If you already have a regular website, look at adding a blog.  However, if you are just starting to have a web presence, you can take a look at using the blog format instead of a standard website format. They can both be value-based.

One last thing about using a blog format for your website—I have heard that search engines really like blogs, since you are always adding new content and it is easy for those robots to find.

Check out my Thriving Business Group on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=58925660247 

If you are not yet on Facebook, sign up now and invite me onto your friend list.

Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/caterinarando

Most groups these days do not have a requirement that you bring a lead for someone to the meetings. However, the more you look out for the other members of the group, the more they are likely to give you referrrals to people in their lives.

To find groups in your area just do a Google search
networking+(your geographic area)+ 2009

I am sure you will get lots of search results.

Otherwise start your own group. I have a innovative strategy to make this a business breakthrough strategy. I call it a Circle of Eight. Check out this concept here.

It was held at what I thought ahead of time was an unlikely location – Uptown Body & Fender in Oakland. Turns out the place is perfect, with its brick walls and clean floors. Owner Giovanna Tanzillo has a great event space that you can rent out.

I so enjoy these networking events where I meet new people and run into women I have known in the Bay Area Business community for many years now. Are you getting out there and meeting enough people these days to expand and keep up your network?

One of the highlights of the afternoon was hearing Meagan Connolly Haupt, owner of C5 custom jewelry http://www.c5company.com Meagan talked about the importance of making sure your business reflects your values. Her other two tips for business success were to be sure to take time to plan and to get out there and network.

Her company is one of about 20 jewelry companies in the United States that creates recycled and sustainable jewelry. That means when her jewelry is made it leaves a small carbon footprint, compared to the tons (I can not remember if she said 2 or 10 tons) of mining waste that is created for each gold ring we put on our fingers. Wow! That is a shocker.

I predict that buying only sustainable jewelry which also includes gems made in a lab instead of mined, will be the next big consumer trend, just like we no longer buy animal furs or aerosol products and the latest trend you are now seeing is organic fabrics being promoted and used in clothing manufacturing.

By the way my new favorite thing is my Hanes® Organically Grown Sleep Shirt, that is so soft you will love how it feels against your skin. I got mine from my Avon lady, Dortha Hise http://www.youravon.com/dhise. The sleep shirt is on sale right now.

In our business, and with our consumer spending dollars, it is so important to be sure that the way we do business and the way we spend our own money reflects who we want to be in the world. Equally important is to be aware of the environmental impact of the way we do business. I encourage you to be conscious of what you promote with the consumer dollars you spend. The fur industry tanked because people stopped buying furs.

Something to think about.  Anything for you to do?

In this article, you will find tips that you can use when using social networking sites to build your business.

Those tips are:

•    Read the terms and conditions
When joining a social networking site, read the terms and conditions to see what type of advertising restrictions they have. If you violate those terms, then your account may be deleted or worse. Sometimes it pays to avoid heavy marketing on some of the larger sites such as MySpace and Facebook. The smaller sites such as Yuwie tend to be more lenient toward advertising. Some even encourage it.

•    Aim for smaller social networking sites
Marketing your business on the big social networking sites can be quite tempting because there are so many people on them. Thinking of that type of exposure can seduce common sense and land you in some trouble. As stated in the first tip, it is good to avoid any heavy marketing on the larger sites such as MySpace and Facebook. Sometimes you have to avoid it all together since sites like MySpace have a function where those you are marketing to can mark your messages as SPAM. There have even been instances in which lawsuits have been brought against those sending out what is considered SPAM. Even if your intentions are pure, it is good to resist the temptation.

•    Use social networking blogs
Many of the social network sites have a blog function. Some of them such as Livejournal and Blogger are centered around blogs, but offer social networking options for users. You can use the blogs to talk about your service to those who visit it. You can also use your other social networking accounts to market your blog by providing a link to it somewhere on the page. Even talking about your business in your MySpace blog is not a bad thing. That is one way you can get away with marketing on the large social networking sites.

•    Market to other businesses
You would be surprised how many businesses have created social networking sites. Market yourself to those businesses, especially if you have services they can use. Then again, they are increasing your exposure by adding you to their friends list. If you can, reach an agreement with that business for the week to list you as a top friend and you will do the same for them. That way, you can help each other out.

•    Utilize all of the site’s functions
Social networking sites provide a number of different functions to their users. As stated before, blogging is one of those functions. Other functions include networking, groups, classifieds and forums.

You can use the networking function to connect with individuals who have an interest in your services. Be sure to hook up to these available networks. You can also join groups of people with the same interests and create groups of your own. When you create a group, you can invite individuals to join. They then have the option to accept or decline your invitation. They also have the option to search for a group such as yours. This is a great way to market to individuals who have a genuine interest in what you do. You can also use the classified ads to post ads about your business. The only tricky one is the forums. You don’t want to SPAM people’s posts with information regarding your business. You want to look for posts that are relevant to your business or business in general. There may be even more features for you to use to your advantage, so be sure to explore every aspect of the site so that you can form a plan.

Despite the amount of marketing that occurs on social networking sites, these online meeting places are still largely untapped. You can develop your own strategy based on what portals the site gives you to market your business. You can also create one profile page or you can create multiple profile pages to highlight each and every one of your services. If that sounds good to you, simple Google a list of the networking sites on the web and get started utilizing social networking sites to build your business.