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What happens when your business drops off the map? Some entrepreneurs are learning the hard way.

Map services offered by big tech firms such as Apple and Google can be vital for helping customers find businesses, from nearby hardware stores to local restaurants. But users on Reddit and other message boards have complained of being incorrectly listed as "permanently closed" over the years, with some suspecting that competitors are behind the false information.

The Australian news outlet ABC spoke to Chris Pyatt, who owns a Thai restaurant on Australia's Gold Coast. Pyatt learned from a customer that Apple Maps had listed the restaurant as "permanently closed" in error. As a result, customers couldn't look up driving directions in Apple's navigation system. Pyatt told ABC that the restaurant had seen "a sudden and drastic change in customer behavior towards the end of November and all of December."

Pyatt estimates the error resulted in about $8,000 in lost business, and said he had trouble updating his restaurant's information in Apple's system because he uses Windows and Android devices.

Wrong listings can be a serious issue for business owners, but many platforms allow business owners to claim and correct their listings. Apple's Business Connect service lets businesses update information such as phone numbers, addresses, and hours. Google offers the option to set up a business profile to update information that appears in Maps and the information panel that appears in Google searches. Other services, such as Yelp, also have ways for business owners to claim their listings.

A refreshed look at leadership from the desk of CEO and chief content officer Stephanie Mehta