The worldwide web has come a long way over the last couple of decades. And small businesses have too. These days, more and more companies are using the web for many aspects of their operations. Some businesses even use it as an all-in-one tool! 

 

Here’s the point: the web is an invaluable resource for small businesses, and if you’re not taking advantage of it, remember that your competitors are. Of course, not all of us know everything there is to know about the web, and it can be overwhelming to think about all the web-based projects we should be working on when we don’t have the time or expertise to do them well. 

 

That’s why you should consider hiring out your web projects. Not only will it ensure they’re planned and executed effectively, but it will allow you more time to focus on growing your business! Below, the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce has listed seven projects to outsource to pros. 

 

1. Web Design     

 

Let’s start with the most fundamental web project: building and maintaining a website. Hiring a professional web designer is the quickest and easiest way to get a top-notch site up and running, and a designer can also make sure your pages stay up to date while you focus on the business tasks you’re best at. 

 

Sit down with a designer to discuss what you need from your site, such as whether it will have an online store or primarily be informational. Also, determine how much control you want over the site and how much money you’re willing to spend on creating and upkeep the site. As you’re gathering information to share with the designer, combine like information into singular PDF files. Any PDF merge tool can help with this. Plus, they are easy and free. Once you have content gathered and combined, it will be easier to show the designer what you have in mind and to send them that content to be integrated into the site.

 

You’ll also need to choose the right web host for your needs. Squarespace, Weebly, and Wix are some of the most user-friendly website builders on the market. And WordPress offers a popular, free content management system (CMS), though it has a paid version as well. 

 

Another important aspect of your website is the domain name, which is what people will type in the web address field to type or click to go to your site. You want your domain to be the right length and related to your business name. 

 

Once you get the foundational elements in place, it’s time to start creating content. Here are a few pages to focus on for your site:

 

• Home page

• About

• Products/services

• Blog

• Contact

• Testimonials

 

Launching a professional-grade website is a complex process. But the ultimate goal is to create an attractive site that aligns with your brand and encourages your target audience to learn about your business.

 

2. SEO Optimization     

 

After launching a functional website, you’ll need to make it easy for your target audience to find. That’s where search engine optimization (SEO) comes in, the process of strategizing your site’s content to attract more users and appear in higher places on search engine results pages (SERPs). 

 

Take time to write a list of questions your customers are asking (through web searches). Then, produce content on your site that answers those questions and provides additional information related to your industry. Your content should contain keywords, meta tags, meta descriptions, and other elements. Link building is another SEO practice that can drive more traffic to your site. SEO is constantly changing, and working with a content writer is the surest way to keep your site filled with relevant, SEO-friendly content. 

 

3. E-commerce     

 

The way people shop has drastically changed over the years, and more consumers than ever are finding businesses and making purchases via the web. The success of Amazon, Etsy, Groupon, and other companies is proof.

 

It’s important to offer customers the option to purchase from your company online, even if you run a brick-and-mortar establishment. Consider hiring an e-commerce specialist to incorporate an online shopping element into your company. 

 

You could either sell directly from your main inventory, dropship industry-relevant to customers (meaning you don’t keep a physical inventory) or take one of several other directions. Plenty of easy-to-use tools can help you add e-commerce, but working with a professional will prevent you from having to spend time and energy learning to establish a successful store. 

 

4. Invoicing

 

You’ll be hard-pressed to maintain genuine success in your business without a steady cash flow. And one of the most common reasons businesses struggle with cash flow is that their customers don’t pay on time. You can prevent that from happening with a free tool. For example, an invoice generator will save you time and money. Once you’ve designed your template, you can quickly edit it for each customer and send out the invoice after each sale. 

 

You can also invest in an invoicing program to keep track of your invoices and expenses. There are plenty of great ones on the market. Just choose the one with the features that best suit your needs.

 

4. Data Analytics      

 

Large corporations have been using big data to improve their processes and make better decisions for many years. But today, medium-sized and small businesses are becoming increasingly aware of the online information available to them. 

 

You can use data to build models for virtually all your business processes, and you can learn what is and isn’t working in your strategies. By learning to distinguish between valuable and irrelevant information, you can equip your team to make critical decisions, establish realistic goals, and predict future problems. 

 

Overall, data analytics can help your company reach new heights. Plenty of tech tools are available to entrepreneurs, but hiring a data scientist or expert to teach you the ropes could be worth the investment. 

 

5. Content Writing     

 

One of the most important components of a small business marketing plan is content writing. If you want to grow and expand your reach, it’s crucial to regularly produce original and unique content on your website and social media accounts. Great blogs, articles, whitepapers, and social media posts will help establish you as an expert in your industry. If the content is SEO-friendly, it will drive more traffic to your site. 

