Blogs for Small Businesses

As blogging culture continues to grow and propagate fresh ideas across the web, many small businesses can catch onto the trend to meet a variety of research and growth needs. By having a virtual space set aside for business chatter, besides a water-cooler type format, may be a valuable resource for collaboration, networking, and even project management.

Blogging in a more formalized sense can be used as a resourceful tool to provide topics, suggestions, comments, and news to a variety of interactive users. Whether it’s exchanging notes, commenting on the results of a project, or sharing news with coworkers, a small business blog set up in a ‘wiki’ style can be a productive outlet for generating unique and usable viewpoints.

Traditionally, meetings are conducted on specific dates and times to bring together pools of ideas, thoughts, or just general brainstorming sessions. A small business blog devoted entirely to this process may offer some unique opportunities to collaborate at a fresh new level. Without the pressure of time, dates, and scheduling specific topics, small business employees can take part in discussions and brainstorming sessions and offer input in a new way.

Current blogs for small businesses are growing in scope on the web; these offer great avenues of information for research, tools, and networking opportunities. For example, Fresh, Inc. is a blog maintained by Inc.com magazine. This well-organized blog provides entrepreneurs a place to mix and mingle, share opinions, insights, and current market reviews.

Smallbiztrends.com is a valuable site covering small business books, branding strategies, reviews of industries, comprehensive coverage of business models and tech culture. Articles and contributions are current and offer niche industry data and statistics for research. Suggestions and advice on how to start a business, marketing plans, and strategies can be helpful for both start-ups and companies who are just joining the internet bandwagon.

For business advice and services, Allbusiness.com’s blog can be accessed to cover a range of topics including careers, e-commerce, home-based business needs, management, and leadership. The site is set up as a search and research hub for each topic and lists current and recent articles relating to the subject matter.

Regardless of blog research resources, setting up a blog for your own small business or office can be a vital tool for growth and collaboration. With today’s increasing collaboration tools offered by programs such as Microsoft Vista and Google, more companies can benefit from ongoing interactivity, ‘live’ information, and consistent updates. The days of simply e-mailing news or memorandums may be soon long gone; blogging offers flexibility, real-time content, and the ability to access storehouses of information with a few simple clicks.