What 's In Your Marketing Plan? A Small Business Guide To Online Marketing

Many small business owners make the mistake of thinking, "If we make a website using a few keywords, search engine algorithms will guide customers to us." But these days, everyone has a website, every website uses keywords, and it 's not difficult to hire web designers to create good-looking, perfectly functioning websites. Online marketing is becoming more difficult and more competitive, particularly for small business owners who seemingly can't compete with huge companies in search engine results.

How does a small business generate hits to its website? Is it possible to use the Internet to increase your market size? If search engines persistently bury your website on page 12 of their search results, there are solutions.

Think about it -- what are your potential customers looking for? Whatever your field, it 's likely that they're looking for expertise, intelligence, and creativity. And your customers are discerning -- they can tell when a marketing technique is phony -- and the only reason they so often go with the bigger companies is a perceived lack of alternatives. Many small businesses, in an effort to attract customers, try to emulate the marketing practices of larger companies, thus neglecting to show their own, knowledgeable perspective.

So, how does a small business show that it 's not only more personalized and trustworthy than larger companies, but also smarter and more dynamic? You have to speak to your potential customers. You must show them that you have the brains, the ability, and the creativity to suit their unique needs, far better than larger companies can.

In the age of the Internet, there are few things that people respect more than a well-written, informative article. If you're a small business owner, then there 's clearly at least one area in which you are more knowledgeable than anyone else. This is what makes you good at running your business -- yet why not also use this knowledge to increase the size of your market?

If you search the Internet for "how article marketing works" you'll find some very good article distribution services that can help you link your website in all corners of the Internet. There are thousands of websites that are always looking for fresh, informative content, and that would be pleased to publish your work.

First, though, you must write your article. Write it carefully, and make it informative; people love to learn new things. But remember, both publishers and readers can recognize a sales pitch, so don't mention the name of your business unless it is truly integral to the content of your article.

The important thing is that each time an article of yours is published, it will come with an "About the Author" box, which will contain a link to your website. Everyone who learns something from your article will want to click on the link. Your article will be like a tease; they will seek more of what you have to offer on your website.

So start writing as soon as you can. And remember, after you sign up for an article marketing website, you'll be asked to categorize the articles that you've written. Don't do this hastily; think hard about the categories customers would associate with the services you offer.

If the service suggests revisions to your work, try not to be offended. They are experts, and to make the changes they suggest is in your own best interest. Your goal is to increase your market size. They want to help you do it. Trust them.

Few businesses are aware of this marketing tactic, so it 's best to take advantage of it while you can. With the millions of businesses now marketing on the web, it 's important for the small business owner to realize that to simply include a few keywords on your website is not enough anymore.

Plus, through article marketing, you can generate thousands of clicks to your website, which moves your website higher up in the rankings of search engines such as Google and Yahoo. By writing informative articles, and having them distributed throughout the Internet, you can work your way up to page 1 in the search results.

About the Author

Tiva Kelly is an expert at article marketing and offers support to authors at Article Marketer, a highly popular article distribution service. Learn how to market your small business when you submit articles through Article Marketer.

http://www.articlemarketer.com

Article Source: Content for Reprint

Small Business Guide to Equipment Leasing

By: Jeff Jones

Equipment Leasing Overview

Equipment is a fundamental part of any business, whether small or large. It is with equipment that businesses render the services that they do. The quality and quantity of equipment a company uses, together with how the company deploys such equipment makes the difference between success and failure in a highly competitive economy. When it comes to the hardware of a business, companies often prefer to go the extra mile to purchase equipment that will give them an edge in whatever industry they operate. While this quest for better machinery is laudable the methods in which it is obtained are not. Purchasing equipment off manufacturers’ shelves is a decision most companies choose to take and they do so quite wrongly. In a business, the value of an asset is in its use and the value of that same asset depreciates with its use as well. Equipment is an asset, which satisfies this truth only too well, you buy some expensive piece of machinery, which looks good on your balance sheet, and in the next 4 years its value depreciates to nothing. Equipment Leasing is the correct option as opposed to buying when your company needs equipment. Equipment is a tool that must be used to its maximum capacity to provide the service your business offers. In this light company should aim to save themselves the wanton waste of money that goes with purchasing equipment and should explore the benefits that come with leasing equipment instead. Leasing equipment is not an aim at cutting corners or reducing the needed service quality delivered by a business. Equipment leasing is a proactive means of increasing your company’s cash flow that would otherwise be tied down if you considered the purchasing option. This cash flow could impact on other areas of your company’s business and improve your company’s balance sheet in the profit columns. Cash should not be tied down in a quickly depreciating asset such as bought equipment.

Benefits of Leasing

If you’re considering leasing equipment for your company rather than buying, you’re not alone. Statistics have it that over 80 percent of U.S based businesses lease their company equipment as opposed to buying, so you can remain rest assured that it’s a wise decision. To support this fact we offer you some of the financial benefits of commercial equipment leasing.

Financial Benefits of Leasing

These financial benefits of leasing cover how leasing helps your business improve its financing either by saving money or making more money for your company. The list is hardly exhaustive but the points examined here are the strongest and reflect the areas of finance that are most important to a business.

Increased Working Capital – With equipment leasing you save yourself the cost of buying the equipment outright. The money you save from purchasing the equipment can be deployed into other areas of the business. Obtaining a business equipment lease also preserves the line of credit you have from your bank as the financing you use to obtain the leased equipment is much lesser outright purchase. By saving this money you can improve your business edge with the right equipment, turn a better profit and not only retain your existing credit line with your bank but improve it as well.

Improved Balance Sheet – In business the balance sheet is an all too important area of determining performance, not only to your shareholders but also to people who provide major financing such as banks and prospective investors. This improvement comes in various areas: first of all business equipment leases are not recorded as liabilities and thus do not have a bearing on your capital figures. The second area covers the fact that a fixed equipment lease eliminates the need for depreciation, if you had purchased the equipment the cost of the equipment is written off according to use and affects your balance sheet calculations.

Tax-Related Advantages – With a commercial equipment lease your expenses are listed as direct operating expenses, which ultimately lead to a lower taxable income for yourself and your company. Another advantage that makes sense when you compare your leasing arrangement to a purchase is that if you had purchased the equipment, sales tax would then be applied and added to the costs accordingly. In some cases when you lease equipment, sales or use tax is then deducted according to the use of the leased equipment. Whatever the case you should consult with at tax professional to examine the benefits that apply to your company specifically in a lease situation.

Summary : The Small Business Guide to Equipment Leasing explains the benefits of leasing equipment and why 80% of U.S based businesses lease their company equipment as opposed to buying. These benefits cover how leasing helps businesses improve their financing either by saving money or making more money for their company.