Social media can greatly boost your business. By developing a solid strategy for all the different social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, YouTube etc. you can enormously increase the odds of getting new customers to your business. However, in the blind race to secure a high place on social media many small and medium business owners, in fear of being left behind their competitors, have thrown their profiles on these different platforms without a clear strategy or goal. These carelessly placed-in-haste social profiles are prone to lose them business instead of boosting it. These are 5 mistakes that you need to pinpoint in your business profile and put an end to if you want to really have an impact.

1. An Incomplete Profile

In the blind race to secure a place for their business many people have put together social media profiles in haste that are unprofessional. They are incomplete and they lack the essential coherence that a brand needs. These kind of profiles are more likely to convey a negative impression than to give a positive one. If you own such profile(s) complete it now. Come up with one that is complete with all the required details and images. Then devise a strategy for it.

2.  A “Now and Then” Content Strategy

Then there are all those profiles that are complete and professional in the above sense but they are deserted places! You go there and you don’t find any new activity for weeks – even months. These are more likely to do damage than good as in case 1 because it conveys a sense of lack of interest. Remember to always keep your social profiles up-to-date with fresh and original content in your niche. It will keep visitors coming back for more fresh content.

3. No Replies to Comments

Getting people to comment on your content is one of the primary reasons for writing and sharing content. However, it is seen that sometimes people don’t seem to respond to visitor’s comments in a timely manner. This can be particularly frustrating to your readers, especially when they find it very hard to take out the time to comment. This can lead them into thinking they are unimportant in your eyes and they might turn their back on you as well!

4. No Proper Content Strategy for Different Social Media Platforms

It is also important to have a proper strategy for all the social media platforms in place. It is important to know that different social media platforms have different target audience. You need to be able to have a balanced approach to tackling all of them in a systematized manner. It is not wise to establish a strong presence on one platform and ignore others altogether. Remember it all works as a whole. You need to tie the knots to make yourself visible to the crowd.

5. Not Using the Right Content

Another mistake that you might be making on social platforms is not combining the right kind of content for an optimal impact. You need to employ a content strategy where you provide visitors with a mix of text, images and videos. By providing such a variety of content you are able to keep the visitors to your page hooked to make them come again and again for new content. Having this kind of social media platform also shows a higher level of professionalism on the part of the page owner.

If you are making any or all of these mistakes it is time to rethink your overall social media strategy and tackle the problem areas. If you get rid of all these problem areas you will have a greater social media followership and a greater business.

Have you ever thought that you can make the world a whole lot easier for yourself with some online business tools?

They are cool! They save you a lot of time and help you sync your business activities seamlessly. It means you don’t have

to worry about trivial paperwork and other issues. You can automate them and leave it to themselves. I have collected three of my favourite online tools for business that will save you trouble,money and of course,time.

#1 Shoeboxed

Fed up with book keeping before it’s begun? Shoeboxed is an automated filing system for business receipts and paperwork. You can upload your paperwork through their free online and desktop uploaders, via email or with one of their free mobile phone apps. Simply scan and send, and let shoeboxed compile the rest. Ideal for start ups, and competitively priced, I think it’s a great way of keeping organised, and takes the headache out of hoarding papers, tickets, business cards, invoices and receipts.

#2 PR Web

Looking to get the word out about your business? Choose PRWeb as your news release distribution service.  PRWeb press releases deliver your business news to all the search engines such as Yahoo!, Google and Bing, putting your business right where your customers are looking. Their packages start small, and as the price increases, you can send your story to all the major local and national news websites, as well as PR Web’s database of over 30,000 journalists, bloggers and influencers looking for stories like yours.

 #3 MOO

Moo.com is and online business printing and stationery service. With hundreds of business card templates, your cards can be designed and ordered in minutes. MOO also supply cards, notecards, greeting cards, stickers, accessories and gift cards for your business.

Printing over 6 million cards every month, MOO has hundreds of thousands of customers in over 200 countries. Their excellent turnaround times and delivery makes them the number 1 choice for business start ups and growing businesses alike.

Have you found any great online business tools for your start up? What online business services do you find saves you the most time and money?

Image Courtesy of jscreationzs/FreeDigitalPhotos.Net

Business Networking is fundamental to the success of any business. While building your own business you need to know people who can help and advise you on key factors of your business. The end goal of better business networking is to build connections with people online and offline – on every available platform out there. Every entrepreneur needs to develop strong relationships with experienced people in his niche who can guide him on necessary decisions in his business. Check out these five tips to help you in a better and more beneficial way.

