Benefits of google advertising for small business in 2026

Benefits of google advertising for small business in 2026

by | Mar 4, 2024

Business Tips

Benefits of google advertising for small business in 2026

March 04, 2024

Google advertising for small businesses

Using Google advertising for small business is a common practice today compared and while it may seem easy to set up, it definitely shouldn’t be underestimated. One wrong click and you can kiss goodbye thousands of dollars. 

To prevent that from happening, we’ve gathered some precious advice from experienced professionals who are very familiar with Google Ads for small business. They’ve seen all the pitfalls small business owners are lured into. But more importantly, they also know all the ways to avoid falling in these pitfalls.

 

The biggest mistakes small businesses make with Google Ads 

Budget

The biggest mistake small business owners make with Google Ads is budget versus campaign size. As a Google Premier Partner who specializes in working with SMEs and is also well-versed in Google Ads management for e-commerce, each time our first converzations is about setting expectations. Depending on the vertical or on the market the advertiser is in, cost per click (CPC) bids might be around £2 so if the daily budget is only £10 a day and there are lots of potential customers searching for the service/product, 5 clicks a day isn’t going to get much traffic, let alone results. Read more about how to avoid PPC spending disasters in this article about budget pacing.

It is important to have a clear outcome in mind and build the account to achieve that outcome, with campaigns that match the size of the budget, which is a realistic amount to achieve the outcome. The Google Keyword Planner is a great place to start as it will give you an understanding of the cost & results you can expect to achieve.

Jaye Cowle, Founder of Launch Online

Small businesses seem oblivious to the fact they are spending more on ads than those ads are bringing in. They just kind of assume advertising is a cost of doing business, but don’t actually dive into the analytics to figure out that they are paying $20 to get a sale that makes them $10. Now initially sometimes ads aren’t profitable when experimenting and dialling things in. However, ads should quickly become profitable or you should stop that ad and try something else. 

John Frigo, Digital Marketing Lead at Best Price Nutrition

Keywords

The biggest mistake I see is that if business owners are running their own Google Ads, they don’t pay enough attention to Negative Keyword Lists. 

Negative keywords are a simple way to ensure your search terms don’t appear for irrelevant terms, and to exclude common terms which you may not want to appear for.

For example, a retailer selling luxury handmade engagement rings might be bidding on “engagement rings ” as a broad match phrase. 

Left unattended, this keyword bid may appear on:

cheap engagement rings 

vintage engagement rings 

antique engagement rings

unusual engagement rings

luxury engagement rings

platinum engagement rings

Of course, some of these will be relevant and happy to appear on, but ideally, they would be excluding terms like “cheap” or “vintage” if they are not appropriate. 

Negative keyword lists need constant attention with the regular and consistent trimming to ensure the budget is not being wasted on irrelevant search terms. Log in and check the Search Terms at least twice a week, ideally more depending on budget, to make sure your spend isn’t wasted. 

Adam Bastock, eCommerce SEO at abastock

A lack of understanding around potential customers’ search intent and not sourcing the right keywords to target are two interrelated mistakes made by small businesses using Google Ads. 

For example, I have seen local businesses miss out on locally-focused keywords that may result in their ads appearing in front of relevant searchers in their area and better

outcomes. Instead, they have tried to target broader, national words in their industries.

Andrew Clark, Marketing Strategist at Duckpin 

Another big mistake that small business owners make with Google Ads is cluttering their campaigns with too many keywords that don’t convert very well. The best way to solve this is to limit each ad group to around ten keywords that are extremely relevant to the content of the ads within that ad group. This way the user’s search query and the content of the ad that receives an impression are a very close match.

Michael Anderson, Marketing Specialist at GeoJango Maps 

A lack of keyword research can certainly prove costly for a business running Google ads. The keyword should resemble the product or service your business is currently offering, the wrong keyword can significantly increase the bounce rate (number of visitors backtracking after clicking initially) and this results in the budget being taken for unnecessary and ineffective traffic. This can be solved with an easy solution with SEO tools such as Ahrefs and Google Keywords.

Rizwan Girach, Chessgammon 

Match types

The biggest mistake I’ve seen several times with small business owners is not knowing about the correct usage of match types. They’ll put in a keyword like “Accountant” as a broad match, and get tons of clicks that are never going to convert. Match types aren’t an especially complicated concept, so a small business owner either needs to spend a bit of time learning more about Google Ads or hire someone to give them a basic set up that at least avoids the obvious pitfalls.

Abir Syed, Digital Marketing Consultant at Upcounting.com

Most business owners assign Broad Match keyword to their ad campaign(s), and since Broad Match is meant to capture as many variations of the keyword as possible (BM keywords also captures traffic to topic related searches that don’t have to include your target keyword) on the web, the small business owner starts losing advertising spend quickly because the ad is being shown as much as possible throughout the internet.

