VISA Enhances its Business Network for Small Businesses
Visa Inc. announced significant enhancements to the Visa Business Network, the online community that helps small business owners manage their businesses more efficiently, connect with and gain insight from peers, and ultimately grow their business. Now, small business owners can easily interact with peers in a collaborative way allowing them to get personalized help on goals ranging from growing their customer base to managing their business.
Research shows that social media is an increasingly important tool for small business owners. In a recent study, the Center for Excellence in Service at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business determined that social media adoption by small businesses has doubled from 12 percent to 24 percent1 over the last year; 57 percent have built a network through an online networking site2.
Recognizing the important role that social media plays in small business today, Visa has upgraded the Visa Business Network, which currently has more than 100,000 active members, to include new features that help them connect, learn and grow, including:
- Business Goal Toolkits – unique step-by-step “how to” guides that lead small business owners through the process of setting and achieving business goals. The interactive toolkits correlate with goals which small business owners have identified as being the most relevant to the challenges they face in growing their business – from best practices for promoting their business on Facebook and other social networks, to developing and delivering email newsletters to reach new and existing customers.
- Small Business Mentor Program – small businesses get personalized help and guidance from other successful small business owners. Having faced similar business challenges, these seasoned mentors offer advice and perspective to help Visa Business Network participants achieve their goals.
- Question & Answer Forum – members are able to collaborate by asking questions related to their goals and receive personalized advice and responses from small business peers and mentors with experience across a wide range of industries.
- Content Ranking – this feature provides small businesses with quick access to the resources and articles fellow small business owners have declared most useful.
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