Times were tough, so John decided he had to drop his prices below his competitors. The results seemed gratifying. Business picked up quickly and when John looked round his shop he could see his sales staff were always busy with customers.

Very few small businesses have a huge marketing budget to work with. Fortunately, there are a number of simple, free and low-cost ways to get the word out about your company that are also highly effective.

These tips will show you five simple ways to promote your local business without breaking the bank.

Looking for simple ways to cut costs? These tips will help you make a noticeable difference to your bottom line.

Deciding on an online marketing plan can be overwhelming for small business owners looking for affordable ways to nurture steady, sustainable growth. With time in short supply, the key is to find one or two growth strategies that will get results at minimal cost.

Bookstores and libraries around the world supply excellent instructional materials. Riding in the car or commuting on the train, you can learn from experts. The bestseller lists at Amazon are fantastic resources.

The ability to network is a fundamental part of running a business. Running a business in isolation is difficult, so it helps to have expert partners and acquaintances available to share ideas with.

Hopefully, you have long – and short-term plans for your company and you may even have a strategy for your own development, but have you considered having a personal development plan (or individual development plan) for employees?

If you’re like most people you’ve probably gone for periods of time without really thinking about how you spent your money. Maybe you even avoided looking at your bank statement so you wouldn’t see how much money you spent and how little you saved.

Everyone likes making money, especially small business owners. Invoicing, however, is typically one of the tasks that small business owners like the least.

Remember when email was new and novel, and everyone thought it would vastly improve communication while freeing up time? It did improve communication on some levels and freed up employee time at first. Now, however, email has become a productivity killer.

No one really likes talking about their death, which makes updating—or even writing—a will an unpleasant experience. Often, people put off thinking about their will for another day, assuming they have a lot of time to deal with it.

As a small business owner, you’re likely always looking for ways to achieve more. Maybe you made a New Year’s resolution about it. You might have resolved to make more money, find more clients, or grow your business. It’s fantastic to have an idea of what you want to do, but how will you know whether or not you’re successful?

Small business owners know that to find a loyal customer base, they have to stand out from their competitors. One of the best, and easiest, ways to do that is to have outstanding customer service. How you treat your customers reflects your entire business.

Healthy cash flow is important for any business, but particularly for small business owners in those first few “make it or break it” years.

Business owners who set clear payment terms with their customers, invoice quickly, and follow up on late payment can avoid the dreaded cash flow crunch that can quickly put them out of business.

These simple guidelines for setting payment terms can help you get paid quickly and maintain a steady cash flow.

Most small business owners who use accounting software quickly master the basics. They automate processes like invoicing and payroll, track expenses and view real-time financial reports to manage cash flow and make better business decisions.

But what many business owners don’t take advantage of are key insights that can improve customer care and increase sales. Here are some smart ways you can use your accounting software to help boost your bottom line.

Finding the right bank to serve your small business needs can be a daunting task.

With so many competing financial institutions to choose from, business owners simply don’t have the time for the in-depth research required to carefully weigh all the options.

Keeping track of sales, earnings, expenses, and purchases is fundamental to the overall health and sustainability of your business. Effective bookkeeping produces the data you need to evaluate your current practices, anticipate challenges, and set attainable future goals.

But despite their proven importance, many business owners dread and avoid accounting tasks. In fact, 40% of surveyed entrepreneurs claim that bookkeeping is one the worst parts of running a business!

Wondering if it’s really worth the aggravation?

Here are four reminders of how effective bookkeeping is the cornerstone of small business success.

Small business owners already have a difficult and time-consuming job running their business. If their business is open five days a week, they usually need the weekend to catch up on paperwork, pay bills and manage any tasks they didn’t get to during the week.

For those with a seven-day-a-week business, there’s even less time off. They often feel the need to be onsite any time the business is open, to deal with unanticipated issues, help the staff out, and ensure all tasks are completed.

Being onsite seven days a week isn’t healthy or productive, however. It can cause burnout and result in errors being made. It affects the business owner’s personal life and quality of life, not to mention their overall well-being.

Here are three tips for getting your life back when you operate a seven-day-a-week business.

Ideally, you and your accountant are more than just “adviser” and “client”.

With your combined skills, expertise, and shared mission to support a thriving business, you’re more like strategic partners.

The key to achieving success in any partnership is, of course, strong communication. At your next meeting, be sure to ask your accountant these four important questions.

Most small business owners can’t afford to think small. They always need to keep their mind on growth strategies to help them achieve long-term profitability.

But becoming profitable in the first place often requires business owners to work long hours on a shoe-string budget. They don’t always have time to implement systems that will support them when they’re ready to scale. It’s not uncommon for entrepreneurs to use free or low-cost software solutions that can get them up and running, but hold them back as their needs evolve.

Read on to learn if it’s time to upgrade your current systems to support your small business as it grows – and what to look for.