To avoid this issue, small business owners should learn about how keyword match types work or speak with a PPC specialist.

John Pinedo, Co-Founder of Instinct Marketing

Audience

Trying to be all things for everybody is yet another mistake small business owners make with their Google ads. You must focus on your target audiences. Know what they want and need. Learn what their interests are. You must know what makes them tick. That’s the only way your Google Ads can get views. If you know what your target audiences are looking for, you’ll know how to sell to them.

Julia Brookes, Finance Consultant at Now Loans 

Landing pages

The biggest mistake that I see small business owners make is that they treat just about every single click the same. In my experience, the closer you can match the ad and the landing page to the search query, the more likely it is that you’ll increase conversion rates and improve your down funnel CPAs (cost per acquisition).

A simple way to solve this is to identify the top keyword(s) that drive the most volume and create a landing page and ad that matches the search query. I would break these top keywords out into their own ad group and focus on creating the most consistent and relevant experience possible. Then move onto other keywords as time permits.

John Porrini, Founder of LeadBoost

Too often, SMBs lack customized landing pages designed for advertising (with stripped-down navigation and a design based on best practices for optimal conversion optimization). Even more often, companies fail to create or direct ads to relevant landing pages on their website, whether custom or existing pages. This dramatically impacts conversions and indirectly, Quality Score. 

The fix: creating dedicated landing pages for Google Ads, ideally for each ad group.

Kent Lewis, President and Founder of Anvil

Data

I was getting my butt kicked in our Google AdWords account, I had tried almost everything I could think of until one simple change that I made proved to be the thing that would give me a leg up I guess my competition.

Big data is a buzzword to get stone around a lot but I was able to use it to make AdWords work for us.

I began to leverage our data, combined with publicly available census data, for marketing insights.

For example, in a recent campaign we ran in Nashville, TN , we ran pay-per-click (PPC) Adwords campaign with one ad targeting the entire metro Nashville area. The headline read ‘Local Lawn Pros in Nashville are a click away.’ and I thought the performance of the ad was good with a click-through rate of over 1% and conversion rate of over 10% on the Nashville landing page but we needed to improve on it.

We thought, how can we make this more contextual and relevant to the viewer? Se we researched census data, looking at the average income and home values throughout the Nashville area.

We found that East Nashville, an up-and-coming neighbourhood, was populated with more working class, and a creative class demographic and we hypothesized this customer segment would be price sensitive but still not want to cut their own lawns. So we segmented those zip codes and only ran a specific ad for them, with a headline ‘The Cheapest Lawn Mowing in Nashville. Lawn mowing from $20.’”

We then created a matching landing page. After running the ad for one month, on-page analytics proved our hypothesis to be true. We saw over 200% lift in click-through rate and 30% lift in on-page conversion.

Studying the data your own business generates can tell you which of your online marketing campaigns works best. Do the ads appeal to your target market or another market altogether? The data may also point to completely new areas of customer interest.

Bryan Clayton, CEO at GreenPal YourGreenPal.com

Tracking conversions

The biggest mistake we see over 90% of small business owners make when it comes to Google advertising, is not directly tracking conversions. Google has the most advanced machine-learning on the market and to make it work for you, it needs to know what to optimize around. When you tell Google what your conversions are and track them within Google Ads, you open up Data-driven attribution and bidding strategies that other small businesses miss out on.

Grant Higginson, President of Welby Consulting

Display advertising

We are a small business and one of the biggest mistakes we made was keeping the Display Advertising selection checked when setting up our account. We wasted so much money there and didn’t know until months later Display Advertising should have its own campaign. 

We unchecked that option and immediately saw far better results and were actually profitable!

Jeff Moriarty, Marketing Manager at Moriarty’s Gem Art 

Advertising an entire catalogue

The biggest mistake small business owners make with Google Ads is trying to run ads to their entire catalogue. When it comes to paid traffic, not all products are going to be profitable. It’s important to pick and choose the products you’re putting ads behind based on common sense, average order value, and data. This is especially crucial with Google Shopping, many newbie store owners (myself included when we were starting out) just turn on the shopping feed with their entire catalogue, and let it run.

Cole South, Co-Founder of Gold BJJ

Conclusion

It takes more than one try to make a successful Google Ads campaign. Or better yet, it takes constant effort to find the perfect formula for your business. And even when you find it, it will most likely change sooner rather than later. So keep on experimenting, testing, learning, but never give up. Moreover, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Paying an agency to run the ads for you can sometimes be more cost-efficient than doing it by yourself.