 

The key is to know exactly who you're writing to. All of your content across all your platforms should be written with the purpose of attracting your target audience. And since email marketing is still an effective method of promoting a brand, it can help to have good email and newsletter copy. 

 

Unless you’re an experienced writer who can quickly hammer out posts and articles, this is definitely an area for hiring a professional. A content writer can provide you with quality blog posts, copyediting, social media content, and more!

 

6. Social Media    

 

As mentioned, posting on social media is a vital component of any healthy marketing strategy, but you must come at it with the right approach for your activity to help your brand. For example, you must establish realistic, challenging, and measurable goals and ensure all of your content is of the highest quality. It's also essential to maintain a deep understanding of your target audience so you can speak directly to their needs and preferences. 

 

You'll also want to schedule your posts. Too many companies post content erratically, but without structure, it can be difficult to engage your audience. It’s OK to be a bit spontaneous, but you need to post at least every couple of days if not every day. Moreover, be careful not to post too much; one quality post or promotion per day on most platforms (e.g., Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.) is usually enough. 

 

Investing in Your Business’s Future

 

Now is the time for your small business to take advantage of the web. Keep the web-based projects above in mind as you determine what types of professionals to hire. Though it will come with upfront costs, take advantage of free online tools and know that the growth your investments can bring your company will make it well worth the investment!

 

If you’re ready to grow your business with the help of great local resources and partnerships, join the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce.

Adobe Acrobat is a versatile software suite that offers a wide range of benefits for small and local businesses. From document management to collaboration and security features, Acrobat is an indispensable tool for organizations of all sizes for many reasons:

 

Efficient Document Management: Acrobat provides robust document management capabilities, allowing businesses to create, edit, organize, and archive documents seamlessly. With features like merging, splitting, and indexing PDFs, businesses can streamline their document workflow and reduce paperwork clutter.

 

Cost Savings: Acrobat offers cost-effective solutions that eliminate the need for expensive printed materials, courier services, and physical storage space. By going digital with PDF documents, businesses save on printing and shipping costs, reduce paper waste, and lower their overall operational expenses.

 

Enhanced Collaboration: Collaboration is key in today's business landscape, and Acrobat facilitates this through features like commenting, annotation, and real-time co-editing. Small businesses can collaborate with remote team members, clients, or suppliers, allowing for seamless communication and feedback on documents. This collaborative approach can significantly improve productivity and the speed of decision making.

 

Professional-Looking Documents: For small and local businesses trying to make a mark in a competitive market, the presentation of documents matters. Acrobat offers a wide range of formatting and styling options to create professional-looking documents. From customizing fonts and colors to adding watermarks and headers, businesses can enhance their brand identity and create visually-appealing materials.

 

Secure Document Handling: Acrobat provides robust security features, including password protection, encryption, and digital signatures. Small and local businesses can ensure the confidentiality and integrity of their documents, especially when handling sensitive information like customer data and financial information.

 

Mobile Accessibility: In today's fast-paced business world, being able to work on the go is crucial. Acrobat offers mobile apps that allow small businesses and local businesses to access, edit, and share documents from their smartphones or tablets. This mobility ensures that critical tasks can be addressed promptly, even when employees are not in the office.

 

Compliance and Legal Benefits: Acrobat helps businesses maintain compliance by providing tools for digital signatures and document tracking. This is especially valuable for businesses that need to meet stringent regulatory standards, like healthcare and financial institutions.

 

Streamlined Workflows: Acrobat integrates seamlessly with other popular software applications, including Microsoft Office and various cloud storage services. This integration streamlines workflows, making it easier to convert documents to PDF format, collaborate on documents, and access files stored in the cloud. Small and local businesses can save time and reduce errors by using these integrations.

 

Electronic Forms: Acrobat allows businesses to create interactive electronic forms that can be filled out online, reducing the need for paper forms and manual data entry. This simplifies the customer experience and ensures accurate data collection.

 

Just take a look at how Acrobat revolutionized the way The J. Morey Company runs its business. As an insurance agency, J. Morey handles a lot of paperwork — all of which was physical documentation until 2015, when president Joshua Morey digitized the firm’s paperwork with Acrobat. Because they no longer rely on wet signatures that have to be scanned into the computer system or sent via snail mail, the process of signing, password protecting, and sending signed documents takes only a minute instead of 20 minutes, freeing up as much as 10 hours a month per employee.

