Scale Venture Partners Sharon Wienbar on why local businesses are worth investing in Whether Google buys Yelp for more than half a billion is still an uncertainty. But one thing is for certain, Yelp, the local business review site that launched in 2004, is in the spotlight, begging the question: What’s so hot about local now? Over the years I've covered the Internet, businesses focusing on local seem to go in and out of favor. Next year may very well be the year startups focused on local may get some increased attention, if for only the fact that Yelp is creating buzz around local opportunities. Let's hope for a big Yelp exit, and a successful IPO for ReachLocal, a service that helps small businesses acquire new customers online, which recently filed its S-1.Sharon ...   [ Read more ]