channels.
Every month, tens of thousands of people read local news, click through guides, and look for recommendations through A Little Bit of Stone. Increasingly, they are also using the directory when they want something specific.
A tradesperson.
A service.
Somewhere to eat.
Someone local who does exactly the thing they need.
For a brand new business, that matters straight away.
For an established one, it means not having to shout quite so loudly all the time.
Why the start of the year matters
January is when a lot of people set goals.
More enquiries.
More local awareness.
A bit more stability in where work comes from.
A directory listing does not replace social media or word of mouth, but it does give you a fixed point online that does not rely on timing or algorithms.
If someone searches on a Tuesday evening, or a Sunday morning, you are there and visible.
No subscriptions, no drip feeding payments
Listings are paid yearly, not monthly.
That is intentional.
You pay once, your listing stays live, and you can update it whenever you need to. New photos, new services, different opening hours, it is all editable.
For most businesses, when you break it down over the year, it works out at a few pounds a month for something that stays available all the time.
Could tens of thousands of local eyes help your business in 2026?
That is really the simple question.
If more local people knowing about your business would make a difference this year, the directory is an easy place to start.
No gimmicks.
No chasing posts.
No disappearing after a day or two.
Just a solid local presence where people already look.
How to add your business
If you run a business in Stone or the surrounding area and want to give it a boost this year, you can add your business to the directory using the link below.
Click here to add your business to the directory
To mark the start of 2026, there is currently a discount available on directory listings, applied during signup – Boost2026
If you are not sure whether it is right for you, or you just want to ask a question before committing, drop us a message.
No pressure. No sales pitch. Just a chat.
One other thing worth saying
The business directory also helps support what we do day to day. It plays a part in keeping local news free to read, without paywalls, and helps cover the cost of running A Little Bit of Stone as a community platform.
So when you add your business, you are not just giving yourself a bit more visibility. You are also helping us keep turning up to council meetings, covering local stories, and sharing what is happening in and around Stone.
