Find local business leads in your region four public sources to start with
The companies near you are already listed in public places. Start with four sources, collect them into one list and keep track of which towns you covered.
- No credits, no data tax
- Your data stays yours
- Email only, on purpose
- Unlimited users
Your region is a finite list
If you sell to businesses in your own region, the market is not endless. Your market is a finite list. Treat it like one. The companies you want to reach are listed in a handful of public places, and the work is collecting them in one format and keeping track of what you already did.
To find local business leads you do not need to rent a database. Start with four public sources, collect one industry at a time, and note on every record where it came from. That way you can go back to the same source later and only add what is new.
Riftjaw does not search locations for you and has no map. You choose the source and collect the companies; Riftjaw keeps them in one database with the source and date on every record. See how this works for local services.
Four public sources for local business leads
A step-by-step method for public listings is in this guide; for fairs see turn an exhibitor list into a lead list.
| Source | What you find there | How it gets into your list |
|---|---|---|
| Business directories | Name, address, phone and often a website, sorted by industry and town | Paste the result page into the scrape tool, or export and import the file |
| Map listings | Local businesses with their category, address and website | Copy the companies you want into a spreadsheet and import it |
| Local business associations | Member lists with company names and websites, often by sector | Paste the member page into the scrape tool |
| Regional fairs and markets | Exhibitor lists of fairs in your region | Paste the exhibitor page and tag the records with the fair |
Keeping a regional list in order
One industry at a time
Collect bakeries, then garages, then dentists. A segment per industry keeps the message specific.
A field for the town
Give every record its town or area, so you can filter on one part of your region and see which towns are still open.
Duplicates flagged
The same company often appears in two sources. When you import, duplicate companies are flagged, so you do not write twice.
Source and date per record
Every record keeps the import, the source file and the date, so you can see later which source brought your customers.
Before you send to your region
- Pick one industry and one town to start.
- Check that each company still exists and has a website.
- Find a contact address on the website itself.
- Leave out companies you already work with.
- Send in small batches and read the replies.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find local business leads for free?
Use public sources: business directories, map listings, member lists of local associations and exhibitor lists of regional fairs. Collect one industry at a time and keep the source on every record.
Which source gives the best local leads?
It depends on the industry. Directories and map listings cover most local shops and services; association and fair lists give you companies that are active in their sector. Try two sources for one industry and compare.
Does Riftjaw search for companies near me?
No. Riftjaw has no map and no location search. You collect the companies from the sources you choose and import them; Riftjaw keeps them in one list with their source and town.
How do I find an email address for a local business?
Look on the website first: the contact page, the team page or the legal notice. An address derived from the domain is a guess; see find the right contact on a company website.
Do I need credits?
No. There are no credits and no cost per record: a flat price per plan, and the size of your list does not change the price.
What is Riftjaw?
Riftjaw is a B2B lead database you own: import the companies you collect, keep every record with its source, sort them into segments and reach them by email in small batches. Each account runs on its own private server with its own database.
Collect your first local industry
Pick one industry in your region, collect the companies from a public source and import them into one list. Start free, without a credit card.
Start free