National Small Business Week isn’t just for business owners willing to hop a plane or train to D.C. anymore. This year’s five-city events are great networking and learning opportunities for those who want the full conference experience. But anyone—even business owners working from home—can live stream key speeches and join SBA's Google + Hangouts at 4 p.m. Eastern (1 p.m. Pacific) every day this week through Thursday.

Today’s Google + Hangout: “Managing Your Business’s Online Reputation.” Participants will get a chance to ask questions to Soo Young Kim, head of marketing for Google’s Get Your Business Online Initiative, and Darnell Holloway, manager of local business outreach at Yelp, as well as other experts in the online reputation field. OPEN Forum contributor Rieva Lesonsky, CEO of GrowBiz Media, will moderate the event.

Online reputation management is a timely, often frustrating topic for small-business owners. I recently wrote about how business owners are angry about how some online review sites use filters to try and weed out fake reviews. They find that the least-flattering reviews often get featured prominently while the best reviews get stuck in the filters and don't show up at all.

Moreover, the number of tools and social networking sites has expanded, making managing an online reputation more complex than ever before.

Not interested in today’s topic? Tomorrow’s Google+ Hangout will look at the value of having a business mentor, and Thursday’s will provide tips on getting a business loan.

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