Are you on Linked In? Tweeting about business? Using Facebook for business? We know that lots of you are so we have decided to facilitate this for members on our Chamber website members’ directory.

We now have the added functionality to link to all social media that our members are using which we recognise as a great way to market your business and raise your profile on the internet. If you are a Chamber member and have not yet sent us details please do so.

If you are not tweeting – why not? It is the fastest and simplest way to stay close to everything you care about! It’s hard to know what to do with Twitter when you first sign up. Do you write something? Do you follow someone?

Some great reasons why you should tweet...

• You can get great customer service from companies. I had an issue with Vodafone recently, and wasn’t getting a satisfying response on the phone from them so I tweeted about it and got an answer from Vodafone almost immediately. Some companies also tweet about deals before they are available to the general public.

• It’s a great way to promote your business free of charge and learn more about your specialty.

• You can network with people in your community. I’ve met local people on Twitter and we have become useful contacts to each other and supported each others’ businesses.

• You can look up tweets specifically on subjects relevant to your business sector and share expertise, endorse things you read by retweeting

• You get connected to the world! I follow Twitter users from around the world and have many follows like minded in different parts of the world. Fascinating way to share good practice from around the globe!

• Twitter is the fastest way to learn about local news (follow @hertsad for the latest updates). Twitter is for early adopters of news. For people who want to know what’s going on the moment it happens, Twitter is a necessity. For those who would rather read a story once the facts are sorted from the rumours, it’s a headache!

• Think twice about what you say as careless tweets can land you in trouble

Follow us @stalbanschamber we will help promote your business if you follow us, you may be surprised to find out how much fun it is and how useful it is!

We are currently receiving lots of nominations for our Community Business Awards 2014 the closing date for nominations is June 30.

So why should you nominate? Chamber director Paul Rosenthal says: “St Albans has a huge talent pool, there are some incredible people in our business community and some very inspired businesses here too.

“Our Community Business Awards are based not only on the successes and achievements but also upon the impact of achievements on the business community and the people working within it”

The awards are open to all businesses whose business strategy encompasses policies and projects that have a positive impact on St Albans district. The activities should bring about economic, social or environmental benefits for the community.

Any business or individual in the St Albans district is eligible for nomination. You can nominate yourself, your business, or any other individual or business (colleagues/clients) for one or more of the sev3en awards (award sponsors are excluded from entry). Please download the nomination form from the Chamber website, it includes key areas of consideration for entries and only takes a few minutes to complete www.stalbans-chamber.co.uk or send us an email for further details awards@stalbans-chamber.co.uk

The categories are THE PRESIDENT’S AWARDS sponsored by Hertfordshire Business Independent, NEW BUSINESS AWARD sponsored by Debenhams Ottaway Solicitors, YOUNG PERSON AWARD SPONSORED BY Oaklands College, GREEN BUSINESS AWARD sponsored by St Albans City & District Council, CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AWARD sponsored by Harpenden Building Society, BUSINESS LEADER OF THE YEAR Sponsored by Rayner Essex Accountants and BEST RESTAURANT AWARD sponsored by the Herts Advertiser.