SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR FAX BASED DIRECTED COMMUNICATIONS

1 . A method for responding to business related queries, the method comprising:

providing a communication direction associated with a particular business;

receiving a query via the communication direction;

directing the query to a third party support service;

parsing the query, wherein one or more elements of the query are identified;

comparing the one or more elements of the query against a prior query, wherein a reply to the prior query was previously supplied by the particular business; and

providing a response to the query, wherein the response includes at least a portior of the reply to the prior query.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the communication direction is a fax number associated with the particular business.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the query is received as a fax.

4 . The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising:

receiving a request to identify a class of businesses, wherein the particular business is included in the class a businesses; and

graphically displaying two or more businesses included in the class of businesses in relation to a map.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the request indicates a geographic center.

6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the request indicates a geographic boundary.

7 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the particular business is a first business, wherein the communication direction is a first communication direction, wherein the class of businesses includes a second business, wherein the prior query is a first prior query, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving the query via a second communication direction, wherein the second communication direction is associated with the second business;

comparing the one or more elements of the query against a second prior query, wherein a reply to the second prior query was previously supplied by the second business; and

providing a response originally received from the second business in relation to the query.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein at least a portion of the query is automatically populated from a database.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the portion of the query includes information selected from a group consisting of: an address of a requester, the name of a requestor, and contact information associated with a requester.

10 . A method for communicating information in relation to a telephone/fax covered business, the method comprising:

receiving an identification of two or more businesses via a portal, wherein the two or more businesses are of a particular business type;

receiving a query germane to the business type; and

faxing at least a portion of the query to each of the two or more businesses.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises:

providing a first fax number associated with a first business included in the two or more businesses;

providing a second fax number associated with a second business included in the two or more businesses;

receiving the query via the first fax number and the second fax number, wherein receiving the query includes directing the query to a third party support service;

parsing the query, wherein one or more elements of the query are identified;

comparing the one or more elements of the query against a first prior query, wherein a reply to the first prior query was previously supplied by the first business;

comparing the one or more elements of the query against a second prior query, wherein a reply to the second prior query was previously supplied by the second business;

providing a first response to the query, wherein the first response includes at least a portion of the reply to the first prior query; and

providing a second response to the query, wherein the second response includes at least a portion of the reply to the second prior query.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein faxing the portion of the message to each of the two or more businesses includes faxing a portion of the query that does not correspond to either the reply to the first prior query or the reply to the second prior query.

13 . The method of claim 10 , the method further comprising:

receiving a request to identify businesses of the business type near a particular location, wherein the two or more businesses are identified; and

graphically displaying the two or more businesses in relation to a map.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the request indicates a location selected from a group consisting of: a geographic center and a geographic boundary.

15 . The method of claim 10 , wherein at least a portion of the query is automatically populated from a database.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the portion of the query includes information selected from a group consisting of: an address of a requester, the name of a requestor, and contact information associated with a requester.

17 . A system for responding to business related queries:

a computer,

a computer readable medium accessible to the computer, wherein the computer readable medium includes instructions executable by the computer to:

provide a fax number associated with a particular business;

receive a query via an Internet website;

direct the query to a third party support service;

parse the query, wherein one or more elements of the query are identified;

compare the one or more elements of the query against a prior query, wherein a reply to the prior query was previously supplied by the particular business; and

provide a response to the query, wherein the response includes at least a portion of the reply to the prior query.

18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the computer readable medium further includes instructions executable by the computer to:

receive a request to identify a class of businesses, wherein the particular business is included in the class a businesses; and

graphically display two or more businesses included in the class of businesses in relation to a map.

19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the request indicates a location selected from a group consisting of: a geographic center and a geographic boundary.

20 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the particular business is a first business, wherein the communication direction is a first communication direction, wherein the class of businesses includes a second business, wherein the prior query is a first prior query, and wherein the computer readable medium further includes instructions executable by the computer to:

receive the query via a second communication direction, wherein the second communication direction is associated with the second business;

compare the one or more elements of the query against a second prior query, wherein a reply to the second prior query was previously supplied by the second business; and

provide a response originally received from the second business in relation to the query.