7 ways to use crowdsourcing for your small business

Tapping into others’ talent and expertise can save you time and foster a sense of community for your brand.

One thing I’ve learned while running a small business is that it’s hard. Another thing I learned is that it doesn’t always pay to do everything yourself. By crowdsourcing parts of the process you free yourself up to focus on the core of what you’re building instead of getting lost in the details. Sometimes you can even help build your community by turning over certain parts to them. Crazy, right?

Here are a few ways small-business owners can grow their businesses with the help of smart crowdsourcing.

1. Feedback collection

What does your plate look like right now? It’s looking a little crowded, isn’t it? I feel your pain, so is mine. You want to redesign; you want to add threaded comments to your blog; you want to revamp your site content; you want to implement new features; and, God, you were really hoping to put out a training course in 2011. Where do you start? If you need help prioritizing, ask your customers for help. After all, they’re the people who will be responsible for buying what you’re selling, right?

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