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Reducing operating cost of your business: 23 proven ways

Reducing operating cost of your business: 23 proven ways

by | Feb 7, 2024

Business Tips

Reducing operating cost of your business: 23 proven ways

February 07, 2024

Ways to reduce operation cost in your business

One thing is for sure: in business every penny counts. Therefore keeping a close eye on your operating expenses is imperative. Especially on the “cheap” costs. Business owners often disregard them as significant but when accumulated these small expenses can overburden the budget.

Don’t wait until it’s too late and start reducing operating expenses now.

How to reduce operating expenses in business?

There’s not only one answer on how to reduce operating expenses in business. It all depends on the industry, nature of business, management, goals etc. However, the following ways to reduce operating cost provide a good starting point.

Half the electricity bill

One of the main operating costs prevalent in my company is the electricity bill. When it got too much, we had to find ways to reduce it. The first technique was by mindful use of electric power. This meant switching off lights when they are not in use, taking full advantage of natural lighting during the day, and switching off all electronic gadgets and machines when closing up the office space. We also replaced all previous bulbs with energy-saving ones, and made sure to purchase energy-efficient equipment only during restocking or replacing periods.

Moreover, you can also consider switching to another energy supplier.

Jay Scott, Proprietor at Pugsquest

Lack of QBE (qualified by experience)

Small companies run on tight margins and even tighter cashflow – the challenge is that if you don’t know something the first person you speak to is an expert. Paid media is a great example – I wasted over 7k pounds in 3 months on so-called experts – using my brain and Google I learnt about what was missing and now I can manage the so-called experts and get a good ROI – more sales means more cash.

Kenneth Nel, Founder and Owner of Digital Coach

Audit the online services you use

Nowadays most small businesses depend upon using online tools and services to manage their businesses and increase productivity. Using these tools and services is a great idea, but soon the amount of monthly recurring costs can increase and drain a good amount of money from your monthly budget.

My tip would be to audit the tools and services you use every 6 months and see if you’re actually using and benefiting from them. If you’re not using all of the features in a service, you can think of downgrading. Or even better, switch to free alternatives if there’s one in the market.Businesses should also periodically review their telecommunications expenses, as unused services, billing errors, and outdated contracts often go unnoticed for years. Implementing telecom audit solutions can help identify these inefficiencies and uncover additional savings opportunities. This can help you save some good amount of money every single month that can help you save a few extra thousand dollars annually.

Ram Shengale, Founder of Fantastech Solution

Get better credit cards

We are a small business, who is always keeping a close eye on our expenses. Something we did to reduce operating cost was switch to a business credit card that offers 2% cashback. We pay all of our expenses with this credit card and pay off the balance weekly. The benefit is that we can effectively reduce all of our expenses by 2%, due to the cashback reward. This has saved us thousands of dollars over the course of the year. But it’s only effective as long as you pay off the balance.

Jeff Neal, Engagement Officer at The Critter Depo

 

Hire interns

One of the best ways to reduce operating cost is to hire interns. Interns are paid less than standard workers since they are still learning to work. This cuts costs in two ways: One, since they are learning on the job, they are paid less but still execute the same tasks as full employees. With an operations management tool at hand, you can automatically assign interns to the fitting (probably, simpler) activities based on their skills. There are also no expenses on allowances and other benefits. Two, they can act as affordable hires once they are through with the training. They can be hired without the costly expenses of training new employees since they already understand the tasks at hand.

James Jason, HR at Mitrade

Leverage your business partner’s higher credit rating

A rather unique way of saving on operating costs is by utilizing the higher credit rating of your supply chain partners to reduce your own borrowing costs.

For example, large companies often arrange for channel financing facilities for their vendors and distributors and use their own financial strength to negotiate favorable terms from the banks. If your company has a business relationship with such a large company, you can benefit from such a facility.

Gaurav Sharma, Founder of BankersByDay.com

Ask yourself do you really need call tracking services

Paying a service to link calls to lead sources like Google Ads and Facebook, can be expensive. By porting your phone numbers away from your tracking service to your existing flat rate VOIP phone service, you can cut 90-100% of this cost, which for us was over $1,000/month. We love the tracking, but during a crisis like this, the data is not normal, so not particularly useful for analysis. And we can bring the service back with a few clicks whenever we want, so it’s a particularly easy savings opportunity.

Eric Niloff, CEO at EverPresent

Digital marketing is a lot more budget-friendly than traditional marketing

While cutting operating expenses is a great way to free up cash, I believe it should not affect the top line and the brand’s reputation. At our company, we found creative ways to cut marketing expenses and grow revenues at the same time. We reduced marketing costs, representing approximately 7% of our total costs, and switched to free forms of advertising.

