I run a local business news website for my home town of Basingstoke. The idea being that any local company can forward me their press releases and they can get exposure. Meanwhile I create a relevant source for local business news, and a local business-to-business directory.

It’s never going to be a website with so much traffic to monetize and I run Adwords on it just because I can, rather than to make money. . It’s a bit of a labour of love.

That said, it seems to really annoy some people that it is localised to Basingstoke and that I won’t accept stories or directory entries from outside of the town and the local phone code.

I had an e-mail from a ‘marketing’ person in Andover (about 15 miles away) this morning:

I would welcome the opportunity to add our details to your directory. Unfortunately you will not allow companies in Andover to register. We have a number of clients in Basingstoke and would like the opportunity to contribute to the Basingstoke Business News.

After replying with an explanation why, I got this sarcastic reply:

We have decided to start our own Basingstoke Gazette web Site for Non Basingstoke Companies. Please encourage your non Basingstoke Companies to forward their Non Basingstoke news to us. We are also contributing to the non Southampton Directory and the non Portsmouth Directory.

Thank you from a non Basingstoke company.

Firstly, it’s not a Gazette website, that’s here. Secondly, this person is in ‘marketing’.

I love it when people don’t understand it. Especially when they are potential competitors.