These days, it’s not hard for people to remain in contact with each other. Reaching a business colleague, friend or relative is usually a simple click away. Cell phones, e-mail and instant messaging allow for quick and easy communication, and each has found their way into the business world. But what about reaching a mass audience of people you may have never even met?

Listservs and weblogs (or “blogs”) are ways for people to communicate their questions or thoughts to anyone and everyone. In the workplace, these tools are becoming popular ways of sharing information. Building service contractors can post their questions to colleagues they may not even know and get the answers they’re looking for.

Reaching out
Cleaning industry listservs (e-mail discussion forums) are effective ways to share problem-solving tips. For example, if a BSC has a question about the quality of a product, he can get feedback from colleagues who may have had prior experience with it. Listservs are also helpful in keeping contractors up to date with new regulations and standards.

“It’s a higher level of sharing innovative ideas and exchanging industry practices,” says Dave Jackson, assistant to the associate vice president, facilities service group at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. “You can get [the information] out faster and build on ideas.”

Jackson is the primary list owner for the listserv at the University of Kansas. He took over the list in 1994 when the list founder, Phil Endacott, retired.

To start a listserv, install the needed software (Listprocessor, Listserver or Major Download are some of the more popular examples) and set up the commands for running the listserv. To join an existing listserv, just e-mail the “join” command to the list owner. To post a message, simply e-mail it to the list and recipients will receive it in their mailbox, and be able to reply.

Probably the biggest benefit of listservs is the networking opportunities. Jackson’s list has more than 300 users from all over the world.

“You make a lot of friends. You meet many people from the list at various conferences,” says Jackson. “[Listservs] bring people together across the industry.”

Many manufacturers also are on the list to see the conversation topics, he adds.

Blogging
Listservs only can reach people who subscribe to that particular list. If someone wants to get their information out without boundaries, they should try a blog.

“[Blogs] are used as a clipping file or collection bucket of random items,” says John Lawlor, “business blog evangelist” of Blogs for Business in Boca Raton, Fla.

Blogs function as an online diary. The registered author would be able to post information they felt was important for others to read. Online users would be able to access the blog and read the information, but not be allowed to post on the blog itself. Most blogs have a comments option for anyone who would like to post feedback. In a business, the author would most likely be a manager or owner and the employees would be able to read the blog and leave feedback.

Most blogs are done on Web-based software such as Blogger, Blosxom or Moveable Type. A lot of consumer blogging software is free, but business-blog software usually is fee-based.

After the initial setup, users simply start jotting down thoughts and information.

“You can spend as much or as little time perfecting your blog to get it to the level you think it should be at,” says Scott Johnson, founder and president of the Fuzzy Group, a Web-services consulting firm, in Newton, Mass.

In the workplace, blogs can be used to reach a targeted audience. For example, contractors can use it to inform clients on the progress of their account. If a company has multiple clients, they can set up a sub-blog specific to each client.

A popular use of blogs in the workplace is to replace non-urgent notifications usually sent by e-mail such as employee newsletters. Because of the quantity of spam clogging up e-mail inboxes, it is becoming harder for companies to send notices electronically, says Johnson. With a blog, a company only has to post it once and all employees can view it.

Another good use for business blogs aimed at a limited audience is to set up one blog with multiple authors for a staff assigned to the same project. For instance, BSCs could set up a blog for a cleaning crew working on the same account. If there are special instructions or general comments to communicate to the staff, workers can record it on the blog instead of sending each other e-mail. The blog comments can build off of each other and still can be accessed at a later date, whereas viewing e-mail transcripts can be problematic when sifting through a large archive.

“E-mails are messy. They have a tendency to get dropped, lost or the recipients get bored reading them,” says Lawlor. “With a blog, you are building a permanent record.”

Not everyone is made out to be a blogger, says Lawlor. If someone doesn’t have a lot to say to others on a regular basis, blogging is probably not for them. Before starting a blog, determine what its purpose is going to be. Blogs can take a lot of work. The most effective blogs are ones that are updated frequently.

“You have to know what you want to get out of [your blog],” says Lawlor. “Be realistic to what it will take to achieve your goals. If you can’t meet your expectations, it better not to start it.”

Going Once, Going Twice … Sold!
Online auctioneer ebay’s business marketplace, eBay Business, recently expanded its industrial supply category to include 110 new sub-categories; one is cleaning supplies. The new category sells a variety of tools, including buffers, burnishers, vacuums, carpet cleaners, pressure washers and other miscellaneous supplies.

The Web business provides an outlet for small businesses to buy and sell their supplies. The Web business sells products in the same method as the traditional eBay marketplace — online bidding.

Design Your Own Web Site
Yahoo! SiteBuilder allows Yahoo! Web Hosting account members to create their own professional Web site. Useful for small business, the free software features more than 200 customizable business templates and the ability to control text and image positioning.

The software can be downloaded to the desktop to allow for users to design their site offline.




POSTED ON: 8/1/2003