As small business owners and independent professionals, sometimes we get so focused on meeting the needs of our clients that our business marketing and networking needs fall to the back burner.  It is very difficult to figure out the right formula of time between the needs of clients and business development.  With an online business, it is important to stay consistent with blog entries and networking with others online.  I am learning just how easier said than done that is! 

I continue to build my online networking avenues.  It can be overwhelming to learn them all and stay active in them all.  It is taking some time to figure out which ones are the most effective and worth my time.  You can explore them with me and see which ones may help your business the best. 

The first few are very similiar in their setup and what they have to offer.  They offer free classifieds along with a networking community.  You can set up a profile and chat in online forums.  You may get bombarded with emails to connect with others in the community.  You also have to be careful as some may want to sell you their product or service, but that is why is it called networking.

• AdlandPro
• DirectMATCHES - the Business Space version of My Space.
• BizPreneur

Other networking sites:

• LinkedIn - free site to set up a profile and search for contacts.
• Elance - create a courtesy service provider profile or upgrade your membership to bid on services and other benefits for varying fees.
• HotGigs - create a profile and post your resume or upgrade your membership for greater visibility.
• WhyDoWork - a work at home forum site.
• Virtual Assistant Networking Association (VANA) - this is a wonderful place to dialogue in forums with other VAs and find a VA in their directory.

Online classifieds:

• USFreeads
• Classified Ads
• AdPost
• Craigslist - one of the most popular.

This is by no means a comprehensive list of sites.  You can also search and apply for jobs through the common job search sites like Monster Jobs.  You can do a search for more through the various search engines like Google.  You may also learn more in your networking with others.