SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwire - September 24, 2009) - Bizmore today formally launched as a new
online community for business leaders and managers to share advice with
peers, get answers from experts and gain insights from exclusive articles
and other content. Bizmore is the first Web site to bring all of these
components together into a single community built exclusively to help SMBs
- the engines of our economy - succeed and grow.
Small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) account for 70 percent of all U.S.
jobs, more than 50 percent of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and
most of the innovation and entrepreneurship that drives our economy. The
SMB market is the fastest growing segment in business. Now more than ever,
SMB business leaders and managers are faced with tough questions, difficult
decisions and new opportunities, and they have few places to get insights
and answers. Bizmore is launching as a new go-to source for business advice
to provide SMBs the experience, expertise and explanations they need to
succeed in the new economy.
Bizmore provides SMBs with content and insights from top business and
management experts, an integrated question and answer platform, and a set
of community features that allow peers to share knowledge, answer questions
and discuss important business issues.
Bizmore is a subsidiary of Vistage International, the multinational CEO
membership organization that has been serving business executives for more
than 50 years by providing a trusted community of peer groups, mentors and
experts for exchanging ideas and solving important business challenges.
With more than 14,000 members in 16 countries, Vistage is intimately and
distinctively familiar with the issues, opportunities and needs of SMBs.
Bizmore is led by a team of media executives and editors with decades of
experience. The combination of Vistage's proven track record in offline
business advice and Bizmore's experience in building online media companies
and communities for business leaders creates a powerful foundation for
delivering a new online business utility for every generation of business
leaders.
"The people who run the smaller, nimbler businesses that drive our economy
are creative and ambitious and they have questions and opportunities that
they need help to figure out," says Rafael Pastor, Vistage's Chairman of
the Board and CEO. "We started Bizmore to meet their needs for quick and
reliable advice and to help fulfill their aspirations for continued success
and growth."
"Bizmore is built to give managers solutions to tough business challenges,"
says Alice Hill, Bizmore founder. "Bizmore is not only a living archive of
useful advice; it's also a conversation where real business managers give
real-world insights into problems they are solving every day. We want
Bizmore to be an easy-to-use, must-have resource for managers of small and
mid-sized companies that need practical advice and a single trusted source
to find it."
Bizmore's key features include:
Experience: Insights from people who've done it.
Bizmore gives everyone the opportunity to ask questions, engage with peers
and get answers from people who have real-world experience solving
real-world business challenges. Bizmore private networks further allow
users to connect, collaborate and discuss sensitive information while
simultaneously streaming Bizmore content. Users are able to share
documents, blog
in-network, create professional profiles, message one another and create
private question and answer forums that address the unique needs of their
businesses and clients in a secure, private virtual space.
Experts: Real answers to real questions from industry leaders.
Bizmore also features a full slate of industry experts who actively engage
with the community, answer real questions and provide their deep knowledge
in a broad range of industries and subjects. Top Bizmore experts include
(but are not limited to):
-- Jason Jennings, bestselling author, "Less is More," "Think Big, Act
Small" and "Hit the Ground Running"
-- Libby Sartain, advisory board, Peet's Coffee and Tea; human resources
expert and author
-- Jeffrey Pfeffer, professor, Stanford University Graduate School of
Business
-- Al Lee, director of quantitative analysis, Payscale
-- Reuben Advani, founder and president, Telestrate Education
Explanation: Juicy slivers of practical content delivered in bite-sized
portions.
Bizmore's exclusive original content series gives context and actionable
insights that help managers make smarter, faster decisions. Bizmore content
is short, to the point and entirely practical, so that it can be read
quickly and implemented the same day. Bizmore content focuses on all core
business topics relevant to businesses today, including business
structures, compensation, recruiting, IT security, finance and marketing.
Bizmore's "Best Practice" article series shows how the most successful SMBs
get things done - and how other businesses can apply those lessons
themselves; interactive "Roundtable" discussions bring experts and
community members together to provide clear, sound and accessible answers
on major topics; and Bizmore special reports focus on one hot topic
in-depth for SMBs, and offers effective tactics and strategies for the
issue at hand.
Bizmore has been in public beta for several months and has already
attracted over 50,000 unique visitors, more than doubling initial
projections.
About Bizmore
Bizmore (
www.bizmore.com) is a new business advice community for managers
and leaders at small and mid-sized businesses. Bizmore offers trusted,
practical insights from a community of business experts and peers who help
people in business solve problems, seize opportunities and grow their
companies and capabilities. Users of the site will find an easy-to-use
question and answer platform; a set of community features that allow them
to share best practices and discuss important business issues; and
exclusive articles and features that address key issues, opportunities and
trends facing business leaders today.
A wholly owned subsidiary of Vistage International, San Francisco-based
Bizmore offers decision makers of all small and mid-sized companies
powerful new online tools to help them succeed and grow.
About Vistage International
Vistage International (
www.vistage.com) is the world's leading chief
executive organization operating in 16 countries with more than 14,000
members. The Vistage experience brings groups of CEOs from non-competing
industries together monthly to hear expert resource speakers and to process
key business and personal issues through peer-to-peer discussions. Vistage
CEO members also receive monthly one-to-one coaching from a mentor called a
Vistage Chair. The sharing of information in a Vistage group is completely
confidential, allowing for the open exchange of ideas and solutions.
Vistage's owners include Larry Ellison, Michael Milken and Thomson Reuters.
Contact Information: Media Contact:
Jesse Odell or Lisa Picasso
(415) 625-8555
bizmore@launchsquad.com