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Having an online presence today is far more than having a website. Social media is the order of the day, and everyone agrees that companies have to reach consumers through these innovative channels. What few people are talking about is how companies should be reaching each other using these same tools.
How important is it for your company to find cheaper, better, and more innovative production inputs? Do you need a strategic ally to help internationalize your business? There are numerous reasons why finding other companies is crucial to you. So, how do you intend to go about doing it? The solutions that usually come to mind are business fairs and online directories; but let’s face it, while both can be useful and are far from obsolete, they’re not exactly cutting edge either.
Some business fairs occur annually, some every other year, but none at the time of your choosing. Moreover, they are expensive and require complex PR and marketing to be minimally effective. Online directories, on the other hand, are usually free and work around the clock all year long. However, we are living not in the age of information but in the age of information overload. In directories, your company quickly gets lost, buried beneath a ton of competitors.
The ideal solution to drive business networking to the next level would have to be inexpensive and permanent, while allowing your company to stand out from the crowd, establish real connections, share industry and market information, promote your products and services, and discuss and execute business opportunities.
Of course, some may argue that companies can’t really have “friends” in the traditional sense. So, why use the social networking concept for companies? Take Weebiz and ReadWriteWeb, for instance. Weebiz is one of ReadWriteWeb’s sponsors, which means we have a relationship. So, while saying that we are friends may be an exaggeration, we are definitely connected in a relationship. These are the kinds of connections Weebiz leverages, along with many other kinds of business relationships, such as clients/suppliers and so on.
One other question that is asked is, Why would I need a network for companies if I already have a professional network. Well, for starters, people can change positions and move to other companies, and when they do, they take their networks with them. On Weebiz, the network, clients, partners, and suppliers remain with the company, independent of whoever manages the company’s profile. A network nowadays is regarded as a valuable, even priceless, asset. The idea behind Weebiz is to put this asset in the hands of the organization as a whole, instead of an individual.
By connecting to clients, suppliers, and partners on Weebiz, companies indirectly connect to many other businesses and find many other potential relationships as well. The result is a vast network in which opportunity flows. Weebiz simply leverages your connections and brings the power of social networks to your business.
Visit us at www.weebiz.com or check out our lessons for business men in a public toilet and tell us what you think.
