Localloop owner uses rooftop stunt to promote online company

Monroe High School alumni Jason Gaylord is inviting everyone to learn how his company, Localloop, can help local businesses succeed in today's challenging online environment.-á

The event, "Change Your Business. Change Your Future,GÇ¥ will be held 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 1, at Cascade Community Church in Monroe. The event is being co-hosted by the Monroe Chamber of Commerce, is free to attend and will include lunch.

Guests will be introduced to Localloop, a web-based platform conceptualized by Gaylord, who has referred to his business as "the first online brick-and-mortar company that was built from the ground up with both business owners and consumers in mind.GÇ¥

Localloop is a search engine, jobs platform and social network, with a built-in mechanism for verified business reviews. It has no advertising, nor does the site collect user information, analyze keystrokes or track online behavior. Gaylord created Localloop after collecting data amassed during years of research and development, as a way to take a stand against consumer trafficking.

In order to spread word of his mission, Gaylord spent 31 days perched atop a roof in downtown Bothell in August. He lived in one tent, worked in another and had a small portable restroom facility. Friends brought him meals, which he hoisted up to the roof in a bucket. A large inflatable sign on the roof warned against consumer trafficking on one side, which is what Gaylord sees as the problem. The other side promoted his business, which he sees as the solution.

"The past 40 years of commerce was conducted in a respectful and honorable way,GÇ¥ said Gaylord in a news release. "Competition, for the most part, was found in your neighborhood.GÇ¥

But now, the Internet has drastically changed the business environment. Gaylord's philosophy is that the innovation of the future actually involves taking a step backward, and he is hoping that through Localloop he can facilitate the change necessary to help small business compete against companies like Amazon.

Cascade Church is located at 14377 167th Ave S.E. in Monroe. For more information about Localloop, visit http://localloop.com/BusinessOwner/Seminar.aspx.

Photo by Chris Hendrickson Jason Gaylord, a 1993 Monroe High School graduate, spent 31 days on a Bothell rooftop this summer to spread awareness about consumer trafficking.. The entrepreneur spent years creating Localloop, a search engine, social network and jobs platform that does not use advertising for collect user information.

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