Trust and commercial relationships
How listings work, and how Small in Portugal gets paid.
Families use the directory and events calendar for free. Small in Portugal chooses what appears, writes useful guides and keeps commercial relationships visible. Businesses can pay for listings, advertising or tracked referrals, but money does not buy a positive verdict.
01The marks you will see
Ordinary guides stay unmarked. Paid relationships do not.
- No mark
Chosen by Small in Portugal
What it meansWe decided the place or activity would help families and created the guide without payment from the organisation.
How it’s labelledThere is no commercial badge. Ordinary links go to official information and do not earn a commission.
- Paid
A recurring commercial listing
What it meansThe business passed our fit check and pays for a maintained page, updates, practical listing tools and a route to enquire or book.
How it’s labelledThe commercial label appears on the card, the location page and near any business link.
- Affiliate
Payment after a result
What it meansSmall in Portugal may earn an agreed fee when someone books, buys or becomes a qualified referral through a tracked link or code.
How it’s labelledThe disclosure sits beside the relevant link. The family should not pay more because of the referral.
- Advertisement
A clearly separated promotion
What it meansA business pays for a time-limited promotional position or campaign. Sponsored placements sit apart from ordinary rankings and recommendations.
How it’s labelledThe promotion names the business paying for it and remains visibly marked throughout.
02The boundary
What a business can pay for.
Payment covers
- Time spent researching, writing and maintaining a detailed listing
- Business updates, booking links, enquiry routes and basic performance reporting
- Referral tracking or a clearly separated sponsored campaign
- Limited advertising in a relevant newsletter, regional round-up or events update
Payment never controls
- Community ratings, critical comments or the wording of real parent experiences
- Whether we describe drawbacks, limitations or poor fit for some children
- Our safety, relevance and child-focused acceptance standards
- Whether the commercial relationship is disclosed
03A sustainable directory
Recurring listings provide the base.
Monthly or annual business listings create predictable income for the ongoing work. Referral fees add income when bookings can be tracked properly. A small number of advertising slots can help useful businesses or approved events reach the community.
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Paid listings
Recurring income for an approved, maintained commercial profile.
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Referral income
A fixed fee or percentage when an agreed, trackable result happens.
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Monthly advertising
A marked slot in an email or events round-up, with local or Portugal-wide reach when relevant.
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Event promotion
Extra reach for an approved event without changing its editorial treatment.
For children’s businesses
Think your business belongs here?
Apply with the practical details families need. We will check the fit before discussing prices or commercial terms.