In this increasingly global economy, it can be a tough task to give your business a competitive edge within your industry. One way that many businesses have found to stay up-to-date is through the creation of online clearinghouses for industry-specific news and information. These web portals create a unique venue for communication and information sharing, and, most importantly for your business, can be a great way to generate positive press about what you do and to make new connections both within your industry and with the broader online community.
Current models of such virtual innovations include sites such as CEOExpress 
, which offers a variety of web links, pertaining to topics relevant to CEOs, in one convenient forum. Another such site is Nobel National , which offers web links and news stories pertinent to the criminal justice system. Another innovative virtual clearinghouse is Summaries which offers a very inventive format for the delivery of business book summations. Certainly, these types of ground-breaking models could be emulated and altered to suit a variety of industries and businesses.
Ideas such as these can be a great start in expanding your business contacts and operations in order to remain competitive and to generate recognition of your business within a broader community. In fact, breaking down barriers and working together with nontraditional partners is the theme of this year’s Workforce Innovations conference. Workforce Innovations 2007: Beyond Boundaries promises to offer exciting opportunities for learning and development for individuals and groups in all areas of business. New to Workforce Innovations this year are three “pathways” for conference participants. These pathways are Regional Economic Competitiveness, Workforce Systems Transformation, and Lifelong Talent Development. These pathways promise to be a great addition to other topics of interest, including building an effective apprenticeship training program and connecting with untapped labor pools. To find out more about this year’s conference, visit the Workforce Innovations website.