Among many of today’s great and timely creations and phenomenon’s is the ability to communicate without hesitation or reservation by way of the internet and the World Wide Web. The never ending supply of internet vehicles that one can use to communicate has grown beyond comprehension and will probably continue to do so in the future.

There are internet environments for people to communicate with one another on any and every subject matter, idea, creation and just plain nonsense too. It would take forever to list the millions of internet vehicles that provide alternative sources of communication to the public and the reasons for their creation, but I will list the most widely known and used, which are,  MySpace, Face book and the newest arrival, Twitter, which is all the rage right now.

The beauty of these sites is that they are open to everyone and have no ethnic, religious, political or sexual affiliation or agenda and they have the ability to bridge time and space allowing people to connect with one another all over the planet. Now of course, all of the aforementioned are there, but that is a result of the public’s varying beliefs, backgrounds, professions and organizational affiliations, which has spawned all kinds of groups and networks on the net.

I could go on talking about the internet sites that are so popular and  are being used twenty four hours a day, seven days a week and three hundred and sixty five days a year throughout the world, bringing people and groups together, but that’s not where this is going. Instead, we are going to take a look at this phenomenon and how it is changing the way businesses conduct business.

That’s right, there are an incredible amount of sites that businesses and business people can join, log into and establish business relationships with other businesses and business people, as well as creating networks that share ideas and more importantly, the exchange of business referrals which translates into earnings.

When businesses think marketing and networking, it has always been in the realm of advertising in phone books, magazines, newspapers, on television and radio. While networking was done by going to business group gatherings, hitting the links, lunches, business card exchanges and so on. Now, let it be clearly understood, that all of the means and methods previously mentioned are both acceptable and useful, so I don’t want anyone to assume that I am casting them in a bad light.

What I am saying is that there are new and innovative ways to network and market your business, right on the internet. Online networks are the new power lunch tables and the new golf courses for business life in the U.S. Just as, online dating has become mainstream in the past ten years, attracting 40 million Americans who use online dating sites, business people are starting to use the same types of technology to find business clients, new partners, and jobs, through virtual contacts that can be made online.

Without a doubt, business networking serves many purposes: sales, general marketing, recruiting, job-hunting, knowledge exchange, and business development as it can aid in strategic alliances, joint ventures and a tremendous amount of referrals that translate into new business and sales. Of all the aforementioned, online business networks support business development the best. The fact is that business development and business networking are very closely related and online business networking sites are offering an unprecedented vehicle for entrepreneurs and business people to identify and connect with potential partners and get referrals for new and perspective clients, which we all know leads to increased revenue and growth.

There is an overwhelming amount of online business networking sites as well as networking sites in general. MySpace, Face book, LinkedIn, Plaxo and Connexion have shown great success in bringing social groups together based on affinity and mutual interests and now the business-networking community can find the same networking capabilities and services for the professional world in which they exist.

Now, don’t forget that I did make reference to the fact that there are an unimaginable number of sites and to discuss all of them would mean that I would be writing this series well into my arrival into an assisted living facility, while eating my prune danish and playing Bingo. After all, I did just turn 55.

So, If I neglect to mention a site that you are fond of and feel I should have mentioned, please don’t take it personally, but I would ask you to understand that  time and space dictate just how many sites I can reference.  The list that I am about to give you will start with those sites that are specifically geared to businesses and professional people connecting with one another through the internet and actual network group meetings. It will end with those sites that are for social networking, but have also become networking hubs for businesses and professionals as well. Having said all that, without further ado here are the sites for you:

 LinkedIn.com: This sites main purpose is to allow users, who must first register with the site, to acquirer and maintain a resource of contact details relative to people they know and trust in business. The people in the list are called Connections and users can invite anyone, even if they are not a site user, to become a connection.

Plaxo.com: Plaxo is an online address book that gives you automatic updating of your contact information and then shares it with other users and contacts that are part of your address book on Plaxo’s servers. Plaxo’s unique function combines your address book and your friends list into one neat and easily accessible environment that you can take with you wherever you go and know that you will be able to access it through an array of sites, applications, and devices. 

