If your a small business owner and are wanting to gain a large presence across the globe you know that you need to improve your online visibility. Offering another place for your customers to see your product is a great opportunity to gain valuable business, but if someone is looking for a product and doesn't know were to go how will they find you?

New business owners need to add SEO to their vocabulary. That is Search Engine Optimization, which means being visible through organic content on search engines. You can also gain visibility by advertising through keywords on certain sites like Google. Being on the first page based on your particular keywords is a necessary if you are trying to gain web traffic.

How can you make your site more efficient when it comes to SEO? 10 tips for small business owners to optimize their site

1. Build keywords into the title of each one of your pages, don't put welcome to...
2. Make sure you have meta tags on each one of your pages.
3. Make sure your headlines in your site help summarize your article and make sure it helps draw out keywords for your site.
4. Make sure you submit your site to google, msn, & yahoo in their submission galleries. This will allow them to crawl your site.
5. Have a blog on your site that allows people to comment. This blog should be daily or weekly tips to your customers.
6. Write articles and submit them to ezinearticles.com and goarticles.com. These are free places to submit your articles.
7. Have press releases sent out over the web and locally with your site address on the release.
8. Digg your articles or have someone stumbleupon your site.
9. Create a myspace and a facebook to gain customers in the social networks.
10. Write a monthly newsletter and send it out through your email list. Make sure you have a place for people to get on the email list.

These little tips are just a start to help your business website, but i suggest you checkout highrankings.com. Also, checkout hubspot.com.

If you have any questions or need advice on getting a consultant please email us at questions@businessonthemound.com.

It has become pretty obvious that blogs have been become an important part of marketing for almost any type of online business. They are unmatched resources when it comes to connecting with customers and potential customers.

But, there is an additional benefit that shouldn't be over-looked: there impact on your Search Engine Optimization efforts. Blogging can greatly enhance any websites natural search results through regular postings, and natural keyword placement. There in fact is no stronger way to market ones website for free than by blogging with natural keywords.

Similar to article marketing, posting daily blogs with the keywords of your business included can have remarkable effects on the ranking of your site in any given search engine, and thus net you more traffic. One key to gaining more traffic from keywords is to use 'niche' keywords. These are keywords or keyword phrases that may be searched for less often, but that have less competition. This means you may be able to rank much higher for these keyword. An example: The keyword term "baseball" is certainly searched for often, but there are millions of websites optimized around this keyword. However a keyword phrase like "Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz news" would have fewer competitors. The longer keyword also increases the likelihood that your blog contains exactly what the visitor is looking for.

Getting picked up in search engines can lead to increase volumes of traffic heading to your site every day. There are top keyword placers that use blogs to retain huge amounts of daily traffic to their sites just by integrating a variety of niche keywords into their posts. The amazing thing about blogs is they are often picked up by the search engines almost as quickly as one posts to it, which makes it an even more powerful tool for SEO purposes. Our experience has been that blogs that take advantage of Google's Blogger or Wordpress are quickly indexed.

Another way blogging can help your site's search engine ranking is by the quality score. Most search engines, including Google rank sites with a quality score, the more unique, user provided content, the higher it appears the quality score becomes. If a website is just a sales page, and a few pictures, the quality score will most likely be low. But if a site has a blog on it, with fresh, daily posts, the quality score becomes much better, and thus the site gets ranked much higher when people are searching for your niche, or keyword terms.

If you haven't considered a blog for the pure marketing aspect of it, it's probably time you considered it from the SEO perspective. You've got nothing to loss but website visitors.

Negotiations are things we do almost every day of our lives. However, many of these negotiations do not make much difference to us in the big picture, so we tend to take them lightly. However, when you are negotiating for the business as a small business owner, then it will be very useful if you follow the business negotiation tips for small businesses. These are very important for getting the outcome that is beneficial for everyone concerned. A successful business negotiation can make a great difference for you and your business.

Do Not Shy The very first business negotiation tip for small businesses is that you should be willing to negotiate. There is no point in avoiding talking about money. At other times, people may be right when they believe that it is demeaning and rude; but when a business negotiation is going on, you cannot afford to be unwilling to talk about money. On the contrary, it may become an expensive affair.

