One way that small business owners can increase their visibility online is by taking advantage of social networking. Thanks to one Canadian website, entrepreneurs have an easier way of connecting than ever before.
Sprouter.com is a free social networking site for entrepreneurs that allows them to bounce ideas off of one another, while at the same time allowing them to give advice to those just starting out. In a recent interview with the Globe and Mail, the site's founder and CEO, Sarah Prevette said that her own failure to launch a successful small business was the inspiration for the website.
"When I started my first company, upinion.com [a pop culture site for teens], I thought I’d be on the cover of Wired, but I struggled to find information and overcome isolation and frustration," said Prevette in an interview with the news source. Based on her own difficulty[,] Prevette felt that others must feel the same way. "I had this idea that there were other people like me, so I found some private Canadian angel investment and built a platform to plug in with people who were supportive. Sprouter evolved from there."
Prevette made small business news recently when she was the only Canadian named to Inc. magazine's Top 30 Under 30 entrepreneur list. The Prevette's website claims to have entrepreneurs from 170 countries using the site.