We introduced a B2B referral program, leveraged our social media channels with freelancers’ help, and negotiated deals with content creators. We trained talented people on our team to do several jobs. For example, our customer support manager has a passion for social media, so if he can take care of it part-time, it would have zero impact on our payroll.

JP Brousseau, CEO of Phone Loop

 

Be smart about processing the payrolls

One of the critical measures a small business can take to cut operating expenses is to stop weekly payroll. Consider administrative and payroll processing costs. Especially if, like many small businesses, you don’t have an advanced payroll processing system.

We switched to a bi-weekly payroll reduced admin and processing costs by 40% and improved cash flow. Additionally, we outsourced our payroll services so that employees responsible for it could focus on more profitable tasks. We trained them to take care of customer queries, nurture leads, and participate in other revenue-generating activities for our business.

Thierry Tremblay, CEO & Founder of Kohezio

 

SEO is better than PPC

Google traffic or lead generation is a massive part of our business model and success. To quickly reduce expenses we have stopped paying for Google Ads or PPC (Pay per click) and taken all of our SEO in house. Doing our own SEO has allowed us to drastically reduce overhead while building our organic google traffic to our website, free of charge. Organic traffic is not only free, it is also a much more sustainable long term model for attracting high quality leads.

James Watson, Marketing/Acquisitions at Omaha Homes For Cash

Choose the right email software

Take your email software from $400 per month to $4 like we did.

Most email platforms use a “pay for list size” model, where you pay a monthly service fee regardless of whether you contact your email list or not. As your email list grows to thousands of subscribers, your fees quickly become hundreds of dollars per month. Instead, you can use a self-hosted email sending platform that connects to AWS on a “pay for use” basis. We implemented this change earlier this year and decreased our email fees from $400+ per month to about $4 per month. Plus, our team likes the new software better because it is simple and streamlined.

Michael Alexis, CEO of TeamBuilding

Be careful with your toll-free number hosting company

One way I reduced my operating expenses this year is by changing my toll-free number hosting company. With Kall8 I was spending about $70 per month for three numbers. I market on local business, not nationally, which is why that dollar amount might seem low to you.

I know it doesn’t sound like a lot, but I have been getting nickel and dimed with a lot of small monthly expenses. This year I’m on a cost-cutting marathon.

Although I used it just to reduce my monthly expense, PhoneWagon isn’t designed to just be your toll-free number. It’s designed to help you track where your call-in leads come from. Their pricing currently starts at 500 minutes a month, with five tracking phone numbers for $45. That’s a 36% savings, and only took me a few minutes!

Not only do we entrepreneurs need to watch the large expenses, but we also must take a look at the small expenses that are eating us alive.

Kathe Kline, Founder of MedicareQuick

Get yourself a Virtual Assistant

Dedicated assistants are essential when running a monetized website. You pay them by the hour usually using paystubs as opposed to monthly salaries. Also, the assistant is a freelancer so you don’t have to bear additional benefits. Apart from the much needed help, you can get much more from the hire by contracting someone from the other end of the globe. That way, both of you can run a

24/7 operation to earn more money.

Swati Chalumuri, Founder of HearMeFolks

Buy assets and supplies, don’t lease

Buy instead of leasing. Keep the profit you’re paying to your lease financing company. Interest rates are at record lows. Buying an asset may also provide a large immediate tax deduction. Some businesses lease to show less debt on their books. A new lease accounting rule starting soon will force them to record the cost of all future lease payments. Buying commercial real estate is especially attractive right now because prices are low. Buying is an investment you make today that can reap both cash flow and profits.

Rob Stephens, Founder of CFO Perspective

 

Rent out free desks

Office space can be reduced quite easily. If you have 1-2 desks free in your office you can rent them out for an affordable price to hot deskers – freelancers or remote workers looking for an office environment.

A small charge of $100-$150 a month per seat will take a healthy percentage from your office costs.

My office used to be $1200 a month. I rented out 3 hot desks for $450 total, giving me a saving of 37.5%

Brett Downes, Founder of Haro Helpers

Increase employee satisfaction

One of the most powerful, and most overlooked, ways in which companies can reduce operating cost is by increasing employee satisfaction. Studies have shown that when employees feel appreciated, valued and understood, their level of productivity increases which then increases the level of benefit and profit employers can obtain from their employees. When employees feel burned out, underappreciated and undervalued, they tend to put forth less effort and hard work which increases attrition in the workplace. Employees that are a drag on the company increase operating expenses because they fail to carry their weight.

