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Networking has always been an essential business function and has actually been made easier than ever by internet organizations and social networks. While face to face contacts are still vital, the virtual version available online can be just as valuable in maintaining contact with colleagues, other business owners and even potential customers.

Online networking goes far beyond putting a website out there for your business and waiting for people to contact you. Business owners need to be tenacious and creative in tapping other available resources to make valuable business contacts. With a little research, it's easy to find lots of great places to network on the world wide web.

There are many traditional social networks business owners can utilize for networking. Consider having both a personal account and an account for your business on FaceBook, MySpace and similar social networks. This is an excellent way to create one on one relationships with others who are interested in your business. These networks make it easy to post bulletins and announcements about what's going on in your business and any special offers you may have.

Be careful to avoid the appearance of spam. Try not to make every announcement sound like an advertisement. Provide good, useful information about the industry your business represents. If you handle it right, you can even establish yourself as an expert in your field and gain valuable credibility for you and your business. For example, if your business offers marketing or promotional services, give tips from time to time on things customers can do to maximize their own marketing and promotional efforts. Think of it less as giving away your secrets and more of a way of building a solid relationship with potential customers.

There are numerous new online groups and communities which are built on the basic model of social networking. These are designed specifically for business owners to gather, network and share information and ideas that are important to them. Some are even geared toward reaching new and potential customers. FaceBook has even gotten in on this trend by teaming up with Visa to offer a business community. Others include MerchantCircle and Sta.rtUp.Biz. A quick search of business networking sites will lead you to plenty of others.

The important thing to remember is that networking takes time and effort. You need to treat your online contacts just as you would someone you meet face to face. Remember to always treat others with respect and courtesy and your online networking efforts will go far. Maintain open communication with your new contacts, share the knowledge you have, request information you need and enjoy building new friendships along with business contacts.

Learn more about this author, Bruce W. Coffman.
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