We’ve talked before about social networking, and how home based business owners can utilize such resources to work for them. So I’m always on the lookout for new sites that allow smaller companies to market their products and services. With this in mind, I heard about a new local business review site, "Yelp for Business Owners,” that has been launched. It’s a suite of free features that allows business owners to be a part of Yelp's online community. "Every day thousands of consumers discuss local businesses on Yelp.com, and until now it has been difficult for business owners to constructively participate in the conversation," said Jeremy Stoppelman, Yelp's co-founder and CEO. "With the launch of Yelp for Business Owners we've completed the positive feedback loop, so local businesses can connect with their most vocal customers in a positive and productive way." If you want to check it out, here's the scoop. By logging on to http://biz.yelp.com business owners can: - Message customers who have reviewed their business.
- See how many prospective customers viewed their business page.
- Update business information instantly (i.e. hours of operation, categories).
- Receive new review email alerts.
Prior to this launch, Yelp's community of reviewers served as a basic resource for local businesses in cities around the U.S., in some cases enabling small mom-and-pop operations to become, as company representatives say, “overnight successes.” It might be a good resource for your business. Social networks can be a valuable tool for home businesses, because they can allow business owners to get connected. This is sometimes a difficult task when you’re not going to an established large company with networking opportunities already in place. Home business owners have to take the extra step to make those connections and build a rapport with community leaders, buyers and customers. There are a variety of networking sites available that can help with marketing and promoting your business. Ask your colleagues and business community members what sites they have found work best for them. Look for a site that connects with your target audience, and utilize it in order to raise your visibility and company brand. | 