Jeff Dundas, Owner and CEO of  Talk Central

Know your taxes

Taxes are one of the single largest expenses any business incurs. Most small business owners fail to realize that individuals earn money, pay taxes on those earnings, and spend what is left. Businesses, on the other hand, earn money, spend that money, and pay taxes on what is left. One of the first things I tell clients is to move as many expenses to the business as legally possible.

This could include cell phone service, company car, and much more. Increasing justifiable business expenses is one of the easiest methods for legally reducing one’s tax obligation. It is also worth using a leasing lawyer to assist with getting a rental deduction and saving money. 

Go paperless

Not having to spend money on paper products, including marketing collateral, can save thousands of dollars over the course of a year for a small business. And it is better for the environment as well. With so many digital options for marketing and tools for paperless communication, it really is easier than ever to cut this cost.

Jesse Silkoff, Founder of MyRoofingPal

Embrace automation

Fully embracing automation is a major lever in reducing marketing expenses. Whether it’s scheduling and posting on social media, sending monthly newsletters, or optimizing digital marketing campaigns – automation should have a big role to lower costs. Automation can both reduce manual time spent, and increase efficiency. At Wilbur Labs, we encourage founders to

constantly think about how they can add more automation into their marketing strategies and any other areas that would benefit the business.

Phil Santoro, Co-Founder of Wilbur Labs

Bater your services

One uncommon way to reduce operating cost and save money in a small business is to barter your services. For example, if you have experience in PR, you might offer that to someone who can update your website. The examples are endless. And even though it might seem a bit stale, in today’s competitive business environment, it’s a shrewd and effective tool. And the most specialized your talents and skills are, the more you can command for them in return. Bonus points if you can identify businesses or companies who need your particular skill or talent (and that you need theirs) which increases your chances of success. 

David Walter, CEO of Electrician Mentor

Reduce business travel expenses

Business travel eats up quite but of your operating costs. They are unavoidable but you can cut down the unnecessary expenses associated with business travels. One way to save costs is to consider booking flights that will take you to a small, regional airport instead of a major airport hub. They cost less and can help you save money on your business trips. By developing a travel itinerary ahead of time, you can book in advance and avail of cheaper tickets. Booking at the last minute will cost you more. You have to consider also if traveling is really necessary. If not that necessary, you may consider a virtual meeting through the various digital resources. This will help you cave both time and money and is an effective way to reduce costs.

Michael Hammelburger, CEO of Expense Reduction Group

Switch to remote work

Managing a physical office is costly. Allowing my team to work remotely reduces the total costs for office space. Our team doesn’t require face-to-face interaction with customers, so remote work is the best option to cut costs. In our technology-driven world, communication in many ways is possible. We use Slack to communicate and collaborate instantly. Doing this increases my team’s productivity and efficiency as they can work comfortably in their own homes. I’m able to save money as I don’t need an office space anymore, which increases my revenue.

It is a simple way of reducing operating costs. In these times of pandemic, remote working is highly effective and beneficial both for the employer and employees. Of course, it depends on the nature of your business. Assess yours, and you’ll see and find where you’ll be able to save money.

Mason Culligan, Founder and CEO of Mattress Battle Inc.

 

Outsource the back-office work

Regardless of the kind of small business you are running, you always need a back-office team to hand some of your day to day work. For example, you can outsource your managed IT services to expert IT assistance providers who can offer specialized services and expertise in this domain, and other backend processes. In my opinion, companies can reduce back-office costs dramatically with the help of outsourcing. Now the question comes up – how outsourcing back-office processes save costs?

When a business outsources back-office operations, they don’t need to rent out space, spend on equipment, software, recruitment, employee training programs, and employee benefit programs, like insurance, 401(k) plans, etc. When there are no such expenses, businesses can save a considerable amount of their overhead.

In an Australian survey of 7500 public organizations, outsourcing saved around 46% of costs over in-house.

Jessica Smith, Senior Accountant at Cogneesol

Conclusion

Reducing the operating costs of business won’t be a one-time job. This is an ongoing process that never ends. Your best chance at running a lucrative business is to become smarter in balancing your operating budget. As you see, small changes can make huge difference in business.

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Standing out in the saturated brewery business: 6 tested tips

Standing out in the saturated brewery business: 6 tested tips

by | Feb 6, 2024

Business Tips

Standing out in the saturated brewery business: 6 tested tips

February 06, 2024

Standing out in the saturated brewery business

It’s not easy to stand out in such a crowded market, but it can be done. Entrepreneurs or brewery owners don’t want to just be one of the crowd, after all. You want your beer and brand to become something people look for, and talk about. Furthermore, before you dive headlong into the world of brewing it’s important to carefully draw up your brewery business plan. You’ll be able to see problems coming and have a chance of avoiding the pits, so your brewery won’t just become another name in print–it will shine as an unforgettable brand. So go ahead, don’t waste any time.

