7 Crowdsourcing Resources to Boost Your Businesses

Have you ever tried crowdsourcing? Well, you should. But before you do you should probably know what it is first. Crowdsourcing is defined as the act of outsourcing tasks, traditionally performed by an employee or contractor, to an undefined, large group of people or community (a "crowd"), through an open call. What that means for a small business owner is that you can engage a global talent pool of human capital and information in order to produce innovative products and solutions. This type of open innovation turns ideas into marketable products and can solve tough problems at relatively low costs. Can crowdsourcing be a force that fuels the way we make decisions in a hyper connected world? Quite possibly. In fact, there are several online platforms and innovative tools that are enabling businesses to listen to customer feedback, identity talent, and fund business ideas. Here are seven key ones being used in the 2.0 world. —Hajj Flemings