Jarvis focussed on the public at large, but I’d like to add a few ideas involving businesses. As you know (if you’ve read my About page) I’m very interested in getting businesses involved on a newspaper website. There are huge upsell potentials there.

So here’s a few more ideas, related to business owners:

• have local businesses log in and tell you what’s new with their businesses. Things like expansions, moves, new product lines, new people, awards, accomplishments, and so on. Could form a very interesting feed, a history of business, a timeline of goings-on in the business community. Might generate some good leads for the business beat. It’d need to be moderated, of course….can’t have them using it to advertise their latest sales.
• Gas wars: have local gas retailers log their gas prices each day. From which you can make charts of gas prices over time, and also let people quickly find the cheapest gas in their area. Get the public to verify somehow – perhaps by reporting erroneous information. Reward them, to get them coming back every day – perhaps free upgrades in your business directory. (You do have a business directory, don’t you?)
• Solicit businesses to give thoughtful feedback on how local news stories – council decisions, crime stories, e.g. – affect them, how they react to them. Could be a link off the main story page or a special section below the story.

Sure, businesses have agendas. But so does any individual member of the public.