Do Not Show Emotions Another business negotiation tip for small businesses is that you should not involve yourself emotionally in the deal. Attaching yourself emotionally to win the deal will produce a negative impact. Emotionally involved people even start shouting, threatening and wanting to get their way by using any means necessary, resulting in a negative exposure of their image. Here, you should keep in mind that a deal can take place only when both parties believe that they are gaining something from it. On the contrary, such intense emotional behavior may force the other person to walk away from the table.

Don't Be Deceived By Rules Tricks One more business negotiation tip for small businesses is to not let the other person deceive you by showing you any type of rules. For example, if you make some changes in the contract before signing it and the other party tells you that you cannot make such changes, then you are stuck. In this situation, you must tell them categorically that since both the parties are signing the contract, it is not possible that only one party has the rights to make changes in the contract. Many experienced negotiators use these tactics because they understand that most of the people do not wish to break any rules. If it happens to you, then ask the other person to show you the proof of existence of such rules. However, if the other party has any objections, then they can be resolved by sitting together.

A very important business negotiation tip for small businesses is that you should not open your mouth first when it comes to naming the figure. For successful business negotiation, you must learn how to make the other person say the figure first. Once he speaks his mind, ask for an even better figure, even if it is above your expectations.

If you run a small business, advertising costs must be figured in as part of your overall expenses. If you have received quotes for phone directory ads, business association block ads, and mostly any other print media, these costs are quite high. So, what if your budget is small, perhaps negligible? Will you be left outside of the advertising arena or are there other avenues to help you get the word out? The answer in one word is: yes. Let’s explore ways you can “get the word out” through online means…yes, via the internet!

The rise of the internet has spawned an entire industry with it. You may remember in the late 1990s stories of dot.com companies who made a fortune and then went bust. The “irrational exuberance” of that era has, thankfully, passed by and in its place is a much more rational, but very lively market.

Today’s biggest players online are search engine providers led by Google, Yahoo!, and MSN. Between them, these three search engines dominate the market. Mostly everyone today searches the internet for products sold by small businesses to large corporations and these are the people you want to target. Indeed, while Christmas season sales typically increase around 4% year over year for “brick and mortar” retailers, the internet has been seeing year over year increases of 30% and higher! No small business operator should exclude the internet when crafting a marketing plan.

Speaking of the search engines, both Google and Yahoo! have their own advertising networks. Google has its AdWords program while the Yahoo! Publisher Network is a comparable, though newer program. This is where you, as a small business owner, can do some of your advertising. By selecting the advertising plan that works for you, you can have your ads appear on web sites in your local area or across the world and be charged a small amount per click. In other words, you don’t pay for advertising unless someone clicks on your ad and goes through to your site. To keep clicks from getting out of control you determine the price per click and the amount per day, week, or month you are willing to pay. No busting of your small business budget!

Banner or text ads on select sites can also be helpful for your small business. If there is a web site you like and you suspect that a lot of your customers would frequent that site, contact the webmaster to learn what his advertising charges would be. Perhaps in exchange for submitting a few helpful articles, the webmaster would waive your advertising fee altogether. Or, at the very least, accept any other help you could provide [moderating a forum, answering questions, etc.].

Another way of getting the word out is through your own web site. No, you don’t need a web professional to establish your site, but it does help to have someone who can guide you through the set up process. At the very least a few pages is what you will need, so set up costs shouldn’t be terribly expensive. In addition, figure on paying monthly hosting and domain name fees but these expenses should be no more than $100-$125 per year. Pay a little extra for a web professional who can help you optimize your site [make it search engine friendly] and you’ll get your money back much quicker. Finally, check with your accountant for small business tax deductions.

You can also generate plenty of attention by writing articles, just like the one you are reading now. No, you don’t need to be a professional writer, but if you can clearly convey your thoughts and present a plan of action for your readers [such as: buy my product] you can get what amounts to be free advertising. How so? By submitting what you write to article submission sites for wider dissemination. By including helpful links in the author resource box you can cause search engines to make your web site much more visible as your article gets reprinted on other web sites. Furthermore, readers will perceive that you are an “expert” and will likely inquire to find out just what you are all about. You can call this, “small business advertising on the cheap!”

No, as a small business owner you don’t have to be strapped by high advertising costs -- who has the cash to spare? Instead, the internet offers to you several cost effective ways of informing people about who you are, what you do, and where they can find you.

Select the marketing plan that works best for your small business. A mixture of all four points is a great plan of attack for many small business owners…just like you!

