WHAT--You haven't heard of biznik? It was started by a Dan McComb and his team of technogeeks in Seattle, WA and it's really taken off. It's all about meeting up in real life by using online network tools. This social networking site is really ripe for creative community builders like Active Rain movers and shakers to start their own communities, as many have.

First: JOIN www.biznik.com and create your profile like so: http://biznik.com/members/susan-templeton

You can opt to be a freebie for a while or select a higher level of access/tools. Like adding links to your networks and associations and more of your details like logos. Biznik also features an online message center so you can send and receive messages to others in confidence...neat trick!  Like exchanging ideas on where to stay when a mad mob of us take Amtrak from Bellingham to Portland for a business hootenanny on wheels...woo-woo!

Next, Share Your Expertise: Write an article on a topic of interest to others (not selling yourself) http://biznik.com/members/susan-templeton/articles/hope-for-entrepreneurs-obama-rescue-plan Dan's team actually moderates, rates and publishes with care.

Kick the Tires:Peruse subjects dear to your heart and pick up a wealth of information: Here's a jampacked article on Web Tools: http://biznik.com/articles/the-best-web-design-tools

Start a Group: (I just did) http://biznik.com/groups/focus-northwestand you can join any number of interesting groups. Within which your events and comments get posted. Hey I even got all the members of my real life network to sponsor a breakfast event which spurred this online group as a way to encourage interest and enliven our meetings.

Sponsor an Event in Real Time: Here's my next planned event: http://biznik.com/groups/focus-northwest/events/growing-your-business-using-opm-2-to-sba-or-not-to-sba

Post a Promotion: Offer something of value like a great juicy carrot to assist interest in your event or idea...again testing the water to see what gets a bite! http://biznik.com/members/susan-templeton/promotions/get-your-free-pro-finance-outline

DEEP BREATH: rsvp and actually attend an event!The vision is to bring people together who wouldnot normally get to meet. You cans search the site for relevant events in your locale and rsvp. before you go you can see who else is going and comment, ask questions, be prepared. VERY cool way to get us out of our little cocoons. The administrators are organized: they even provide name tag templates for your meeting and an online attendance sheet with feedback options to gauge the effectiveness of your meetings.

You can certainly copycat some of the amazing business tips on this site. Biznik is going national so join or start your own local community...and like Active Rain the basic level is free. Now I'm not trying to steal Active Rainers...by all means LINK YOUR BLOGS here to Biznik and create more traffic your way. You can put a bug on your website to take you to your biznik profile and as we all know in internet land, the more back links the better!

Test Market New Ideas:I sponsored a test event on Growing Your Business Using OPM 1: and it was great to see what questions came up and how folks related on the topic. I held a casual after work setting in my office. I was struck with how people come with open minds and shared ideas.

Widen Your Net: I meet folks I would never have met through normal channels and for my event, they came to my office so they now know where to find me. The great thing about the meeting structure is the goal that the subject be 95% helpful and 5% or less 'about you'. What a relief that anyone who shows up for a biznik social knows they won't be hit with "buy me buy me"! Many events are just social wine tastings or opportunities to mingle while others have drawn hundreds on a very hot topic. Take your pick!

GO FOR THE BUZZ! It pays to get up to speed and DRIVE business to your door. Using all the social media and personal skills in your toolkit. Enjoy!

Happy Spring !  Loannetter  

susan templeton mortgage planner www.loannetter.com