SmallBusinessNewz

Recently, I asked if you were spending enough time learning. While learning about things outside your niche is always encouraged too, you should always be on the look out for new strategies and trends that pertain to yours. This will be incredibly beneficial to you for staying competitive.

Following are a few tools you should be using to do just that.

1. StumbleUpon

StumbeUpon is an incredible social tool, and you should use that aspect of it, but my favorite thing about it is the search feature. This is not like searching Google or Yahoo looking for relevant results pertaining to a specific query. Searching with StumbleUpon's search tool is a fantastic way to find new resources, articles, and tools related to a topic.

Because of the social aspect of StumbleUpon, you are going to get good results because others have already gave them the thumbs up. So not only are you finding things that other people who are interested in a given niche have enjoyed, you are quite possibly finding new ideas that can help your own business.

2. Blog Search

Technorati or BlogPulse or other blog search engines are great places to find more sources you should be keeping up with when it comes to views about your niche. The more blogs you are able to read, the more insight you are likely to come away with and ultimately use to your gain.

Check them out often, because new blogs are created and submitted everyday. Your new favorite blog could be created tomorrow.

3. News Search Sites

These may not be the places you want to go to find regular sites to keep up with (although they could), but they are great places to search for keywords related to your niche and find current relevant news articles.

Visiting sites like Google News, Yahoo News, or even our own WebProWire should be part of your daily routine to stay as up to date as possible on what is going on in your niche. These sites index new articles constantly.

4. Feed Reader

I have discussed at length why using feed readers is in your best interest. All of the aforementioned blogs and news sites you would like to read on a regular basis all come right to you in one place as they are updated.

There is really no more convenient way to get up to the minute news and articles about the things you are interested in. You can organize them, bookmark posts to read later, and skim through headlines with the greatest of ease. The feed reader is one of the greatest time savers that I know of. There are plenty out there to choose from. I use Google Reader, which is even more convenient to someone that already has a Google account.

5. Online Communities

When I say online communities, I'm referring to both social networks and forums (which are really the original social networks as far as I'm concerned). Not only are they great places to network, you can simply read what others are talking about and get a feel for current trends and concerns regarding your niche.

You can help others or receive help from them. Best of all, you can stay "in the know".

When you have downtime, try these things if you aren't already. They are good ways to help you achieve and maintain some level of expert status in your field. At the very least, it's more productive than playing solitaire.