SMB IT | Curtis Franklin » Social Networking for SMBs

May 15, 2006 | Comments: (0)

Social Networking for SMBs

TAGS: SMB Applications

Finally broke down and visited MySpace just to see what the fuss is about. I suppose giving me, a 40-year old computer geek, the ability to filter MySpace browsing to women between the ages of 30-40, 20-30 or (hey!) less-than-20 to 20, might make some parents nervous. But for the most part, the whole surfing process really struck me as pretty boring.

What's more useful are business-oriented social networking sites like CollectiveX, LinkedIn or even Yahoo Groups. The latter is more of a dedicated discussion thread manager, but your do get to meet people with like-minded interests if you set it up properly.

CollectiveX and LinkedIn are more targeted. I'm actually a member of LinkedIn, though I don't access it as often as I should. It's been a great resource, however, in finding talented help. By putting your own profile out there, you get networked with like-minded, socially responsible folks upon whom you can draw for work, contract jobs, sales or partnership discussions.

CollectiveX goes a little beyond LinkedIn in the features department. They've got a similar intent, but also combine certain team collaboration features, including group emails, shared scheduling, shared file areas and even managed bulk email services.

You can get a free membership if you like seeing banner ads, or you can opt for $20- and $36-per month premium packages that offer more storage space as well as additional security, including 128-bit SSL session encryption.

I'm not sure of the value in this for a medium-sized business. Mainly for HR, I'd expect. But for a small business, especially one that deals largely in contractors, these sites can be invaluable because they not only hook you up with qualified people, they also provide a large network of folks who are willing to vet, vouch for and rate them. Almost built-in references.

Posted by Oliver Rist on May 15, 2006 12:40 PM

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