6 proven tips for standing out as a brewery

Here are some ways you can make stand out from the crowd:

Develop a unique brand

Your brand is the one thing that distinguishes you from your competitors. It’s what comes into people’s minds when they hear your name and see your logo. Standing out in the brewery business takes strong and unique brands. Think about what sets your brewery apart, and translate that into a brand. It seems to me that the location, and type of beer brewed. The methodology used in preparation or even some aspects of ingredients may be involved here. Whatever it is, showcase it in your branding and marketing efforts. Make sure your brand messaging is the same in all places, from websites to beer cans.

Focus on quality beer

In a crowded market, quality counts for everything. Then people will run out, all right. If the beer is bad, they won’t return to that brewery. Strive to make the best beer in town and let customers do your advertising. Consistency is essential, so each batch of beer should meet your standards. Investing in quality ingredients and equipment for top products.

Create a welcoming atmosphere

Another way to stand out is by making your tasting room especially inviting. While the brew may be your big hit, it is the atmosphere that can determine whether or not people remember you. As for your tasting room, think of the decor, seating arrangements, and music. But make it a comfortable, warm place that represents your brand. Communicate with customers, and create a cozy environment in which they can stay for more than one drink.

Host events and collaborations

If you host events, then your brewery becomes the place to go in town. As examples of what I mean, there are tastings and pairing events; trivia nights with live music where food trucks will be parked outside or all kinds of insanely wild activities according to your target audience. Or you could cooperate with other local businesses or breweries for special events and products, which are sure to get people talking. This not only makes you shine, it also helps create bonds with other people in the same industry and links back to your home town.

Be authentic and passionate

More than anything, be yourself and do what you love. People can sense that something is genuine, and they admire it. And tell your story, and recount for them the love you have for brewing beer. Let customers see what goes in each batch of homebrew beer that is made here at this establishment. Don’t hide your process and ingredients, but engage the customer–in person or online. Once they’ve drunk the beer, few people will ever ponder who made them so happy.

Anticipate and mitigate pitfalls

Passion, and effort alone won’t ensure success in running a brewery. Problems with hardware, supply chain challenges, licensing problems, and evolving customer tastes can all present major obstacles. At one time, Edward Landseer pointed out that brewing is an incredible art. It’s partly a science and it can also be quite difficult to master. Generally speaking for any small business like ours profitability comes in waves peaks etc., you just need something significant if there.

Conclusion

But with the market saturated it can be difficult to stand out. Making your own brand, however, keeping beer of high quality and designing a friendly ambiance–holding events and collaborating on them too–as well as being sincere and having heart and mindfulness will help get you noticed by those who enjoy their suds. The beer bears only half the responsibility; it’s up to you what kind of experience and brand people remember. With this little extra effort, your brewery will be talked about for all the right reasons.

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The best POS System for your business in 2026

The best POS System for your business in 2026

by | Jan 24, 2024

Business Tips

The best POS System for your business in 2026

January 24, 2024

The best POS systems to improve your business.

A Point-of-Sale or POS system is the place your customers make payments for the products or services your business offers. It is the digital cash register of your business. Additionally, a POS system makes it easy for you to accept and keep track of sales in your business.

A POS system is straightforward to use; all you need is to install a POS app and have an internet-enabled device. Then, when the customer decides what they want to purchase, the POS system calculates the item or product cost, your customer pays, and voila, the transaction is finalized. When you have a top-notch POS system in your business, the checkout process will be so seamless and thus, increase customer satisfaction.

Top eight POS systems for your business

POS systems have been making a massive difference in the world’s payment system. Because of this, there are numerous POS systems in the digital world, but they have different levels of business efficiency.

1. Lightspeed

Lightspeed is a one-stop cloud-based Point-of-Sale system that makes complex processes simple. Also, it is a commerce platform for retail, hospitality, and golf merchants all around the world.

If you manage multiple systems, Lightspeed helps you bring them together for easier management. Additionally, this system allows you to access multiple revenue streams all in one place.

This POS system provides your business with intuitive and modern tools. Also, with Lightspeed, you get regular software updates to ensure you get superior features.

Furthermore, Lightspeed has a POS systems guide to provide clarification and guidance on all things related to POS systems. For instance, this guide explains what a cloud-based POS is, why you need a POS system and the significant features of a POS system.

2. Shopify

Shopify is one of the most reliable platforms on which you can build your business. Over a million of the successful brands in the world today trust Shopify for their selling, shipping, and processing of payments.

