The Quick and Easy Guide to Creating an Online Presence for Your Business

Business Online Presence

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In the pre-Internet days, advertising for small businesses was too costly an endeavor. Most relied on word-of-mouth as a means of getting noticed by potential customers. Of course, there were the occasional flyers and catalogue displays as well. However, now in an age that is dominated by various forms of online media, creating an online buzz for your business is not only simpler than ever but also requires minimum financial investment.

So how do you create an online presence for your business?

Remember, creating an online presence is more of an integrated communications and marketing campaign rather than a one-off endeavor. This means that whenever you do decide to create an online presence for your company, you’ll need to make use of several mediums. In addition to this, information over the Internet needs to be constantly updated—to catch customers’ attention you need to engage with them, be attentive to their concerns and queries and achieve all this without being overly domineering. Most importantly, however, you need to provide them with the correct information—information that is not only accurate but is also sought after by your customers.

Creating an Online Presence: What Mediums can I use?

As mentioned previously, there are several platforms you can use online. It’s always better to use a combination of these rather than sticking to one or two alone. Here are your options:

•        Website: Although you’ll need to pay for this one, the costs of maintenance are relatively small. But the important thing to know is that your website is where your customers can get the most detailed information about your brand. Here’s where you get to show off. Boast about your achievements, your aims and your customer service. However, keep the design simple and uncluttered.

•          Facebook/Twitter: Social media usage rates are at an all-time high which makes them a feasible tool of marketing for all businesses. Such platforms must be regularly updated, both with information about your company and the replies to customer concerns. These are your primary modes of communication with your customers and make for an excellent feedback channel.

•      YouTube: Creating a YouTube account is often one of the most underrated aspects of online businesses. Agreed, it’s not as effective a communication tool as compared to social media, it does provide a great platform for you to get creative with respect to visual aspects of your marketing program. Not only does visual impact last longer, but rarely do customers complain while watching a well-made YouTube video.

•          Email: This one’s pretty straightforward. Use social media, website forms or face-to-face contact with customers to obtain their email addresses and market your business directly via emails delivered straight to the customer’s inbox. Remember not to spam though!

•           Google Ads: Google Ads are another cheap way of creating an online buzz. Since Google uses a targeted strategy for displaying ads, you might want to purchase a slot or two. This may help you find the right customer more easily than you think.

So there you are…online marketing simplified! With a few simple tools (and regular updates), you can now be well on your way towards business success.

Avoid the Headaches of Business Taxes

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Earning a great salary from a business you created is the dream that many of us have.  True, this career path can make money, but it’s not headache free.  Many who choose to start their own business are quick to fall into one of the many easy traps that having a small business can present.

Probably the most indiscreet trap is business taxes; a part of running your business that many prefer not to acknowledge.  Although filing taxes may seem like a daunting process, a little forethought and organization will quickly lead you past this nuisance of administration.

• Stay organized!

Make sure you have your accounts in order, and keep your receipts.  There is hardware and software available for scanning and keeping your receipts organized, so you will never have to deal with a box full of paper again!  Make sure that you keep the proper receipts.  Expenses can only be claimed if they are somehow related to you earning income from them, so not everything is a business expense!

• Go pro or DIY?

Depending on the amount of extra time you have, and how much you actually know about the taxation system, you could possibly save the money for an accountant and file your business taxes by yourself.  There is software and websites available for people like yourself, which are easy to use and give you the maximum amount of return possible.

• Be proactive and think ahead:

Since you have transitioned from a salary job to one where you are your own boss, you might have carried over some of your old habits (good and bad).  While previously your taxes were deducted from your paycheck, now you are directly responsible for making sure you have enough money put away to pay your taxes.  This could be a big problem, especially for smaller businesses.  The way to deal with this situation is discipline.  Treat every source of income from your business like it is a paycheck; take away a percentage equal to the tax payable from the amount and put it aside.  This way, you will already have the funds necessary to pay your taxes when the time comes.

• Avoid audits!

Don't do anything drastic or out of hand, and don't be greedy.  It will only come back to haunt you.  Business taxes are a prime candidate for audits.  If you are claiming business expenses, make sure you can prove that they were necessary to run your business.

Keep good books and have accurate statements showing how each penny was earned and where it was spent.

File your taxes on time, and don't wait until the week prior to start organizing your documents for submission.  Organize your documents early and often!

Business taxes might be a headache to solve, but with a little organization and by reducing the procrastination, you can easily get your taxes filed and finished without having to think about them ever again...that is, until next year!