(1) Make the Effort

Accept invitations to all suitable occasions. Show interest. Really make the effort to attend whole heartedly. Don’t go to the event with low expectations – don’t arrive late and leave early. Make sure you arrive promptly and allow enough time to communicate with people before the event is in full swing. It is at this time that you can start building real connections.

(2) Make a Plan

Make a plan and set goals as to how many new people you intend to meet and make new connections with at the event. It is better to focus on three or four solid connections at each networking event than to exchange hundreds of business cards that mean very little to you when you get home! Exchange your business cards with them, and maybe write a personal note for them on the back. It is also a good idea to make notes for the different people that will remind you where you met and what topics or opportunities you discussed.

(3) Don’t Love The Sound of Your Own Voice

You aren’t the only person under the sun who has to set the tone for the conversation by expressing your views about a particular topic. In fact, doing this results in everyone else simply clamming up. One-sided interaction will choke a conversation. If you really want engagement in a conversation you need to listen FIRST. Show respect, allow others to make their point, express their views and opinions. Don’t be too quick to respond; think through your response carefully.

(4) Always Ask Questions

Don’t hesitate to ask questions. Being not able to ask questions puts a big question mark on you getting the best answers. If there is an idea that you have been thinking or a problem with your business feel free to ask questions. By asking questions you will benefit from other people’s expertise. Always ask open ended questions to encourage conversation.

(5) Find Relevant Business Networking Groups

Online business networking groups are another great place to build connections. They provide a virtual platform to reach out to new people and expand your networking horizons. Here are some of the resources:

• LinkedIn With well over 200 million professionals LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network. It lets you grow your professional network, discover business opportunities and all the news and insights you need.
• Meetup Meetup is a social network that lets you connect with people who share the same interests and who live near you. There are a variety of group categories to choose from and join.
• BNI BNI is the world’s largest referral organisation with over 150 thousand members worldwide. BNI works on a system building powerful networks through referrals.
• Chambers of Commerce The BCC is a high-profile business network which has chambers spread all over the UK. Their mission is to “make the Chambers of Commerce an essential part of growing business” and they achieve it by “sharing opportunities, knowledge and expertise.”
• Ryze Ryze is another place where you can make quality business contacts ,get advice and tips and make deals for your company.
• Xing Xing allows you to “find useful business contacts as well as work assignments and projects.”

Once you have a proper business networking strategy in place you are sure to make more useful connections and get much better results from the events you attend. The key is to search out the relevant events in your niche, target the type of person you need to build connections with and then aim to start a business relationship with them. Really emphasise the benefits of your products or services and network, network, network!!!

As Robert Kiyosaki puts it,”The richest people in the world look for and build networks, everyone else looks for work.”

Scroll down for infographic

Further to my previous post about content marketing, I found this great infographic containing some really useful help and information for any business embarking on their first content marketing campaign.

As discussed before, content marketing is the ‘ongoing promotion of a business or brand’ and this guide helps define the strategy needed for a successful content marketing campaign.

The Golden Nugget Of Content Marketing

The golden nugget that I have taken from the guide is; START ANYWHERE. There is no specific starting point, and no single point is better than any other for your business.

Covering many different types of content marketing such as press releases, articles, webinars, email marketing campaigns, useful infographics and videos, it gives useful tips about how to re-purpose and share your content across various social media platforms, to engage and build your audience.

Helpful with SEO and building an audience, producing content for various channels will assist any successful brand marketing campaign and will ultimately help spread the word about your business and engage your potential customers.

Two Scenarios Explaining Content Marketing Further

Non-content marketing business scenario 1;

You run a baby products store that also has an e-commerce site.

You place an online ad for your business and a print ad in the local newspaper. 1,000 potential customers see your ad. These customers haven’t visited your store before, and have no idea about your company or your brand. They are not sure whether you are a trustworthy company, and are not really bothered about popping into your store. They check your website, look at your products and leave.

5 customers decide to pop in and 5 customers decide to visit your website. Of those 10 customers, 2 decide to make a small purchase.

