6 Simple Ways to Revamp Your Small Business's Online Presence

When a consumer searches for your company, it’s a fairly safe assumption that you want your website to show up first organically. But how do you make sure it’s super easy for customers to find you, no matter what (or where) they’re searching online?

To do that, you’ll need to double-check your online presence to make sure that you’re optimizing all the places you could show up online. From business listings to social profiles, here’s what you should focus on to boost online visibility for your small business.

The Best Productivity Tools for Small Businesses

Managing a small business may differ from keeping a large enterprise running smoothly, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a challenging endeavor. After all, both types of businesses face a lot of the same hurdles day in and day out -- piles of emails, meetings, phone calls, project deadlines all vie for undivided attention. If you don’t have a clear grasp on how to stay productive, a small business’ day-to-day can get overwhelming real fast.

Productivity isn’t just about ticking off tasks on a checklist though. Sure, that’s the end goal -- work hard and you’ll get there. But productivity guru Tim Ferriss says it best: “As a business owner, it’s very easy to fall into the trap of being busy, and being busy is not necessarily productive.” Working hard doesn’t always mean you’re working smart.

This is why, as a small business, it’s important for you to get the right tools that will help you produce the most results in the least time-consuming way possible. Time is one of the most valuable resources you have, so shaving off precious seconds by breezing through mundane tasks can help you improve productivity. Thankfully, there are tons of tools out there perfect for small businesses. From project and social media management tools, to clever invoicing software, here are some of the best productivity tools in today’s market.

Small Business Information 5 Reasons You Need a Business Plan for Long-Term Success

The most common questions I hear from entrepreneurs who are starting a new business are, "Do I really need a business plan? Is writing a business plan really the best use of my time?" My answer to these questions is almost always, "Yes." A business plan is an integral part of starting a new business.

In reality, business plans can take a long time to write, require that you have a tremendous amount of data at your fingertips, depend in part on projections, and often are responsible for creating a long list of research you still need to conduct and other work you need to complete.

But despite all of that, business plans can be one of the most effective tools for the small business owner who is starting, growing and even managing a business.
Here are what I consider the most important reasons you should write a business plan before doing anything else in your small business.