Online Tools To Nurture Your Business Connections

There are many online tools for the beginning entrepreneur to use to warm up your business connections. I am learning about more every day since I am actively seeking ways to build this forum and help others understand how to best grow their firms in ways best for them. Currently I am using using Facebook, Twitter, Blogger and a few more tools I will mention below.  Most of these resources have free versions with the ability to upgrade and take advantage of more features.

One tool that I have used for a while is Survey Gizmo. I love the flexibility it has versus other survey sites I have used in the past. You can create and send out an unlimited amount of surveys (only receive 250 complete responses per month though). Also you can create reports, print them, and have continued access to them for an unlimited amount of time. This is good for staying connected to your current and potential customers.



I found this wonderful article - 10 of the Best Social Media Tools for Entrepreneurs - and found even more tools to take advantage of. I'm currently on LinkedIn but haven't used Answers or Company Profiles in a way that would best get the word out about my businesses (that is about to change). I have a YouTube account but have not determined how I will use video as a promotional or educational tool (hmmm....). I signed up for Mailchimp and am exploring it as an e-newsletter solution.

All of these resources are great tools to support your business. They are only for support, will only be as effective as you allow them to be, and are not to be relied on as the sole source of business development. The best tool for business development is you since no one can sell you and your passion like you can.

How effective has social media been for your business development?