"This time, the emphasis is on tangible business benefits and any company can participate," boasts the press release, sounding a tiny bit like the caption for an action movie. Just a tiny bit, because an action move about tangible business benefits would involve very little action - and quite a lot of watching paint dry.

The press release is for WeCanDo.BIZ - which hopes to provide the next wave of social networking by putting trusted businesses and buyers together, says Ian Hendry, founder and director of WeCanDo.BIZ:

“Facebook, LinkedIn and XING can be used by business people to find new customers, but they are compromised. They require that you work them hard to make the right connections and get yourself promoted; and they often involve you sharing information that may not be appropriate or of interest to people who just want to find a specific quality business to deal with.”

So, how will WeCanDo.BIZ be different? Well, once a business person lists their organisation using the service, existing customers can be invited to connect and endorse the organisation. Each endorsement gets the firm promoted higher in WeCanDo.BIZ’s trusted business search, a searchable directory listing that is aimed at buyers and consumers.

The free-to-join public site launches on 28 April and business registrations are already being accepted. WeCanDo.BIZ founder Ian Hendry - who is regular contributor round these parts - recently responded to a blog posting by saying:

"I am completely convinced that niche social networks will develop to meet specific needs, reflecting how the media and interest groups work in general. What may stifle this, however, is the need to locate and log in to each social network in turn."

Maybe WeCanDo.BIZ will provide a step in the right direction? Good luck and all that.

Further reading

• Finding useful Web 2.0 and social networking tools
• Trying to find a social network? Help is at hand...
• Web 2.0: Your business needs a strategy now
• Open standards and social networking with a point
• Social networking creates waste and exclusion
• Facebook? LinkedIn? Social networking is rubbish
• Web 2.0 technologies = five hours of depression

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Want to contact the writer? Email Mark Samuels