If your small business doesn't have a budget to hire a PR agency...don't despair, HARO is there.

HARO was the brainchild of Peter Shankman. In less than two years, the website has quickly become the go-to resource for reporters who are on a tight deadline and need sources. Shankman originally set up HARO as a Facebook page, but when things took off and he maxed out at 1,200 followers, Shankman launched the website HelpAReportOut.com

The concept is simple and the web site is even simpler. There is a small form to fill out - 4 fields. Fill out the form and you are hit with three daily emails full of reporters looking for an "expert" to consult with for their story.

Plexus has been using it for just a few weeks and we already have a hit. American Express sent out a query looking for small businesses using Software as a Service (SaaS). We responded quickly and they bit. We will be quoted on the American Express Open site with our review of how SaaS can improve a small business's bottom line with our real world example.

There are five rules of HARO:

• You will get three emails a day, M-F, with reporter queries from reporters and outlets from all over the world. Scan the emails, and if you're knowledgeable about any of the topics, answer the reporter directly.
• Don't SPAM reporters with off-topic pitches in response to their queries.
• You MAY forward queries to friends, but DO NOT post them on blogs or anywhere on the web.
• You're not allowed to harvest the reporter email addresses in the HARO emails for any reason.
• Be excellent to each other.

Spend two minutes by visiting HelpAReportOut.com, give them your first name, last name, company name and e-mail address and you are on your way to starting your own in-house PR campaign.