Message a local business

Some questions are too specific for a listing page: Can you cater for forty? Do you have a table Friday? Is this room free in June? Messaging lets you ask the business directly and keep the answer in writing, so you can come back to it when you are deciding.

Open Hire and tap the plus button to start a new chat. Then either: - **Browse a town.** Pick the country, region and town, and you will see every business there that can take a message, grouped by what they do. - **Search a name.** Already know who you want? Choose All towns and type the name to search every town at once.

1. 1Open a new chat
2. 2Pick a town or search

Tap the business, write what you need, and send. That first message opens a private conversation between you and the business, and it stays in Hire so you can pick it up any time.

When the business replies, the answer appears in your chat, and you also get an email so you do not miss it. Bear in mind these are real people running small businesses, often replying between customers, so please be patient if the answer takes a little while.

Soon you will be able to send one request to several businesses in a town at once, for example asking every caterer in town about the same date. For now, start a chat with each business you want to hear from.