 

Acrobat’s features and tools allow The J. Morey Company and more than 500,000 other organizations worldwide to reduce costs while scaling their businesses. In fact, when Joshua took over the company in 2015, it had four offices with a total of 18 employees. After just three years of implementing Acrobat into its workflows, the company grew to 150 employees across 11 offices.

Acrobat offers a wide array of benefits for small and local businesses. From efficient document management and cost savings to enhanced collaboration and security, Acrobat empowers these businesses to operate more effectively and competitively in today's digital age. Its user-friendly features and mobile accessibility make it a valuable tool for businesses looking to streamline their operations, improve productivity, and deliver professional-quality documents to their clients and customers. Learn more about how Adobe Acrobat can help your business here.

In the world of small business ownership, financial knowledge is not just power, but a lifeline to long-term growth and sustainability. Understanding the intricacies of your business finances can help you make wise decisions, anticipate challenges, and seize opportunities. By mastering this crucial skill set, you can confidently navigate the financial landscape and drive your business toward success. With proper financial knowledge, you can effectively manage cash flow, optimize resource allocation, and strategically plan for the future. This guide will help you learn how.

Pay Attention to Your Accounting Practices

Accounting is the backbone of any business's financial health. It involves recording, summarizing, and analyzing financial transactions — a meticulous process that can reveal much about your business' state. By staying on top of accounting, you can keep track of all income and expenses, which can help you identify trends, plan for the future, and make informed decisions. It also allows you to spot any discrepancies or issues early, enabling you to address them before they escalate.

Mastering the Fundamentals of Business Finance

Business financial literacy involves understanding key financial statements like income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements. These documents provide insights into your business's financial health and are crucial for planning and decision-making. Income statements reveal profitability, while balance sheets offer a snapshot of assets, liabilities, and equity at a specific point in time. Cash flow statements illustrate cash movement in and out of your business. By comprehending these documents, you can assess performance and make strategic decisions for growth.

Keeping a Close Eye on Your Business's Cash Flow

Cash flow is the lifeblood of any business. Regular monitoring can help you understand when, where, and how your cash needs will occur, and whether your business has enough cash to meet its obligations. Knowing this is critical for survival. By regularly reviewing your cash flow, you can identify potential shortfalls in advance and take steps to address them, like adjusting payment terms with suppliers, chasing up overdue customer payments, or arranging short-term finance.

Navigating the Maze of Compliance and Regulations

Running a small business involves adhering to various compliance requirements and regulations, which can have significant financial implications. For example, most businesses are required to generate and file an annual report each year, detailing their activities and financial situation. In instances where you need to rotate a PDF online to ensure that the content is displayed correctly and is easily readable, an Adobe PDF rotating tool is invaluable. This ensures that all documentation, particularly the annual report, adheres to a professional standard, enhancing the business’s credibility and compliance. Failing to comply with these requirements could lead to penalties, fines, or legal problems, highlighting the importance of presenting all business documents in their best form. Stay updated on all relevant regulations and ensure you meet all necessary obligations on time, while ensuring your documents reflect the professionalism of your business.

Emergency Cash Reserves in Risk Management

Just as individuals should have an emergency fund, businesses should also prioritize building a financial safety net. Unforeseen circumstances like equipment breakdowns, sudden drops in customer demand, or global pandemics can severely impact cash flow. Having an emergency cash reserve not only helps to weather these storms but also provides a sense of security and peace of mind. Additionally, it allows businesses to seize opportunities and make strategic investments when the timing is right, without relying on costly borrowing.

The Role of a Financial Advisor

While it's crucial for small business owners to have a solid understanding of their finances, there are occasions when professional advice is necessary. This could be during significant business decisions, a time when you’re faced with complex financial issues, or simply to ensure you're on the right track. Financial professionals draw from their experience and expertise to provide insights, helping you navigate challenging situations and seize growth opportunities.
 

 

Cultivating financial literacy is a vital part of running a successful small business. By understanding your financial position, keeping up with compliance, monitoring cash flow, building reserves, and seeking professional advice when needed, you can make wise decisions that drive the long-term growth and sustainability of your business.

Join the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce for even more great resources that can help you build a strong business in our community!

The end of the year is fast approaching, which means it's time to start thinking about your annual preparations. As a small business owner, there are a few key things you should do at the end of every year to get ready for the one to come. From reviewing your annual goals to finalizing your holiday marketing plans, here's everything you need to do to get your business ready for the new year courtesy of the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce.

 

Review Your Annual Goals

 

When it comes to ending the fourth quarter on a high note, the first important step involves taking some time to thoroughly review your annual goals. Did you achieve everything you set out to do this year? If not, why not? And more importantly, what can you do differently next year to make sure you hit your targets? Outlining your goals for the coming year is a great way to ensure that you're prepared to hit the ground running when January rolls around.

