For Subscribers

Small Business Takes On IM Instant messaging is gaining favor as a business tool.

By Amanda C. Kooser

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Is e-mail the new snail mail? Some tech-savvy entrepreneurs think so. IM is growing up as an effective business tool. A variety of business-strength IM tools have reached the market, including AIM Pro from AOL and open source solutions like Wildfire from Jive Software. "We see IM adoption in younger, more technically savvy companies. People have realized it is a legitimate business tool," says Matt Tucker, CTO and co-founder of Jive.

There are benefits to moving from a consumer-oriented public IM service like Yahoo! Messenger or MSN Messenger to an industrial-strength version. "You get the ability to control [it] and have security around it, better features and a better experience," says Tucker. It's also a great way to make remote workers feel more connected to the main office. It's no surprise, then, that this technology is working its way into more creative business applications.

Pizza.net, a pizza-ordering search engine with more than 62,000 restaurants listed, has 13 employees who rely on IM to communicate with each other. The company maintains its own IM server that handles thousands of customers, who receive an IM notification when their orders are confirmed. Pizza.net is also testing IM as a way to reach customers during the ordering process. If a customer seems to be having trouble, the company contacts him or her through IM to offer assistance. "Customers now almost always complete the order process," says Pizza.net's co-founder Adam Reiser, 44. It's a concept that other growing businesses can consider as a way to reach out to clients and increase customer satisfaction without waiting for e-mail or clogging up phone lines.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Business News

Meta Is Reportedly Offering Up to Nine-Figure Pay for Researchers on Its New Superintelligence AI Team

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, 41, is overseeing the hiring of staff for the new 50-person team.

Franchise

She Quit Her Corporate Job to Sell a Refreshing Summer Staple — Then Made $38,000 the First Week and $1 Million in Year 1

With nearly $40,000 in first-week sales and $1 million in her first year, DeSario Turner's story is a blueprint for success.

Franchise

The Hottest Industries Today

Our list of the franchises best positioned for growth, even in uncertain times.

Business News

Citigroup Is Giving Employees a Remote Work Perk This Summer: 'A Quieter Time'

The bank says its hybrid work policy gives it a recruitment advantage.

Growing a Business

How My Old Job Secretly Prepared Me to Build a Thriving Business

The skills I learned are exactly what entrepreneurship demands.