Transparency matters. This page explains how Local Pros Business Network ("LPBN") makes money, how our community referral program works, and what that means for you as a neighbor or as a featured local professional. This disclosure is made consistent with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's Endorsement Guides.
1. How LPBN earns revenue
LPBN is a local advertising and community network. Featured pros pay a flat-rate fee to participate in our shared monthly postcard mailer and to be featured in our directory and newsletter. LPBN is not compensated per lead, per click, or per sale. Our revenue is the same whether a featured pro gets one lead or one hundred. This keeps our incentives aligned with quality, not volume.
2. What LPBN sells: exposure, not leads
LPBN sells advertising exposure to the local community — we do not sell leads and we do not guarantee any specific number of leads, calls, jobs, customers, revenue, or return on investment. Pros pay a flat fee to be featured on our shared postcard, in our directory, and in our newsletter. What you receive in exchange is consistent, repeated visibility to neighbors in Apollo Beach, Riverview, Brandon, and surrounding South Shore communities.
Lead volume depends on many factors outside LPBN's control, including (but not limited to) seasonality, category demand, your pricing, your response time, your reviews, your reputation, the design and copy of your postcard slot, and overall market conditions. Two pros featured in the same mailer in the same month can receive very different lead volumes. Past results from any pro do not predict future results for any other pro.
By participating, you acknowledge that LPBN's obligation is to deliver the advertising exposure described in your Vendor Participation Terms (postcard placement, directory listing, newsletter inclusion), not to deliver a guaranteed number of inquiries or any particular business outcome.
3. The neighbor referral program
Once a neighbor reaches the Trusted Voice tier (200 points), they may generate a personal referral link or code for any featured pro that has been in our postcard mailer for at least two consecutive months. When a neighbor they refer submits a lead and the pro confirms contact, the referring neighbor earns community points (currently 250 points per converted referral).
- Points are not cash, have no monetary value, and are not redeemable for money.
- Points may unlock perks, raffle entries, event invitations, and tier badges.
- LPBN reserves the right to adjust, expire, or revoke points to prevent fraud or abuse.
4. Honest feedback comes first
Neighbors are not paid or compensated for leaving positive reviews. Feedback is moderated for honesty and authenticity, not sentiment. Negative or critical feedback is eligible for the same points as positive feedback when it reflects a real interaction. We never remove a review simply because it is unflattering — only when it violates our Terms of Service.
5. Vendor eligibility for the referral program
To protect neighbor trust, only featured pros that have demonstrated commitment to the community are eligible to receive referrals through neighbor-generated links. Eligibility requires two consecutive months of postcard mailer participation. Pros that pause participation lose eligibility until the streak is re-established.
6. No guarantee of work quality — homeowner must verify
Referral eligibility means a pro is committed to the LPBN community. It is not a certification of skill, license, insurance, or fitness for any particular job, and it is not a guarantee of any particular outcome.
Before hiring any pro you discover through LPBN — whether from the postcard, the directory, the newsletter, or a neighbor's referral — it is your responsibility as the homeowner to independently confirm that the company carries all required licenses and insurance for the work being performed. At a minimum, request a current Certificate of Insurance, verify license status with the Florida DBPR (or the applicable licensing authority for the trade), get a written estimate, and check recent references. LPBN does not screen, audit, or continuously monitor any pro's credentials, and credentials can change without notice.
7. Sponsored content labeling
Any content that is paid for or sponsored beyond standard directory placement (for example, a featured spotlight in our newsletter that a vendor specifically paid to upgrade) will be clearly labeled as "Sponsored" or "Featured Partner." Standard directory listings, postcard slots, and approved consumer feedback are not considered sponsored content.
8. Material connections
LPBN's owners and employees have a financial relationship with all featured pros (the flat-rate participation fee). Reviews written by LPBN owners or employees, if any, will be clearly labeled. Neighbor reviewers have no financial relationship with the pros they review beyond the points described above.
9. Questions
If anything here is unclear, email info@lpbn.us. We'd rather over-explain than leave anything ambiguous.
See also our Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Vendor Participation Terms.