Local business website brings greater community cohesion plus more trade

"Can my dog eat this?" That simple question, posted in an online forum, kickstarted a process that would eventually result in Roz Lishak developing a line in diabetic dog biscuits. "I've become the canine cookie queen of the area," enthuses the 53-year old cake-maker from Enfield, north London

Almost a year on and her Character Canine Cookies venture is flying. Sales of her Barkwell Tarts, Pup cakes and other sugar-free doggy treats now make up 80% of her total business. What's more, most of her trade comes from local dog-owners.

Lishak's new venture is one of more than 600 local businesses listed on the online, community-based directory service, Love Your DoorStep. The brainchild of fellow Enfield resident Emma Rigby, it contains everything from florists and plumbers to cleaning services and bouncy castle rentals.

Rigby's initial idea arose from a desire to replicate the community culture of her native New Zealand, "where neighbours would pass a cup of sugar over the garden fence". The London riots in 2011, which saw masked men running past her front door, proved the catalyst to act.

She launched a Facebook page that then morphed into a dedicated website with a host of social media feeds. More than 7,000 Enfield residents use the site, whether to post details of a community event or to search out local service providers.

Rikki Parker, a bespoke gift-maker, has seen her home business, By Rikki, nearly double in size since listing on the site 18 months ago. "I wouldn't have had the money to go out and market myself," says Parker, a 31-year-old mother of two. As with all the other registered businesses, Parker has a dedicated page on the site where she can profile her wares.

LYDS, as residents often abbreviate Love Your DoorStep, differs from other online directories in being ultra local and interactive. Rigby has a team of eight working behind the scenes. They know all the registered businesses and can point web-users directly to relevant providers. Fellow residents can make their own recommendations, too.

"What we're doing is putting local people in touch with local products in real time, which puts money back into the local economy," explains Rigby. "If people ask questions on our platform we have answers for them … whereas large organisations don't have that localised team."

Anyone who has used a service from the directory can leave a review as well. This helps keep service providers on their toes: three bad reviews and a business is struck off. The review function also serves to create a sense of community around the site. "People feel like they are coming to me personally as a business," says Parker, whose business generates the most traffic on the site – and who genuinely does hand over most of her orders at her front door.

Large businesses are now tapping into the LYDS network, too. International relocation business, Crown Worldwide, which has around 65 people in its Enfield office, posts job opportunities through the site. It also plans to use the online platform to connect employees to volunteer opportunities in the area.

"In addition, the local businesses come in and sell services to our staff," says Eileen Girling, Crown's human resources director. A resident of Enfield herself, Girling and her family use the site in a personal capacity, too. For example, her sister refurbished her new flat in Enfield exclusively through providers recommended via the site.

Rigby's vision for building greater social cohesion, as well as local economic vitality, remains central. As in its early Facebook days, LYDS continues to carry information about local events and community services. It also periodically runs networking events where users can meet face to face.

"It's great to be able to put a face to a name. There are several LYDS people I meet now as friends," says Parker, who has also set up a partnership with a photographer she met onsite. Meanwhile Lishak of Character Canine Cookies has helped return many lost dogs after owners began sending her photos of their missing pets for her webpage. A similar dynamic is playing out with the local police, who have used the network to track down a number of petty criminals.

Rigby has now launched community-style platforms in nearby Potters Bar and Barnet, as well as in the Essex town of Braintree. The model is replicable almost anywhere, she insists: "Communities need to become self-sufficient, and they need that community spirit to thrive."

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