Content Marketing business scenario 2;

You run a baby products store that also has an e-commerce site. You produce a series of free ‘how to’ baby guides, and write a regular email newsletter about the latest product reviews and mother baby news. You never ask for a sale upfront; instead you produce lots of useful, helpful content on your company blog, including an interesting article about how to save money on pushchairs which the local paper decide to publish, along with a link back to your website.

Your newsletter sign up is available on your website, many people who followed the link sign up, and you give your subscribers an exclusive discount code to use on your website. They love your helpful guides and articles, and each month, around 20% of your subscribers make a purchase, in addition, customers who read your article get in touch, visit your website and subscribe and then use their discount code. you make a minimum of 20 new purchases.

You also get contacted by a local magazine to write another baby related article on the latest baby products and toys who will also publish your website link and your store details.

Spot the difference?

Did you spot the difference in the two scenarios above? I hope you can see how effective content marketing can be to help funnel potential customers into your sales funnel, and are thinking of hundreds of ways of reaching out to your potential audience.

Summary

Did you find this useful? What types of content marketing work for your business? Are you setting up your first campaign?

Please leave a comment below with your own tips or opinions.

Source: Fishervista

The term “guerrilla marketing” was reputedly coined by Conrad Levinson in his book “Guerrilla Marketing” which was published in 1983. Guerrilla marketing is an advertising strategy that employs low-cost unconventional means to promote a product or service.

Guerilla marketing campaigns often defy traditional marketing ideas and methods, and include strategies such as flash mobs, viral video campaigns, art, graffiti and more.
Smaller scale ideas such as personalized candy or cupcakes, fake publicity stunts, marketing Stickers on coins all go that extra mile to create a killer guerilla marketing campaign
The whole idea behind this kind of marketing is to achieve maximum marketing goals with minimal cost. Much like guerrilla warfare which uses unconventional warfare tactics like ambushes, sabotage and strategies of surprise attack guerrilla marketing employs the same tactics in the marketing industry.
It is an outside of the box marketing strategy that is completely different to traditional marketing.
With consumers becoming immune to traditional marketing ideas, small brands and larger brands alike are all considering new tactics to employ for their next killer marketing campaign. Sometimes these strategies can be much more cost effective and will attract a much better response, with the possibility of a campaign going ‘viral’
Most popular brands like Coca Cola, Pepsi, Ford, Samsung etc engage in this kind of marketing to strike the chord with their prospective customers. Here are 5 Killer guerrilla marketing campaigns I thought were worth a mention!

1. Coca Cola Friendship Machine

On 20^th July, Dia Del Amigo- friendship day- is celebrated in many parts of South America, particularly Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. In 2010 Coca Cola designed a huge vending machine to honor this day of celebration. This huge friendship machine was placed in different parts of South America including Argentina, Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Panama and the Honduras. Passers-by were offered two Cokes for the price of one. However, to reinforce the importance of friendship potential customers needed to collaborate with one another to reach up to the Coke machine slot. This campaign was also repeated in other countries for local versions of Dia Del Amigo.

 Source

2. Folger’s Steaming Coffee Cup

Folger’s followed the guerrilla marketing guidebook by creating an optical illusion of a coffee mug. As passers-by walk on the street they see a coffee mug fixed into the ground with steam being emitted in your direction: probably the best way to remind you about the coffee cup that you missed!

       Source

3. Medecins Du Monde’s Tent City

France’s Medecins Du Monde – a non-profit – directed attention to Paris’s homeless population by setting up tents for the homeless in a “tent city”. The huge cluster of tents shamed Paris into allocating emergency funds to address the problem.

      Source

4. Cingular’s “Dropped Calls” Campaign

If you are a cellphone user you have probably been irritated more than once when your call dropped in the middle. Following the true spirit of a guerrilla marketer they addressed the problem by positioning an unusual billboard with the word “calls” hollowed out and dropped to the ground portrayed a dropped call. Both the “dropped call” and the crazy billboard grabbed the attention of passers-by easily.

 Source

5. EMAP; 1Nation

Guerrilla marketing was at the heart of UK’s largest multi-platform media group EMAP’s radio station – 1Nation. A special 10 ft 1Nation figure was built and the area was surrounded with props and actors to suggest that the figure had fallen out of the sky and smashed through the ground. The stunt received much ROI.

These are only a few examples of how businesses take a leaf out of the guerrilla marketing guidebook. If you want to see the magic of guerrilla promotion you can find great examples here.