This software supplies you with tools to help you find customers, drive sales, and manage your business daily. Additionally, you can turn your retail store into an online store and keep serving your customers without any disturbances.

Shopify goes with you wherever your business goes. So you can sell your products to anyone, at any time, and anywhere.

3. Square

Square POS system is much more than a Point-of-Sale system in that it offers much more features and services to move your business forward. This platform makes it possible for you to start selling your products wherever your customers are.

With Square, you can sell in person, online, over the phone, etc. Furthermore, it is free and easy to use; you do not need any prior training before using this POS system.

In just a few taps, you can accept payments, pay team members, and sell anywhere. Square gives you the necessary tools to shape the future of your business how you like.

4. Intuit QuickBooks

Intuit QuickBooks offers a new Point-of-Sale on Desktop, which brings more services and features to the users. This system is specially built for your retail business, both online and in-store.

QuickBooks gives you ecommerce integration, contactless payments, multichannel inventory management, and much more. Also, this POS system accepts all payment types such as contactless, gift cards, mobile, etc.

The ecommerce integration feature allows you to manage all your business in one place. Furthermore, the new hardware has maximum power and minimum space. It is also available in more colors and sleeker designs to aid the checkout process.

5. Vend

Vend lets you optimize your retail operations easily. Even though running a retail business across multiple outlets is challenging, Vend helps your business increase efficiency and profitability.

This POS system has a user-friendly interface that is fast to use and easier to learn. Also, Vend POS works effortlessly with existing or new hardware. Additionally, all your business’ data is synced to the cloud, making it accessible anywhere.

Vend POS system gives you the ability to accept all the possible ways your customers want to pay you. You can also be sure of a secure and seamless checkout experience for your customers.

6. TouchBistro

TouchBistro is an all-in-one restaurant management system with all the technology you need to run your restaurant. This platform lets you increase your sales while, at the same time, saving money and time.

TouchBistro ensures you provide order accuracy, reduce wait times, and serve customers efficiently wherever and however they’re ordering. This means you will deliver an outstanding experience to your customers.

TouchBistro’s Point-of-Sale system allows you to create menus with specific items tailored to the particular time of the day. You can also customize your POS with whatever add-on products you want.

7. Takepayments

Take Payments are made up of market-leading experts who offer a range of payment solutions, helping businesses to improve their customer experience and payment efficiency. More recently, Take Payments have started to support businesses with the launch of online sales by offering website build services.Take Payments know there is never ‘one-size-fits-all’,

So, whether your business requires a POS system, online payment systems, or one of the various card payment readers they have to offer, their range of experts will guide you through selecting the most appropriate solution that works for you.

8. Merge Stream POS

Merge Stream POS system is designed for grocery stores, meat markets, and convenience retailers that need a modern solution to manage daily operations with ease. This platform brings together advanced hardware integrations and smart software tools to help you run your entire business efficiently.

With Merge Stream, you can connect CAS and Magellan in-counter scales for precise weight-based transactions, use PAX payment terminals for a sleek checkout experience, and handle dual pricing and EBT payments seamlessly. Furthermore, it supports multi-store and multi-lane management, allowing you to oversee multiple locations and checkout lanes from one dashboard.

In just a few taps, you can process payments, manage inventory, and keep operations flowing smoothly. Merge Stream gives you everything you need to modernize your store and grow confidently.

Benefits of using POS systems in your business

Using a POS system in your business attracts a lot of benefits. So, if you are still uncertain about why you should get one for your business, these are the top benefits of using POS systems in your business.

1. Quick Payments

One of the most notable benefits of using a POS system is that it allows your customers to make payments faster. For example, after your customer selects the product they want to buy, the system automatically calculates the price of the item.

Also, POS systems allow customers to pay by cash, credit, or debit card. It then becomes easy for them to complete the transaction.

2. Better customer experience

With benefits like numerous payment channels, faster response to customers, multiple payment channels, etc., you can be sure that your customers will enjoy a wonderful experience with you. This will, in turn, increase your customer satisfaction and loyalty.

3. Simple invoicing

Point-of-Sale systems make it easy for you to record and group all your invoices. However, because there are several categories of invoices to record, it might be challenging to keep track of them all. But with a POS system, you can manage and easily distinguish these invoices.

4. Saves time

Imagine having to calculate every customers’ orders manually. This will take a lot of time and negatively affect the overall customer experience. However, POS systems cut down on this time consumption by automatically calculating the orders in a matter of seconds.

5. Reduced errors

Human beings are bound to make errors, which can significantly hurt your business. But because POS systems are electronic, they make little to no mistakes when carrying out sales, calculations, customer management, invoice creation, etc.

