Small businesses step into social networks

Before the social Web, small business owners attended networking events, joined civic organizations, kissed babies—OK, maybe not that last one—but the emergence of social networks—like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn—has altered this networking landscape. “According to the April index of Discover Small Business Watch, compiled by Discover Financial Services, 38 percent of owners were a member of an online social networking community, up from 22 percent in October 2007,”…