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Web sites can offer cheap or free help

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published November 12, 2006

The Internet has become more than just a critical tool for small businesses - for some owners, it's a way of life.

A reporter's very informal survey of several small business owners found that some of the most useful sites include those that help them network with other entrepreneurs. They favor sites that help their companies communicate, internally or with other businesses, or that help get tasks like teleconferencing done, sometimes at low or no cost.

The blogs that are growing in popularity in an Internet society are being embraced by small business owners.

Marc Hedlund, chief product officer at Wesabe, a personal finance startup based in Berkeley, Calif., said blogs have been a great help as the company prepares to launch.

"For pretty much any kind of business, there's someone who's writing about getting that business to work and what works for them," he said.

It was through a blog that Wesabe found a site to help it with project coordination and to set up an online chat room for its employees, www.37signals.com. "It replaced e-mail for us," Hedlund said.

Hedlund noted that Web sites, like any other service that a small business might use, need to be tried out and compared with one another. So while 37signals.com worked for his company, it might not be as helpful for another business that supplies similar services; some shopping around and perhaps some trial-and-error are called for.

Christina Carathanassis, president of ChristabellesCloset.com, swears by Web sites that help businesswomen network or that help business owners find resources.

One of her favorites is www.ladieswholaunch.com, which, like other business networking sites, allows owners to post profiles and connect with each other.

"You can ask for advice from other women who have had a similar experience," said Carathanassis, whose company is an online designer resale boutique. She also uses www.theswitchboards.com.

The beauty of networking sites and blogs is their ability to bring many business owners together from not only around the country, but around the world. So an owner in a small town or rural area isn't isolated.

[Last modified November 12, 2006, 01:03:52]