A Different Kind of Local Directory

How GulfNet Started

GulfNet started as a side quest.

I had the gulfnet.us domain sitting around and originally came up with the idea as another way to link people to my electrical contracting business, Kaskade Electric, Inc.

As I worked on the site, I realised I already had a network of friends, neighbours, clients, contractors, service providers and local businesses that I regularly recommended to other people. Instead of building another generic business directory, GulfNet became a place to organise and share those recommendations.

It grew organically rather than being developed as a commercial startup.

The idea became simple: when somebody asks “Do you know somebody good?” — GulfNet should be a place I am comfortable sending them.

Personal. Curated. Free.

It is simply a collection of people and businesses I am comfortable recommending.

GulfNet is currently focused on Southwest Florida — particularly Cape Coral, Fort Myers and the surrounding area — because that is where these relationships were built. As the network naturally grows into other parts of Florida, GulfNet may grow with it.

What GulfNet Is Not

There are plenty of places to find a business. GulfNet exists to be a different kind of place.

• A paid advertising directory
• A lead-generation service
• A pay-to-play recommendation platform
• A review-ranking or rating website
• A scraped or automated business database

The small size of GulfNet is not a limitation — it is the point. The concept is deliberately selective.

Money cannot buy a place on GulfNet.

GulfNet does not charge businesses to be listed. Businesses cannot purchase better placement, recommendations or the Personally Vetted designation. Every business here is here because of a real relationship.

What “Personally Vetted” Means

Every listing on GulfNet carries the Personally Vetted designation because every listing has a genuine relationship or firsthand basis behind it. These are places personally known and discovered — not scraped out of a database.

Personally Vetted describes the personal referral relationship, not a formal certification process. It is not a professional background investigation, license verification, insurance audit or safety inspection. GulfNet does not perform those services.

For licensed or regulated services, visitors are encouraged to independently confirm any credentials, licenses, insurance or qualifications that are important to them before hiring or contracting with any business.

Please see the Referral Disclaimer & Terms for full details.

Founder Disclosure

GulfNet Local was created by Alex, owner of Kaskade Electric, Inc., a licensed electrical contracting business based in Southwest Florida. GulfNet originally grew from that business and its surrounding network of trusted relationships.