The most important thing you can do to prepare for starting and operating your own business is to develop a business plan. This can take time and energy, but it forces you to really solidify your business idea. You can carefully plot exactly what your business, financial and expansion goals are. And this will help you progress in all other areas of starting your business as well. Without funding for startup costs, many successful businesses would never have been able to even open their doors.

Once you've done this, you will realize the significance of unsecured start up funding. Rarely does an individual have the savings or personal resources to put a business plan into action completely on their own. Often, even when one thinks this is the case, deeper development and planning dissuades this initial thought.

Small business funding can be a rather involved subject, filling shelves upon shelves of books at libraries and bookstores. The truth is though, you don't need a how-to book to get good funding. You simply need a good lender. Being able to determine once is what really counts.

A unsecured small business start up loan gives you the startup funding you need, but getting a startup business loan can sometimes be more difficult than it seems. Most lenders today require collateral for small or large start up business loans, but collateral may be something you have never thought of before. When you obtained a mortgage, your home served as the collateral. When you got a car, the vehicle was the collateral. But when you're seeking a new business loan, you probably don't have the commercial collateral you need yet. Your only option then is to offer your personal assets as security for the loan-which is a risk you understandably may be hesitant about.

Collateral is often the biggest obstacle to the prospective business owner. Not only does a new business not yet have any commercial collateral to provide; but it is asking a lot for an entrepreneur to put his hard earned personal assets at risk in order to start a new business venture. Yet, without collateral, getting a unsecured business loan can sometimes seem impossible.

The good news is, though rare, some companies have specialized programs for exactly this scenario. An unsecured business start up loan can get a new business owner the funding he needs to cover initial business costs, without having to provide collateral and place his or her assets risk. With this type of financing plan, the lender utilizes something the borrower has worked hard for and should be able to take advantage of - his good credit. With this approach, the lender can still an unsecured business start up loan at great rates and with a variety of programs.

The small business loan application process can also be made difficult by the imposition of restrictions on how the loan proceeds can be used. This takes away the borrower's freedom to use the funds as he or she may have seen fit. You can escape these hassles by using an online application for a unsecured small business loan.

Today, web lenders offer a new window of opportunity for small businesses and individuals that need a fast start up loan approval process. Time is money! Lenders now offer cash in as little as 72 hours, with no tax forms, no business plans, and no collateral! Such lenders offer the straightest line to unsecured business loan funding, at great rates. In the modern world, financial products as efficient and dynamic as the business world must be available.

Applying for a unsecured small business loan is easy, all the business owner need to do is just go on line and submit their loan details. Then the lenders will refer back to you with the loan decision in a few days.

If you are an owner of a small business (1-4 employees), chances are you do not have enough time to prospect for new clients, as well as take care of your current clients. Generally, you are faced with daily administrative tasks, which are very time-consuming. You barely have enough time to focus on developing your business. This is where a Virtual Assistant (VA) comes in. If you retain the services of a VA, you will gain valuable time. With this extra time, you can concentrate on growing your client base. In addition, you will have more time to provide your current clients excellent customer service.

Examples of tasks that you can outsource are: bookkeeping, scheduling appointments, returning phone calls, answering phone calls, managing e-mails, making reservations, typing and mailing correspondences, creating and managing your database, updating your website and blog, etc. These are just a few examples of projects that can be farmed out. Tina Hilton of Clerical Advantage wrote a four-part series post on Home Office Warrior's blog, "The Top 100 Ways a Home Office Warrior Can Utilize a Virtual Assistant." Her post gives you an idea of what type of projects you can outsource. Virtual Assistant Networking Association (VANA) also has a series of top10 reasons to use our services.

Nonetheless, the business world has been conditioned as to the role of administrative assistants. In the past, administrative assistance was generally performed at "the office." With the advent of technology, services are now performed from our offices. However, the previous type of working relationship or the role of traditional administrative assistants still exists in the minds of some business owners and/or employers.

We are independent entrepreneurs, as well as small business owners, not employees. We do not report to you; we work with you. We don't have interviews with you; we have meetings with you. If we have to directly report to you or have to go through an interview process, the relationship becomes that of employee/employer. If this is the case, you then are required to pay employee-related fees. If you hire an employee at $20.00 per hour, the average cost will be $76,960 a year. If you retain the services of a Virtual Assistant at $35.00 per hour, the average cost will be $36,400 per year, a difference of $40,560. Please visit http://www.rjswordprocessing.com/vacost.html to see a cost comparison chart.

