By hip on

Hi.

I'm planning to (slowly) build a website to keep a directory of local businesses and then be able to organize some relationships between them, plus offer them some utilities based on that website. In fact it'll be mainly about leisure & community services business in the neighbourhood. So, to start I'd need to add all theaters, cinemas, museums, concert halls, shops,... into Drupal in such a flexible way that I can make use of that info in different manners and on different sections of the website. Some of the functions this directory should support:

  • a searchable and easily editable business directory with ALL the info about the business (private, for me to be able to contact them)
  • a categorized directory, showing only some categories (e.g only venues grouped by 'theater', 'museum',...) and only some fields (public)
  • the ability to let the business owners to edit their profiles
  • the ability to mass-contact them, ideally by categories

And on a second stage of development:

  • the ability for the businesses to add content
  • the ability of publising events associated to venues

At the moment I've tried a few modules to hold this project but I'm still unsure about what method would be more appropriate and scalable to fit my needs. What I'd need and appreciate would be ADVICE from any experienced drupaler.

What I've tried until now:

  • each business be a Drupal user, but I need more fields to fill the whole business info, plus users don't have the flexibility of nodes
  • taxonomy for the business categories but it applies to nodes, not to users
  • CiviCRM but, in principle, it is too complex to me and I feel like killing mosquitoes with bombs

I started using Drupal a while ago (over 3 years!) but I'm still a novice with most Drupal features. I really appreciate your suggestions, both technicals and about the project development.

Thanx in advance for your help,
hip

⋅ Categories: Drupal 5.x

Comments

hip’s picture

hip commented

I'm now using the profile.module in order to add the extra fields I may need for the businesses and venues in the directory. It may be, in principle, a correct way to keep all this info. I don't like, though, having to create a user at the same moment of creating the 'business card'.

I should have to be able to

  • add the business info without knowing the business email address
  • let the business became a user of the website
  • let the (right) user associate with that business (moderated, sure!)

So... I keep on trying and waiting for any suggestions.

Thanx again,
hip

hip’s picture

hip commented

I hope not to annoy posting all the steps I go through to get my previously posted 'problem' solved. Hopefully it will be of help for other people in the same situation, giving open ways to get rid of it, even if I don't get to a final clue.

I'm now getting the direction of the Node profile package (http://drupal.org/node/129957), discussed within the 'Profile as nodes' Group (http://groups.drupal.org/profiles-as-nodes).

I believe it will create some conflict at some point between 'normal users' of the website and users who are venues or businesses. Hopefully I'll be able to give both 'user types' different treatments:

  • website users not businesses (nor venues)
  • businesses not users
  • and businesses who are website users too

I'll keep on informing.

hip’s picture

hip commented

It looks like the closest approach goes through the usernode.module (http://drupal.org/project/usernode):

This module tries to make users nodes. It cares for automatic creation and deletion of a node for each user, the so called usernode.

From it, properly configured with some extra modules, I believe I'll have the ability of have

  • a website user (Drupal user)
  • a business (a node + custom fields + views)
  • a business that is a website user ( a node and a user linked by the usernode.module or the so called usernode)

Let's see...

edward.peters’s picture

edward.peters commented

This is exactly what I need! Did you manage? My problem at present is how to create new Profiles (via Node Profile) as it won't allow more than one per user to be created.

michelle’s picture

michelle
she/her
Primary language English
Location Wisconsin, USA
commented

I'm working on a business directory for my site so I may have some help to offer, but not right this moment. Putting this in my tracker so I don't forget about it. If I don't write something in the next couple days, bump it up so I see it again. :)

Michelle

--------------------------------------
My site: http://shellmultimedia.com

hip’s picture

hip commented

Hi Michelle,

thanx a lot for your reply, and future help ;-)

I think I'm getting close to a solution now. I've installed the CCK, Node Profile and Subform Element modules. Then I've created to categories (taxonomy), one for business type and another one for city area. Then I've created a new content type called 'Business' (pretty original!) and filled it up with CCK fields to taste.

At this point I have a list of businesses that can be grouped by 'area' and by 'business type'.

For I needed some fields not to be public (contacts & personal information) I've downloaded and installed the CCK Field Permissions module and applied it to the 'private fields' associated to an 'administrator role'.

Now I'm a bit stuck with the 'related terms' thing. I need one of the business type (subcategory) to be automatically indexed ('included', 'accepted') as another subcategory (in a different category), but not vice versa. I'm giving it a try.

After all this being properly set up, I believe I'll have to make use of the Views module to show it in a proper manner.

Finally (hopefully) I'll just need to be able to associate new users to their own business when appropriate.

Does it all make any sense to you? Suggestions? Ask me if I can be of any help, despite being such a newbie.

Thanx again and have a good day,
hip

bric002’s picture

bric002 commented

I'm kinda in the same boat as you are. I'm looking for a directory structure similar to phpmydirectory. It looks like joomla may have one called "Sigsiu Online Business Index 2" (SOBI 2). It looks like it will work with a paypal system as well.

Have you looked at the "Business directory style listing" for drupal? I just ran across it and was curious.

Michelle, I was looking at your posts and site yesterday and it looks very promising. Perhaps together we can come up with a viable system.

...Directory Frustrated.

michelle’s picture

michelle
she/her
Primary language English
Location Wisconsin, USA
commented

This is a pretty old post.. I'd forgotten all about it. I suggest people pop over to http://groups.drupal.org/business-directory to keep up with the ideas being passed around. I do still plan on writing a tutorial, but it's a ways off.

Michelle

--------------------------------------
Drupal articles and tutorials: http://shellmultimedia.com
Current project: http://couleeregiononline.com/

olalindberg’s picture

olalindberg commented

Hi, your solution look like mine as well.

I'm currently fighting with making the registration of businesses easier by generating the user information and business information in one step (http://drupal.org/node/190501).

Best regards,

Ola

latte’s picture

latte commented

I'll be following all of these examples.

Cheers,

Latte

gmasky’s picture

gmasky commented

subscribe

droople’s picture

droople commented

link

kwgossett’s picture

kwgossett commented

Hello all.
Has a module been released for the Business directory?

I'm looking for a similar searchable & indexable directory. Initially I'll enter the Business info in, but would like to eventually promote the contact to a user, then to a partner (a defined role).

It appeared like there was a lot of interest (and cooperative progress) made toward a solution, just not sure if it has been finalized.

Thanks to all who contributed,
Kelly