Make Headlines

Have you ever noticed your competitors featured in national business publications and wondered, "How'd theydo that?" Tracey Spotts, founder of ProfilesUnlimited.com, might be able to help you establish your name in print, too.

Spotts, 39, launched her Alexandria, Virginia, company, which has put together a growing database of entrepreneurs from virtually every industry, earlier this year. By working with an advisory committee of experienced entrepreneurs and media professionals, Spotts created this resource for journalists who are searching for that perfect source for a story. Already, the database has been used by such national publications as The Wall Street Journal.

Spotts previously worked in public relations for a national association of entrepreneurs and picked up some good advice for starting her business from its members. After working with a number of media professionals who needed entrepreneurial sources for their stories, the idea just clicked. "I saw a need for journalists to find interesting entrepreneurs," she says. "ProfilesUnlimited.com is a way for the media to find you, instead of sending press release after press release, [which] usually end up in the trash."

An annual listing on ProfilesUnlimited.com runs $2,000. For that fee, entrepreneurs can post a bio, a media kit and a fact sheet. In addition, business owners' profiles include their responses to several standard questions. That, says Spotts, is a key feature of the site: "Reading the person's own words helps the journalist get a feel for who the entrepreneur really is and what makes that business different."

Gwen Moran is president of Moran Marketing Associates and founder of BoostYourBiz.com, a marketing information resource for small businesses. E-mail her at gwen@boostyourbiz.com.