 

Approve Your Holiday Marketing and Promotions

 

Next, take some time to go over your upcoming holiday marketing campaigns and promotions. Are you running any sales or discounts? Do you have any special holiday-themed content planned? Now is the time to get all of that sorted so you can relax and enjoy the holidays stress-free.

 

Make Necessary Updates to Your Website and Social Media Presence

 

Another key end-of-year task is making sure all of your online platforms are up-to-date and seasonally appropriate. Take a look at your website and see if there are any changes or updates that need to be made. The same goes for your social media profiles—are all of your profile photos and bios current? Now is the time to make any necessary changes so you can start the new year with a fresh online presence.

 

Assess Your Inventory

 

As you're reviewing your goals for the coming year, take some time to assess your inventory needs as well. Do you need to order more products or materials? Do you have enough on hand to meet projected demand? Answering these questions now will help you avoid any potential stock issues in the new year.

 

Review Your Business Structure

 

If your business has grown significantly over the past year, it might be time to change your business structure. For example, if you're currently operating as a sole proprietorship but bringing on employees or partners, it might make sense to switch to a corporation or a limited liability company. Talk to a business attorney or accountant to see if changing your business structure makes sense for your company.

 

End-of-Year Tax Planning and Reconciling Your Accounts

 

End-of-year bookkeeping is important for two reasons: it helps you track expenses for tax purposes and it ensures that all of your financial records are up-to-date going into the new year. Reconciling your books also gives you a chance to catch any errors or discrepancies so they can be corrected before they cause bigger problems down the road.

 

Organizing your paperwork and getting everything in order before tax season begins is crucial for small business owners. You might even want to take pictures of all your tax documents. This tool will output a PDF for you, making it far easier to store and access your tax documents – and much harder to lose. Not only does it make filing your taxes simpler and less stressful, but it also helps ensure that you don't miss any important deadlines or overlook any deductions or credits that could save you money.

 

As a small business owner, there are a few key things you should do at the end of every year to get ready for the one to come. From reviewing your annual goals to finalizing your holiday marketing plans use this blog post as a guide to prepare for what's next!

 

Looking for business support in Champaign County? The Champaign County Chamber of Commerce champions our community’s economic and cultural growth through networking, events, and advocacy. Become a member today!

Use Some New Marketing Tools

Marketing is essential for any business, so it's important to keep up with new trends in this area. Try using different platforms such as social media, email lists, and online ads. You may also want to look into creative marketing strategies like influencer marketing or virtual events. It's important to find what works best for your target audience and adjust your approach accordingly.

Partner with Influencers

Influencer marketing can be an effective way of reaching new customers and expanding awareness of your brand. Find influencers who fit in with the mission and goals of your company, then reach out to them about possible partnerships. This could be a great opportunity for both parties, as the influencer will benefit from increased exposure and you will benefit from their large follower base.

Add a New Product or Service

One way to boost business growth is by adding a new product or service that meets customer needs. Research what others in the industry are doing, then come up with something unique that sets you apart from competitors. Be sure to consider pricing, production costs, and other factors before making any decisions about introducing a new product or service.

Research Online Software

Technology has made it easier than ever for business owners to manage their day-to-day operations efficiently, including tasks such as creating PDFs, editing documents quickly, and converting files into multiple formats as needed. You can do everything from obtaining signatures to rotating documents for easier sharing with these resources. As one example of these helpful tools, you may consider this option if you need to rotate one or more pages in a PDF so every page in the file faces the same direction, a must-do when sending out contracts or uploading content onto your business website.

Hire Freelancers

If you don't have enough time or resources within your own team, hiring freelancers may be a good option for expanding your staff without having to commit to long-term contracts or additional payroll expenses. Freelancers can provide valuable skill sets while giving you flexibility without having to hire permanent employees straight away. Look online for available freelancers, noting their experience level and fees.

Grow Your Networking Efforts

Networking is essential when it comes to growing any kind of business. Make sure you're getting involved in local communities and building relationships with other professionals in the same field as yourself. Joining your local chamber of commerce is one great way of meeting people who may become valuable contacts down the line — either as mentors or partners — so don't miss out on those opportunities. You never know who might help you take your business even further.

 

Growing a business takes time and effort, but with some careful planning and research, it can be achieved successfully. Creating a list of best practices will allow you to stay on top of your marketing efforts, make changes to important documents using free PDF tools, and connect with like-minded individuals who can help you take your business into the future successfully. Before making any major moves, however, it's crucial to do some research, especially if you'll be working with someone new.

 

Have a question or comment for the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce? Get in touch today.