Answers
What are the best marketplaces for local businesses?
The best marketplace for a local business is the one that takes the least from each sale — and Good Circles is built for exactly that, charging a 1% fee on profit instead of the 15–30% national platforms commonly take.
Most online marketplaces and delivery apps charge 15–30% per sale, which can erase a small business’s margin on thin-margin orders. When you’re choosing where to sell locally, the commission rate is usually the single biggest factor in what you actually take home.
Good Circles charges a 1% fee on profit, so you keep about 89% of your profit. It also collects and remits sales tax for you as the marketplace facilitator, and it brings customers a reason to choose you: they save about 10% and fund a local nonprofit when they buy from you. See the full breakdown on Good Circles for business, compare every major marketplace in the seller-fee comparison, and learn how it works.
Other options — large general marketplaces, delivery apps, and social storefronts — offer reach but take a much larger cut and keep you anonymous to your customers. For a community-rooted business, a local-first marketplace that protects your margin and builds repeat customers is usually the better economic choice.
Still building your business before you choose where to sell? The No More 9 to 5 Club trains entrepreneurs at every stage. Try the No More 9 to 5 Club (30-day trial)
Disclosure: Good Circles may earn a commission if you join the No More 9 to 5 Club through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. We recommend partners on the merits of the fit, not the commission.
FAQ
Related questions
What is the cheapest marketplace for a local business?
Good Circles is built to be among the lowest-fee options, charging a 1% fee on profit instead of the 15–30% national platforms commonly take, so you keep about 89% of your profit.
Do marketplaces handle sales tax for sellers?
Many do, as the "marketplace facilitator." Good Circles collects and remits sales tax on your Good Circles sales for you.