Free. Costs you 400 hours. Here is the honest breakdown for a single-location business.
Who Doing it yourself is actually built for
Time-rich, cash-poor operators. And people who genuinely enjoy tedious data entry across 70 different portals.
The 5-year math
Cash cost is zero. Time cost is enormous.
What you get, line by line
The gotchas an SMB might miss
- 8+ hours per platform. 70+ platforms. That is 400 hours minimum.
- Half require verification calls, postcards, or waiting weeks.
- Change your hours next quarter? Do it 70 times again.
- If your time is worth $50/hr, you are spending $20,000 to save $499.
When Doing it yourself is actually the better call
You literally cannot afford $499 and you have 400 unpaid hours to burn on this.
Honest answerThe LocalBasics case
- The math: your time at $50/hr x 400 hours = $20,000. LocalBasics = $499.
- One payment. Zero postcards. Zero verification calls.
- Change your hours once. It flows out to everywhere automatically.
LocalBasics vs Doing it yourself, answered
You literally cannot afford $499 and you have 400 unpaid hours to burn on this.
No. LocalBasics is a one-time payment for lifetime listing protection, not a monthly or annual bill. $0 in cash. Roughly $8,000 in your time.
Your LocalBasics record is yours to keep. There is no contract and no lock-in, so nothing reverts and nothing expires.
LocalBasics keeps your business accurate across 70+ maps, directories and voice assistants. Doing it yourself covers Up to 70+ (if you have the patience).
Secure your business
listing for life.
Lock it down once. Keep it accurate, monitored and protected everywhere customers look.