Farmington HIlls-based Zana Network LLC said Monday it hd added a new member rating system to its online marketplace and business development resource for small and mid-sized enterprises.

The member rating system allows members to rate one another based on services performed, providing a reliable resource for buyers and sellers seeking strong references and recommendations before doing business.

"With a member rating system, our members will be able to determine at a glance if a business is a safe bet or not," said Zana CEO Howard Keating. "Zana Network is providing members the tools necessary to make business easier and help eliminate risk by adding an element of accountability. The rating system is just one of many features we've provided to our members to help them increase sales and achieve higher profit margins."

With the Zana Network member rating system, businesses are rated on a five-star system based on a series of questions about their past performance. The five-star system on Zana Network also provides clear values for each star, eliminating assumptions and guesses as to the quality of the rating. Members can go a step further by providing comments as to why they voted the way they did.

Similar to Google PageRank, Zana Network members that have higher star counts have more influence on ratings for additional members, providing an element of fairness and responsibility to the rating system. Most other rating systems don't incorporate this democratic approach, leaving rankings open to personal vendettas and foul play that have the potential to severely hurt a business or their reputation.

Zana Network members also have access to a complete source of relevant services that helps all types of businesses -- from startups launching their first product to professionals building referral networks to established companies in any industry -- reach more potential customers. Zana Network accomplishes this locally, nationally and internationally. In addition to a platform to advertise and sell products and services, Zana Network provides access to capital, insurance and other business services, and resources on how to do business in more than 200 countries worldwide.

More at www.zananetwork.com.