The online advertising platform Hubzi.com was inspired by Craig’s List but its creator wants the site to be much more. For one, Hubzi is not trying to re-create classified ads on the web much like Craig’s List and other sites have done. Site founder and President Bob Khanpour instead targets his creation toward small- and medium-sized businesses across the U.S. rather than individuals. For another, Hubzi will be a product and services search engine and marketplace that requests the sellers and vendors not hide behind anonymity. “As a result we provide a profile for the vendors with a location, address, and a phone number to show their legitimacy,” Khanpour said. Khanpour has worked in some aspect of the technology field for some 20 years, developing products and services as well as consulting. Hubzi is the first time that he has ever started a company on his own. From an office in Calabasas, Khanpour does much of the site development himself with assistance from off-shore help. As the listings to sell cars and commercial real estate, advertise job openings and items for sale are free, Hubzi makes its revenue through third party ads on the site and from affiliates making purchases from the vendors and sellers advertising there. The site went active in the fall and Khanpour has made adjustments with the content to differentiate it from similar sites. A new addition to Hubzi is a section of postings for discount deals and promotional offers from well-known brands. Visitors to the site can search the postings by product or vendor name. At this point in Hubzi’s development, Khanpour is less interested in the number of visitors to the website and more focused on adding content and making sure the content is reliable. – Mark R. Madler
