Local businesses have been suffering during this recession, but consumers still want to support their neighborhood shops.

Here are three ways for small retailers to showcase their local roots and boost local economies at the same time.

Read more here…

I may have gone a little overboard automating my status updates.

I recently set up a twitter account and rather than worrying about updating my status on multiple networking sites, I decided to automate things.

Today, my twitter account can be updated a few different ways.

1. Manually;
2. Via a post on my blog;
3. Adding a website favorite to my stumbleupon.com account;
4. Submitting a new article at eHow.com.

Any of the four types of twitter updates mentioned above will trigger automatic updates for the following sites.

1. Jasonlcolon.com – displayed as a new post on my blog;
2. Windows Live.com – status updates are displayed on my profile page;
3. Plaxo.com – my Plaxo “Pulse Stream” is updated with my latest status;
4. LinkedIn.com – my LinkedIn status is updated;
5. Facebook.com – my Facebook status is updated;
6. MySpace profile – status updates are displayed on my profile page (I setup an account just to test the connection. At least…that ‘s my excuse for having Tom as my only friend.)

Using LinkedIn.com? Congratulations! You’re developing an online personal brand. You now show up in Google (and other search engines) when someone searches for you by name. LinkedIn does a good job of pushing you to the top of the results list.

The following are some other ways you can maximize your LinkedIn experience.

1. Ask and answer questions! Post your questions and get answers from your connections and others in your network. You can also become an expert within your network by answering questions posted by other LinkedIn users.
2. Give and receive recommendations! Ask others in your network for recommendations of your work. Getting recommendations will help you build credibility within your network and help you make additional connections. You should also give recommendations, when appropriate, to your connections.
3. Start a LinkedIn Group! LinkedIn now offers LinkedIn Groups, a new way for groups to bring value to their members. Many professionals advance their business goals by counting on professional groups, alumni groups and workgroups to make vital new business contacts which will enhance their trusted connections. Start your own LinkedIn Group today.

View my LinkedIn profile here.