<p>"Why spend millions trying to reach thousands, when you can spend thousands reaching millions?" asks Ryan Hogarth, a communications speaker, who describes himself as a social business catalyst. "With today's technology, you can make things happen for less."</p><p>When Hogarth struck out on his own from the NGO he worked for, he realised that the world of business had changed with the advent of social media . He launched his business in 2010, having identified a need in the market: helping businesses find and interact with customers on social media platforms.</p><p>"The challenges businesses face are numerous but an inability to use social media platforms effectively should not be one of them. If a business is on Twitter or on Facebook, there are challenges that must be overcome, such as the immediacy of the communication. This requires brands to implement social media strategies. I see up to eight businesses a month and we design such strategies for them."</p><p>Hogarth works from home and is in a partnership with the Unique Speakers Bureau in Bryanston, a conglomerate of speakers specialising in different fields who share resources.</p><p><a href="http://www.fm.co.za/business/2012/12/20/social-business">Keep reading...</a></p>