Before this year ends, I'd like to reiterate this year's top three helpful online tools in making a home business a success.

1. Blog
A blog or a web log is an application that helps one to easily publish his or her business on the web. Various free blog service providers (Blogger, Wordpress, Typepad, and Moveable Type) can help one hurdle the learning curve in blogging. Clients or potential clients can easily interact and inquire about services or products with the help of a blog's comment features and other blog applications that facilitates contact.

2. RSS Feeds
If you haven't been using this innovative online tool yet, you're missing half of your online life. RSS or Really Simple Syndication is the online version of the newspaper boy. It delivers fresh news right to your online doorstep with the help of a newsreader of a feedreader. If there is a blog or site you would like to be updated on regularly, just look for the orange box that has XML on it or that orange box with rounded corners. This blog has one of those orange things. Home business owners stay abreast with their competitors using RSS. It is also a great networking tool if you have the time participating with other work-at-home people's blogs. Great deals, sales or bargains can also be acquired easier if you subscribe to sites or blogs that announce these sales alerts.

3. Social Networks
If you don't have a MySpace, Multiply or LinkedIn account, you're out of the loop. Many home business operators have gained more clients and maybe partners with the help of these Web 2.0 sites.

How about you? What online business tool have contributed greatly to your success?

Happy holidays everyone!