Check out the competition

Spend some time reading blogs about your business niche. You'll gain an understanding of how the best bogs work for readers, as well as see blog formats that you like and can emulate.

I recommend: Search for blogs at BlogSearchEngine.com or Google Blog Search.

Choose a free blog solution

You can create a free blog, but you might have to put up with advertising on your blog, plus you won't have a dedicated domain name.

I recommend: Check out Blogger or WordPress.

Choose a dedicated URL and blog solution

A dedicated URL and a more robust blogging solution, which usually comes with a monthly fee, is often your best bet for a small business.

I recommend: Check out SixApart's TypePad or Moveable Type, GoDaddy.com's Quick Blog, Yahoo! Small Business Web Hosting and Wordpress combination or Yahoo! Small Business Web Hosting and Movable Type combination.

Promote your blog

It's easy to get yourself listed on blog directories. Rising to the top of directories is another thing - that's based on how many other blogs link to yours, and that's ultimately a measure of how interesting other bloggers find your blog. It helps to link your blog to theirs to see if they'll reciprocate.

I recommend: Get your blog listed through the sign-up page on Technorati.