More and more businesses are looking to think ‘outside the box’ and employ guerrilla marketing strategies as traditional marketing becomes more and more expensive and less effective.

If you want to consider a guerrilla marketing campaign for your business there are specialized guerrilla marketing agencies who will do this for you. Kommando is a good example of a guerrilla marketing agency who can take a project from start to finish creating those attention grabbing ideas that get results.

If you are about to order your new business card WAIT!  Your business card could potentially be the messenger for your brand and a useful lead generation tool!

Image Courtesy of Stuart Miles/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Your business card is a very important part of your business branding process and it is much better to have no business card at all than to have a sub-standard, generic ‘contact details card’.
Think about how you can incorporate your company mission and make your business card stand out from the crowd to increase lead response.
To leave a lasting impression on your customers, you need to make your business card an essential part of your brand awareness campaign.
Here are six ways you can use to advertise your business with your business card.
1. Add a Call to Action on the Back:
The majority of people use their business cards as a means through which people can contact them. However, you can take your card one step further. Don’t just provide your contact details, give the receiver a great reason to get in touch!
“Log onto www.YourCompany.com for our latest discount codes and offers”
“Check out www.YourCompany.com for free coupons “

2. Make it Memorable:
Whenever you are handing over your card to a prospective customer, think about this: how many business cards does he have in his pocket (or on his desk) already? Why would he bother to remember yours in case he needs a service?
The answer: Make It Different! Make It Memorable!
Making your business card memorable is a great way of making a lasting introduction.
This quirky business card ticks all the boxes for trendy design and not making it just another business card in your wallet.

Image Credit: YourReactor.com

3. Advertise your Website and an Offer:
Use your card to advertise your website. Provide your site’s link on the card.
Also provide your email, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn vanity URLs.
For example, you can advertise your website through a free offer.
“Visit www.YourCompany.com/Youroffer”   to claim your free trial/gift of X”
While it isn’t a good idea to put too much information on your card, using the space on the back or a blank area somewhere and promoting a lead generating response is a useful way of promoting your products or services.

4. Tell People What You Do:
Don’t just include a logo and contact details!
Every business card you see will have someone’s name and contact details on it. A month later when they retrieve it from their pocket or wallet, remind them why they need to contact you and provide details of exactly what you do! Here is a great example from a radio presenter.

Image Source:www.adsoftheworld.com

5. Make Sure they are Standard Size:
Many people keep business cards in a set sized business card binder or holder. When branding your business and creating your awesome business card design, remember to keep it standard size so it is easy for them to store for the future. If not, people are most likely to leave it somewhere and forget about it or worse still, throw it away. Ask your printer for options.

6. Make Your Business Card a Tool!
You can even turn your business card into your brand as this awesome example from a personal trainer has done!

Image Source:www.quicksprout.com

#SUMMARY
Don’t forget, business cards are a very important part of your company image and branding. They needn’t be a huge cost and many printers offer pre-designed templates that you can use online.
If time is an issue and you realise you are low on stock of business cards or if you don’t yet have a business card and need one for that all important meeting in a few days, many business card printing companies offer Next Day Business Cards and some offer free business card templates and designs.

With so many creative options for your business card design, there is really no excuse for the generic piece of card of the past 50 years.Have you got a memorable design to share? Post a link and comment below.

With the new PAYE Real Time Information this year, many small businesses are finding it difficult to keep up to date with all the changes and requirements.
Instead of worrying and struggling, a simple way of keeping on top of your payroll is simply to outsource it.
It is best to contract out your company’s payroll for a number of reasons.

Image Courtesy Of Stuart Miles/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

