But where are social platforms going? There is only so much that can be done, surely? I think the future holds some very interesting developments for social tools.

We’ve already seen the publics’ obsession with Twitter – a tool that requires minimal effort, can be used for both good and evil and also goes a long way to polish the ego of whoever uses it. With developing technologies such as jQuery and to a lesser extent, AJAX, web applications are becoming super fluid and easy to use. After taking a look at the demo of Google Wave I think the browser will become the new desktop.

We will interact with everything from fewer places in the future. For example, taking a look at Google Wave reveals a shocking number of collaborative tools including a revolution in email and some insanely good blogging features. You can physically edit your Blogspot blog from Wave, which may make redundant the admin panel within Blogspot. As Wave is open source, similar tools may be developed for WordPress also.

This is the tip of the iceberg. Looking into this decade and mobile phones are going to become central to everything we do – that is if they aren’t already. The main stopping point at the moment is the lack of support for web technologies that most phones have, but the next generation of phones will support all the bells and whistles of the modern web application.

This is an exciting time for the development of the social web; a pioneering time. Things are becoming unified which is late coming but ultimately beneficial to all web users from businesses to teenagers on their social networking sites. Content will be shared, served and generated in a fast and intelligent way, which is a far cry from the bulletin boards of the late 90’s.

Business is formed on good relationships, therefore it is very important that as a provider or a buyer, that you make and sustain a good impression. Always write emails as you would a letter – correctly, checked for punctuation and spelling and an appropriate closing statement.

Business etiquette for web developers like me is always a tough one – I am always the provider and I sometimes feel that I am being talked down to by others who have been in business as many years as I have been alive. Dinosaurs, I mean. What I have come to find is that a firm but fair attitude backed up with real organisation and planning can earn you a lot of respect.

Put it this way – if you were being sold something and the seller was a disorganised fool who can barely string a sentence together, would you be convinced? This runs even deeper if a relationship is being formed rather than a 2 minute transaction. I think the ethics of good business relationships are just like the elements that bind other relationships together; treat others how you wish to be treated.

I once heard the story of a web developer receiving an enquiry for a new website. This lead to approximately 30 emails and various phone calls being exchanged between provider and buyer, only for the prospective client to just halt contact. No reason was given and no purchase was made. As far as I am concerned this is terrible business practice – even if the buyer had decided to pull out of the project surely it wouldn’t be so hard to mention this in an email.

So from what I have learnt over the past year I can quite comfortably say that good spelling and grammar, addressing your recipient politely and displaying some form of pro-active organisation can go a heck of a long way in business, and this way everybody is happy.

Currently my chosen location is my home. I don’t intend it to be this way forever, however, as my plans to grow will involve the inclusion of a partner and possibly an employee or two. This will mean that I’ll be leaving the comfort of my home as we’ll need more space; namely an office.

There are multiple benefits of working from an office rather than from home. Here are a few good reasons why self-employed people may consider renting an office:

• Rental office space often comprises of serviced offices, which means you will have an on-site diner, a secretary to take your calls, an Internet connection and a cleaner, amongst other benefits.
• Working from an office maintains discipline. If you replicate a normal 9-5 job, it will be easier to maintain a routine. You will have more of a reason to get up early, get showered and get into the office.
• Renting a serviced office will truly separate your work life from your home life. You certainly won’t find kids toys and unwelcome distractions in your office!
• You have a professional base; a receptionist to take your calls, a business address and a meeting place for potential clients. This creates a much more professional image for your clients than meeting them in your front room!
• An office vibe is good! You will be surrounded by other small businesses and sole-traders which is good for overall morale. Just saying hello to passing people in the corridors can have a real positive effect on your day.
• Because of the other businesses on the premises, it’s quite possible you will be able to do some mutual business and networking. Another added bonus to working from an office!
• Office rental is relatively cheap. If you only need a small space for 2 or 3 people, office space is relatively cheap even in the large cities.

