CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Bank of America today has launched a new online community designed to help small business owners (SBOs) connect and learn from their peers and experts in order to grow their business. The Small Business Online Community powered by Bank of America is a free and open forum available to all small business owners, regardless of their customer affiliation with Bank of America. This 24/7 network, now live at www.bankofamerica.com/sbcommunity, enables small business owners to quickly and easily gain real time access through the posts of their peers to the specific answers they need for their unique businesses.

"Our small business owners need a place where they can go to learn from one another, share their experiences and get answers to the questions that will help them better run their business," said Mark Hogan, president of Small Business Banking for Bank of America. "The Small Business Online Community is our most recent effort to help small business owners succeed at what they do."

Listening to the Voice of Small Business Customers

The Small Business Online Community was established by Bank of America in response to the growing need expressed by thousands of small business owners to connect and learn from others in their field in order to better run their business.

"By listening to the needs of our customers we created a user-driven site that provides 24/7 access to the tools and resources small business owners require for their businesses," said Lance Drummond, eCommerce/ATM executive at Bank of America.

   * Small business owners want to share their challenges with peers and
     experts, which is why the community includes a "Forums" section, where
     SBOs can get fast responses to important questions and issues they're
     facing.  Registered users post questions that can be answered by anyone
     else within the community, enabling small business owners to get fast
     responses to their specific issues from peers and experts. Through Bank
     of America's partnerships with other leading organizations, the
     community will include industry experts who can provide valuable
     responses to the questions and needs of small business owners

   * Small business owners also want to learn from the accomplishments and
     mistakes made by others; in response, the community includes a
     "Stories" section, where users can post successes and share tips for
     overcoming real life challenges facing small businesses.

   * The community also incorporates expert articles that correspond to
     topics relevant to small business and the community dialogue.  These
     articles can be rated and commented on by community members.

   * Robust member profiles are also available and easily searchable.  As
     the community grows, it will also become a resource for small business
     owners to find new customers, business partners, suppliers and even
     investors.

  Created For Small Business Owners by Small Business Owners

While the Small Business Online Community is powered by Bank of America, it is a user-driven and dynamic community site with content that will largely take shape based on the needs of its registered users. As users develop an interest in a specific small business topic, forum categories and expert content will be updated to reflect this new interest.

Bank of America's goal for the community is to establish a deeper understanding of and relevance to small business owners by helping them overcome their challenges and grow their businesses.

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Source: Bank of America

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