Chicago Tribune
MINDING YOUR BUSINESS
Informational sites seek ways to turn a profit
Growth of job boards, social networks lure wave of entrepreneurs
By Ann Meyer
Special to the Tribune
Published March 12, 2007
The growth of online social networks and job boards has inspired a new crop of entrepreneurs looking to get in on the action.
In Chicago, Philip Tadros is testing MetroProper.com, which combines local business listings with a social network. He hopes the combination will encourage users to linger a while on the site, much as they do at Dollop Coffee, the North Side coffee shop Tadros runs.
Tadros plans to charge a nominal monthly fee for business profiles, allowing companies to create their own MySpace-type content, while standard business listings and personal profiles will be free, he said.
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