Meetup.com: Considers itself the largest network of local groups in the world. I can’t, in anyway, say for sure that they are, but they do offer a very nice and easy to use local group locator. Their business network is excellent and you can find a local group to fit any business or professional in your area or anywhere that you so desire. This also includes their social network as well and if you can’t find a business or social network that fits your needs, then start your own. That’s right, you can start your networking group and meetup will assist you in the process and market it for too.

WeCanDo.BIZ: This is a site where individuals can find businesses that are considered to be well qualified and professional in the delivery of their particular business specialty and are being recommended by their own network of contacts. Businesses can promote their organization on WeCanDo.BIZ for free and invite their customers and yours to come and endorse the business. With every customer endorsement, you get the assurance of your business getting greater promotion on the site, which will create more business opportunities. 

The aforementioned are just some of the sites that are devoted specifically to business networking on the internet and are most readily used. There are sites that have actual groups that are formed and have set meeting times that are held at predetermined locations on a weekly basis. The one distinction that separates these sites from the ones outlined above is that there is fee to become part of a network. BNI.com and LeTip.com are the two most commonly used in this area and throughout the tri-state. You can get more information, on them, by visiting their sites and you will be able to see local businesses and professionals, who are members that you know or already do business with in your community. 

Of course, there are the social sites that we are all familiar with, MySpace, Face book and Twitter, which have all made the leap to including businesses and professionals as well. I don’t think there is any need to get into details on these sites as I am sure you are very familiar with them, since they receive constant notoriety. The world of internet business networking is real and constantly expanding as new sites are listing every day.

I personally give these sites my stamp of approval, as I have used or been a part of them and reaped the benefits of the many referrals which have lead to and continue to produce new business connections and increased revenue.  If you want to learn or see more about these sites and many others, just Google “business networking sites” and watch what happens. 

 Andino R. Ward is the VP of Marketing and Operations for Bardissi Enterprises in Hatfield, PA. Bardissi Enterprises welcomes your questions or comments. Questions you would like answered or topics you would like discussed should be sent to Andino R. Ward at award@bardissi.net. You can also visit www.bardissi.net, or call 215 853-2266 ext. 151.

The time is now and the savings are WOW!! One of our newly acquired clients wanted to get rid of all there old computers and monitors, since they were going to be upgrading their software to Vista.

Now prior to contracting with us, for service and support, they had already priced out and received a quote for 88 computers and monitors which totaled $58,000.00.

We took a look at the quote, called our Dell representatives and were able to reduce the cost of their new computers by $16,000.00 dollars. You see, that's what Managed Information Technology Solutions is all about. We have the ability to negotiate IT costs, for our clients, getting them the best deal possible, without sacrificing on the quality.

Saving our clients money and keeping their technology up to date means everything to us, stated George Bardissi, president of Bardissi Enterprises and to that end we are always working.

So if your in the market for new computers, laptops and monitors, don't wait or hesitate. Give us a call and let us go to work for and get you the best deal on your IT hardware needs.

BARDISSI BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

This month the spotlight is on The LightStream Group located in Lansdale, PA. The LightStream Group is a company that specializes in communications, marketing, graphic design and systems development for mid to large size companies.

LightStream Group delivers the aforementioned services, to their clients, by using a combination of personal service and advanced, web-based management tools. Their staff of experienced professionals are at the forefront of new and innovative marketing, graphic design and media systems that help their clients move more effectively in the market place and have a greater and more noticeable presence.

LightStream Group personnel really listen to what the client has to say as well as being able to see exactly what the clients business and service is specifically about. This allows them to develop the precise, on target, marketing campaign that will fit the clients needs and produce the desired effect in securing new clients and increasing revenue.

So, if you want to spruce up your company's marketing plan and add some excitement into the way your being seen in the market place, you need to give The LightStream Group a call at 215 368-8650 or visit their website at www.thelightstreamgroup.com. They'll make your company look like the greatest thing since sliced bread and your increased revenue will look incredible.