1. Free Up Your Time: Outsourcing your payroll will relieve you of the burden of the responsibility of managing payroll so you have less paperwork and more time to focus on the more important profitable aspects of your business. Particularly in small businesses payroll processing takes up too much time of those whose main focus should be other key features of the business. Outsourcing your payroll frees up your time and resources to concentrate on strategic business areas such as recruitment, staff performance, marketing etc. that can affect your business  productivity and profitability more directly.
2. Lower Costs: You can greatly reduce costs by outsourcing your payroll to a service provider. You can spend the valuable saved revenue on achieving key objectives of your business. It also allows you to get a clear picture of the actual payroll cost, and to ease cost burdens such as updating technology and staff training.
3. Avoid Penalties: Errors in payroll can not only affect your employees but can also lead to issues with the tax office, which may lead to penalties. If you outsource your payroll to a service provider that specializes in keeping up to date with current regulations, there is less chance of making a mistake than if you used in-house staff.  If the service provider makes a serious mistake you could seek compensation for the error – something you cannot do with internal staff.
4. Speed: Payroll service providers are specialists that have advanced technical systems at their disposal. It means that they are able to process very complex payrolls very fast. Also, in case there is a temporary inflow of employees, they can handle it effectively unlike other employers.
5. Legislation: A good payroll service provider knows all payroll-related tax laws and other legislation inside out. It will take a lot of time and effort on the part of your employees to get on top of these laws. Once you contract your payroll out you needn’t worry about this anymore.
Once you have decided to outsource your payroll the next step is to look for a specialist payroll service provider like Moorepay. By outsourcing your payroll to Moorepay you can save yourself time, money and hassle and ensure that you and your business are real-time compliant.
If you want to read more on outsourcing check out my post Key Components Of How To Outsource Effectively.

Every now and then entrepreneurs decide to move their business and set up camp at a new location.  Different motivations may cause a company to move to a new place:  to move closer to a large customer base, to lower operating costs, to access more experienced and skilled staff etc.
Whatever the reason for moving your business you may be faced with a tough challenge when you decide to do so. However, you can make it easy by following the guideline outlined below.

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

1. Decide Why You are Moving: First of all, you must know exactly why you want to move your business to a new place; otherwise you may be leading your company towards a lurking disaster. You must know exactly why you want to move to the new place and how you will make the transition when you do. Once you have taken this into consideration you can evaluate whether the time and expense is worth it and if your business can cope with the upheaval.

2. Do Proper Planning: Next on the list is efficient planning. It may not be easy to find the time to plan your move while running your business at the same time, but it is very important to plan out your moving process in advance or you may lose both time and money if you do it in a disorganized way. You must think through the whole process from start till end before it actually happens, and factor in all possible scenarios of relocating.

3. Get Financial Advice: One factor of key importance is to get financial advice, to help with the relocation costs and the possible cash-flow issues that may arise when moving to a new location. Find out about local tax laws BEFORE you move and ensure there are no associated hidden costs. Contact financial experts in the area you have chosen and seek advice to acquaint yourself with the local system in advance of your relocation.

4.Talk to Your Employees: It is very important to talk to your employees about the relocation. They may have expertise regarding the new location. They may share ideas about features your business needs to have at your new destination. This feedback could possibly help you a lot. Also, you must know whether the employees you want to keep in the new location are willing to move and on what terms and conditions if they are.

5.Hire a Trustworthy Relocation Service: When you have finalized all the other factors involved and have decided to relocate, you should hire a professional relocation service for the move. Sterling Relocation is a wonderful example of a great re-location company to consider. Sterling have a moving tips page on the site. A trustworthy relocation company will make sure that you shift your business premises seamlessly and without delay trouble so it is always worth considering the cost of using a professional.

Relocating your business may be a daunting effort but if you do it in a planned manner and you weigh up the pros and the cons, you can begin taking the first steps towards successful business in a brand new location.
If you want more tips if you are a moving or start-up business, have a look at my old post: 7 Essential Resources for Start-Up Businesses.

Image courtesy of renjith krishnan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

If you are operating a business with a lack of cash flow, chances are there is money to be found if you know where to look for it. Many SMEs just aren’t aware of all the options available to them when it comes to finance and funding and this is exactly why so many are faced with insolvency. Instead of continuing on your current path, take a few moments to explore ways in which it is possible to obtain that extra influx of cash to meet your day to day expenses. This brief guide to finance and funding for your business in 2013 should help you see that cash flow doesn’t need to be a problem. You simply need to understand what is out there and how to go about cashing in on it.

Factoring and Invoice Discounting

By far the most common method of obtaining funding in today’s economy is factoring and invoice discounting. This is quite popular amongst small businesses because a loan is made to the company based on outstanding accounts receivable. The factor or discounter will take a look at your books to see exactly what is owed to your company and will lend an amount up to 85% of what is outstanding. Bear in mind that these must be B2B accounts (business to business) and not a ledger full of outstanding invoices to the general public. In factoring the lender will take over your accounts and collect payments where is in invoice discounting the business maintains control of their books.