There are still some business owners and/or employers who are accustomed to the traditional methods. We have to get used to the concept that we are business owners. As business owners, rather than employees, we are aware of what is involved with your small business operations and what it takes to grow a business. This experience and knowledge can be beneficial if you are attempting to develop your business.

Our industry has grown significantly, because of the exponential growth of small business owners. We are the perfect solution for small business owners who need administrative assistance. There are many benefits, including saving money, space, and time, if you outsource your administrative tasks.

The pitfalls of hiring a dual agent in a business sale transaction

Most people have heard of dual agency in the context of a real estate transaction and have some awareness of the issues surrounding dual agency. In spite of the inherent conflict of interest, many people do not mind transacting residential or commercial property using a dual agent. The reason is pretty straight forward - while there is risk of not getting good representation, the downside is typically small. Property values are driven by comps and cap rates and in most cases, the amount of money left on the table is a small percent of the transaction value. The commodity nature and relative liquidity of real estate also helps make buyers and sellers comfortable with the risk level.

But does this logic apply to business sale transactions? Businesses, compared to real estate, are illiquid and the valuations and the ultimate closing prices vary dramatically from business to business. The deal amount can also change dramatically through the duration of a deal. In Business sale transactions, not having a fiduciary agent working for you can cost you plenty.

Let us start with an explanation of "fiduciary duty". An agent used to represent a buyer or seller in a business transaction has a fiduciary duty. A fiduciary duty is the highest standard of care imposed at either equity or law. A fiduciary is expected to be extremely loyal to the principal. Among other responsibilities, a fiduciary must not put their personal interests before the duty and a fiduciary must not profit from the fiduciary position without express knowledge and consent of the principal. A fiduciary also has a duty to be in a situation where there is no personal conflict of interest and where there is no conflict of interest with another fiduciary duty.

In light of large sums of money at stake in a business transaction and these fiduciary responsibilities, let's look at the three key issues faced by a dual agent in a business sale.

1. Conflict of Interest

This is by far the most obvious and most damning part of being on both sides of a business sale transaction. A business intermediary is obligated to serve the best interests of his or her principal. Buyers and sellers by definition have conflicting interests. Who should the intermediary be loyal to? Is the agent looking after your best interests? Some agencies will tell customers that they will assign separate individuals to the buying side and selling side and create a Chinese wall.

In practice, the wall between the two sides in the same company, even in a large company with processes to cover this type of conflict of interest, let alone a typical small to mid market intermediary, is more akin to a sieve than Chinese wall. An agency in this situation is in violation of the standards of being a fiduciary.

2. Advocacy

Any competent agent will tell you that, when two principles' interests are in direct conflict, the agent cannot advise, advocate, or give allegiance to either party if such counsel gives one party an advantage over the other. Not remaining neutral or showing favoritism would be illegal and can make the agent liable to potential damages. A careful dual agent would shun the risk of advocacy and will tell you that they will be extremely careful to represent both parties equally and fairly. In other words, both parties lose "advocacy" for their best interests! Is this what you pay your agent for? Wouldn't you rather pay an agent that advocates your interests?

In practice, providing equal service to two parties is difficult and, even if the agent is highly ethical, agent's biases and self interests may tip the scales in difficult situations.

3. Sensitive Information

A business sale can take an extended amount of time and the seller or buyer may experience one or more personal events which, while not affecting the performance of the business being transacted, may have substantial impact on the negotiations. The agent may become aware of this sensitive information which, if disclosed to the other party, could harm one party and benefit the other. If the agent has one principal, clearly the agent will develop a strategy to minimize the impact to the principal. How does a dual agent handle this type of information about a client? Would you trust your sensitive information with a dual agent?

In practice, the agent ends up playing favorites or in a worst case scenario, one or both of the parties' interests are sacrificed in the interest of "getting the deal done".

Summary: Business sellers and buyers need to carefully pick their agent in a business sale transaction. Providing equal service to both clients is practically impossible in most deals. In the best case scenario, neither the seller nor the buyer is getting an advocate. In the worst case scenario, one or both of the parties are being sacrificed. For this reason some states do not permit dual agency. Much can be lost by employing agents who put themselves in the position of being dual agents and thus not living up to the fiduciary standards.