With the situation that I am in right now, I cannot afford to rent a serviced office and don’t have a strong enough need to – my workload is manageable and I rarely work with other people. However, when this changes in the future, and my client base expands, I will be looking to hire part-time people and for this, rented office space will be a necessity.

One can relate their relevance and uniqueness with Business cards as well. These are tools to describe appropriately as to what one is into and who one is? A Business card design assumes significance in this matter that it shows of the identity of someone and the product or service that he/she is into.

Design of business card is essential for fulfilling the objectives of business to certain extent. It is a card that is given to a customer by the marketer to identify himself to the marketer and at the same time educate the customer as to who he is and what is he up to? As such a business card design is important and needs to contain some very significant content needed to drive the business effectively.

Most importantly, a business card needs to have a name embossed on it. It’s not always necessary, but it is a good idea to have it to a nice personalized touch. It also serves as the contact necessary for a customer to whom it is given. As such this portion needs to be the most prominent part and the text should be the first part that’s caught attention on viewing the card.

The second most important portion is to have the Name of the business organization on the card. This gives an idea to the recipient of the card as to what the name of the organization is and what it is into? The logo of the business organization should also be printed in highly recognizable text.

The third most important aspect is the address of the business organization printed on the card. It’s good to have both the physical address as well as the virtual address imprinted on the card.

Apart from the physical address and the website address, it is important that the phone numbers of the contact are also imprinted on the card. A professional business card would include the phone numbers in the international dialing format. The phone numbers should be mentioned along with the country and the area codes on the card. Special characters are recommended in places where needed. It’s good to have an email address of the contact imprinted on the card as well. By doing so, one empowers the recipient or the customer to contact the respective person in a business organization in various ways viz., phone, physical address as well as the email.

It’s highly recommended to have the web address of the business organization imprinted on the card.

Logo needs to be dominantly visible on the card and should be followed by taglines related to the company which gives a general idea or description of the business. Graphic images can be used wherever necessary but the extent to which the usage is done needs to be controlled.

List of services and products can be mentioned usually on the back of the card in a short and simple format.

Nevertheless, it is essential for success, and as a successful freelancer I have learnt a few tips along the way that I’d like to share with you.

Dress accordingly. They say designers can get away with wearing t-shirts and jeans, but this is just not appropriate to all situations. Be sure to look the part when you attend networking events – shirt, trousers, and shoes and maybe even a suit jacket. That’s to say -if you are a man.

As a woman, I refuse to wear a tailleur just because if I didn’t I would not be considered capable enough. I got some of my best jobs wearing a Desigual jeans waistcoat pretty similar to the one in the picture (taken straight from Desigual’s site). And I’m no head turning beauty like that model!

Take plenty of business cards. Better yet design your own business card in Photoshop and make it a personal, creative piece of art. You will need to pass your business card onto each person you meet so carry lots of them with you. It’s better to take too many than not enough.

Talk to as many people as possible. There are endless reasons for this – talking to lots of people spreads your business further but it also aids in meeting new faces for the next event. There is nothing better than turning up to an event and seeing familiar, friendly faces.

Don’t do the hard-sell. Remember these functions are to meet people, not sell to them. The moment you start banging on about your product or service, people will switch off. Talk about them and their business, not you and your business.

The opportunities are endless. Even if you have no direct success from a networking event, there’s a good chance your card or contact details will be passed onto a friend of somebody you meet. This is referral networking, and it’s arguably the best form of marketing.

Follow up your meetings by email (or even a friendly telephone call if suitable) after the event. You’ve met them so don’t fall off their radar. Nowadays I find tweeting is gaining popularity for lo-fi business relationship, and a job or two can land from a well placed tweet.

Remember the most important thing about business networking is to actually network. And do it with NEW people. If you know people from previous events, say hello but don’t hang around because ultimately, you’re there to make new contacts -just like them. Exchange pleasantries and business cards and with any luck you’ll leave a lasting impression.

The path to success will always see obstructions and for me personally, business networking was one of them. It took me some time to attend my first event but I don’t regret it for a second – I met some good people, got some work out of it and overcame that shy side of myself that makes me feel good at home, working on a wordpress theme.