Having an online presence is extremely important for small firms nowadays, least of all because many of their customers will track them down via the web.
But being online is also useful for securing new contacts, and networking via the web has never been easier thanks to the proliferation of social networking sites that are now available.
As reported by the New York Times, one firm that has made the most of social networks is Brighter Planet.
Based in Vermont, this environmental firm has utilised sites such as Facebook and Twitter in order to strengthen its commercial networks and develop its online presence.
The small company has made extensive use of 'tweeting' via Twitter and as noted by the newspaper it has been able to initiate 'viral marketing campaigns intended to help consumers reduce their carbon footprints' thanks to its online networking.
In an article entitled Small Businesses Are Taking Tentative Steps Toward Online Networking, the publication highlighted how Brighter Planet found the quick and easy aspects of social networking very appealing.
Chief executive Patti Prairie explained: "There's almost a grass-roots quality to it. As a start-up, we can’t afford to be buying ads anywhere. We have to use our outreach."
Brighter Planet will soon feature a 'portable social Web application' on its site that will enable its visitors to check the status of their carbon footprint and share their eco-habits with other people via sites like Facebook.
The New York Times pointed out that, as indicated by figures from Discover Financial Services, 38 per cent of small firm owners are now members of a social network. In 2007, this figure was 22 per cent.
Charles H Matthews, president of the International Council for Small Business, told the paper that seeing the business potential of social networks is vital for small firms.
He commented: "It can certainly help enhance the process of identifying customers, especially in niche markets."
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