Getting advice from professionals for your business can sometimes be scary and overwhelming. Where do I find someone to help me with my marketing? Where can I get a good accountant? These are very common questions for many business owners.
Many people look to their friends, family, and colleagues for referrals and names of professionals that can help you with your business, and personal life alike. How do you know that these recommendations are worth looking into?
Well, the fact is that you don’t. You sometimes spend the money and time giving someone a try. That can be both disheartening and positive. The more bad advice you disqualify, the more time you have to open the door to some good advice. Hopefully…it does not cost you a lot of money along the way.
Some online resources that I have found particularly helpful have been:
LinkedIn: I actually found my financial planner through recommendations from people within my network
Yahoo! Answers: This has been phenomenal on both a personal and professional basis. www.answers.yahoo.com
Facebook: Some people are anti-Facebook but not me. I love Facebook and it is definitely a place where I go to get good information. There are a number of groups and pages with information and advice from others who have experienced a variety of services.
Another great resource online are blogs and forums. You can search just about anything and find a blog or a user forum about it. Before I make large purchasing or contract choices…I take a peak online. Do your due diligence. Decide if the fit is for you.
Also, be weary of all reviews. Don’t just look at one. Look at at least 5! This will give you a good overall picture of the company or product you are looking for.
So, considering all of the information above…every single business should be getting their name out into those spaces also. Get a blog if you don’t have one, participate on other blogs and forums, and get a business profile on Yahoo!, Facebook and Linkedin.
If I am looking for products and services both personally and professionally online…imagine how many others are??
~Steph
