When you’re reading an write-up online, do you ever wish you could quickly reach out to someone at the company you’re reading about? BusinessWeek.com is betting that you do, whether it’s considering you’re looking for a new business partner or possibly a new job. That’s why the company has decided to share what it calls “actionable business information” with social-networking giant LinkedIn.

The partnership works in two directions. First, BusinessWeek.com and Capital IQ (a division of Standard & Poor’s) supply goods to LinkedIn’s Company Profile feature. So, for example, whether you have a contact at Motorola, clicking on the company name will bring you to a sketch of the company’s products and services, key statistics about the company (74-percent male, median employee age 33), as well as your contacts there. You’ll even get to see new hires, recent promotions, and learn which companies Motorola employees typically come from (and where they go when they leave).

The second

part of the partnership allows BusinessWeek.com readers to find out who they know in the companies they’re reading about. Here’s how it works. Articles on the BusinessWeek Web site feature a JavaScript widget in the Story Tools section (where you would additionally find tools that allow you to e-mail a story to a friend). go on the widget, and up pops a box that shows you who you know at that company, based on your LinkedIn connections.

Helping Businesses Reach Out

“Networking for SMBs (small and midsize business) is a critical element in bringing on new customers and partners and extending their reach,” said Scott Roberts, LinkedIn’s senior director of business development. “This initiative of offering profiles not only for individuals but plus for companies is going to help small businesses as much or more than large businesses.”

Given the number of users and readers, the networking…

Orginal post by Top Tech News