Trade Finance

Although trade finance is not optimal for all businesses, it can be a viable solution for those companies that meet certain criteria. For example, sometimes a trade financier will lend money over a short period of time to a business that has a solid history of meeting orders and the profit margin is relatively high. Perhaps there is not enough money to meet the current order so the lender is willing to make an advance against expected profit once the order is filled. Usually trade finance is sought when there is a lack of more conventional loans because of the current credit crunch where banks are holding tighter reins when lending.

Asset or Equity Finance

When a company is in need of a quick loan, asset or equity finance can be the ideal solution. Sometimes there is a slump in business due to unusual circumstances. Seasonal demand may be low or there could be other reasons why products are not moving at the moment. A lender will sometimes make a loan based on the value of merchandise ready to be sold. It should be noted that this particular type of financing is contingent upon the lender’s ability to see value in your products. This would not be a loan for the service industry as there has to be some tangible (equitable) goods to guarantee or secure the loan.

Business Angels

In recent years, business angels have become prominent in the world of finance. A great number of investors are out there looking for somewhere safer than the markets to place their investment capital. These are usually private individuals looking for a good return on their money who are willing to invest in viable businesses. They can be thought of as a type of silent partner in that they are usually not made directors of the company, but they inject much needed capital to keep the business trading. It will take a solid business model and proof that the company has the potential to show a profit, but there are an astounding number of investors out there willing to take a risk.

Government Grants

Depending on the industry, there are also government grants available which are intended to help stabilise and grow the economy. Certain industries are more apt to qualify for government grants such as construction and building enterprises. A good financial adviser will be able to help struggling businesses research grants available to them and this is money which may or may not need to be repaid. Often there is very low interest on those loans needing repayment so if you qualify this may be worth your time and effort to investigate.

Some Final Thoughts on Finances

Rather than struggling from day to day waiting for that first creditor to petition a winding up order, take the initiative to find finance and/or funding. If there simply seems to be no way to qualify for a loan, talk to an Insolvency Practitioner about keeping creditors at bay with a Company Voluntary Arrangement. No, this is not a loan but it may enable you to pay pennies on the pound towards outstanding debt. It is not the same thing as bringing in a quick influx of cash but it would certainly reduce your monthly repayments which in turn would free up money for day to day expenses. You can survive the current credit crunch so don’t give up just yet.

Networking comes in many different forms. Face to face networking events and meetings are very effective, but can take a lot of time and money in some instances. Online networking is flexible and has lower costs but may take longer to see any tangible outcomes. Networking works best when all parties are following some simple rules. So many businesses get a large percentage of their clients from networking and building the right relationships.

Face to face networking

A great place to start is your local council or small business centre. They will often hold networking events or be able to put you in touch with local organisations. Private business may hold events that can be really good sources of new contacts but there also might be a hidden agenda to sell their own product or services.

Generally speaking, it is a good idea to get yourself on the mailing list for several organisations and then pick and choose which events suit you the best. If you are interested in particular events, call the contact number provided and before you book your place ask the organiser how many people they expect to attend and what industries will be represented at the event.

When you do attend events, remember the golden rule: What can you offer others? Instead of trying to push your business down the throats of everyone you meet, think how you can help them. Maybe they mention the need for a great accountant and you met someone at the last event who had just opened their own practice. Exchange details and follow up within a few days. Both contacts will remember your kindness and hopefully return the favour one day.

If the event serves food and drinks, enjoy yourself and remember it is a professional event so stick two one or two wines rather than the whole bottle!

Follow up with new contacts within a few days. Invite them to coffee, ask to add them to your email database or simply send them an email saying it was nice to meet them.

Online networking

There are dedicated networking sites such as LinkedIn. Keep your profile professional. Don’t post about your personal life too much. Aside from these specific sites, look at other online networks such as local community boards, Facebook business pages and industry specific online networks. You can usually add a company profile and your company website, an image or logo and location maps.

Online networking requires the same general etiquette rules as face to face networking. It is not a place to constantly push your own agenda. This will quickly annoy others and you won’t get much in return. Instead online communities are a place for discussion, legitimate business and sharing of ideas.

With networking, whether face to face or online, you get out what you put in. And like most friendships or business opportunities, things often take time. Relationships need nurturing and effort on both sides. Networking does provide real and true opportunities all over the world so get in and enjoy your journey.