Using the site will be easy for anyone who has used a local review service like Yelp. Simply type whatever service you’re looking for (be it plumber, gardener, or hair stylist), and the site will present a list of recommended service providers in your area. RedBeacon also employees natural language processing so it can figure out exactly what you’re looking for (for example, “Cupcake maker” would search for any bakers in the area). The site will then present a list of profiles for each match, featuring reviews and comments from other users, basic information like their hours, and star reviews imported from Yelp.
The founders of RedBeacon—Ethan Anderson, Yaron Binur, and Aaron Lee—are former Google product managers and engineers.

This year’s TechCrunch50 was much closer than in previous years, with the quality level of the companies being high across the board. The three runners up for the top TechCrunch50 prize are Threadsy, AnyClip, and CitySourced.

The best presentation went to iMo, and the best international goes to Trollim

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Redbeacon allows consumers who need a service performed to find and interact with local businesses and professionals.

Redbeacon goes beyond returning business listings with ratings and reviews by helping consumers determine the right service provider for their specific needs and allowing them to compare price quotes and book appointments online.

Consumers describe what they need done and specify when and where their job should take place. Using patent-pending machine learning and semantic technology, Redbeacon determines the best local service providers for the job. If matched, service providers get notified by email and text message and are given the opportunity to submit a price quote. Consumers can then select and book appointments with their top choice service provider based on a comparison of business profiles, price quotes, and ratings and reviews from past Redbeacon consumers.

Redbeacon is also the only website where consumers can go for urgent or immediate requests (e.g., “I need someone to come change my tire immediately”) and get back an Estimated Time of Arrival from interested service providers in their area.

For service providers, Redbeacon may represent a better value proposition than other online marketing options because it is free to create skill profiles and receive job leads. Service Providers only pay a small commission when they win a job, which minimizes the risk of wasted marketing dollars. Redbeacon is also useful for service providers who wish to offer long-tail services or services at irregular times, such as nights and weekends.