Things to look for in a POS system

Sometimes, you should sit back and imagine how life must have been before technology came into being. For instance, an innovation like the POS system makes it easier for businesses to flow and move effortlessly.

There are many POS systems out there, but this article has highlighted the best of the best. The article even goes further to give tips on selecting the best POS system for your business. You can be confident that transaction hassles will become a thing of the past with these POS systems.

1. Flexible payment options

Your chosen POS system should allow you to take payment from your customers in whatever form it may be. Long gone are the days when people pay through cash only. Now, we have credit cards, gift cards, cryptocurrencies, etc. Your POS system should accommodate all these options.

2. Excellent customer relationship management

A sound retail POS system should have the CRM ability you need to build solid and long-lasting relationships with your customers. Also, it should be able to capture the necessary customer information. This would let you create customer profiles and sync customer sales.

3. Employee management capability

The POS system you choose should help you manage your employees very without difficulty. A POS system that helps you manage your staff while also managing sales will reduce your administrative burden. It should also give you insights into your staff’s performance.

4. Smart inventory management

It does not matter how many products you have in your store; your POS system needs a top-notch inventory management function. This is because it will help you keep track of all your products. It should organize your products by category, manage stock, create and send purchase orders, and many more.

Conclusion

Sometimes, you should sit back and imagine how life must have been before technology came into being. For instance, an innovation like the POS system makes it easier for businesses to flow and move effortlessly.

There are many POS systems out there, but this article has highlighted the best of the best. The article even goes further to give tips on selecting the best POS system for your business. You can be confident that transaction hassles will become a thing of the past with these POS systems.

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How to turn your hobby into a business in 2026

How to turn your hobby into a business in 2026

by | Dec 20, 2023

Business Tips

How to turn your hobby into a business in 2026

December 20, 2023

Turning your hobby into a business
It’s fair to say that the digitalisation has had an even bigger impact on life and work than the industrialisation. Nowadays, you’re just a click away to turn a hobby into a business. The internet offers more opportunities than ever before. That being said, you can have a full-time job and still earn on the side from your hobby business. What’s great about hobbies is that we enjoy doing them, so working on your hobby business would be a lot of fun. You’d feel no obligations or have a fixed schedule.

But how to monetise fun and how to turn your hobby into a unique and fun business? Namely, there are a million ways to do it but at the end of the day it all comes down to several key steps which we’ll cover in the following paragraphs. However, you should remember that competition has never been harsher and you should find a way to stand out in order to come from passion to profit.

Is there a market for your hobby?

Is there an audience for your hobby? What is the competition? Is there a place for you on the market? Is the demand big? Do you offer a solution to a problem?

Analyse the demand

We can’t stress enough the importance of analysing the market. Unfortunately, one of the main causes for small business failure is that there is no market need for the particular offering. Be careful when researching and don’t get blinded by your own feelings. You can create the most unique product or service but if there’s no demand for it, it’ll flop in an instant.

Take a look at competition

Additionally, you should be careful of competition too. An oversaturated market leaves almost no space for newcomers, unless your offer is revolutionising and solves a problem more efficiently than the already existing solutions. 

On the other hand, competition is good because it’s what keeps innovation going and spices up the game. One thing is for sure, you can learn a great deal from analysing your competition, just don’t get caught too much into it or you’ll lose your focus.

Test before going all-in

Lastly, you can always test the product or service coming from your hobby business before investing in it. For instance, you can attend fairs and observe the public response. If the feedback is positive, nothing is stopping you from turning a hobby into a business. By the same token, if you offer a service, try advertising it first and see what happens. If it generates enough buzz, it might be time to create a business model around it.

Slow but consistent transition from hobby to business

Obviously you already have a job so take things slowly – baby steps. You still have bills to pay and going broke is out of the question.

Invest more time than money

At the beginning, you should invest more time than money into it. Of course, having a full-time job leaves you with fewer hours on your watch than you’d like but there are ways to work around that too. If you use public transport, use the commute time to work on your side hustle. Instead of aimlessly scrolling on social media, write your business plan. Plug off your TV and grind. Listen to podcasts to educate yourself while doing whatever. We don’t say it won’t be tiring, but at the end it will be worth it.

But also, don’t be a cheapskate

However, don’t expect to find your name on magazine covers if you’re not willing to put a single dima into your business. Building a brand, marketing, production, hiring or outsourcing – these are all things that require a certain budget. If you have personal savings and you intend to use them be extremely careful. Alternatively, you can find an investor or a partner to help you turn a hobby into a business.

Eventually, as things start to unfold you’ll come to a certain point when you will have to quit your job and seriously devote yourself to your baby business.

Grow an online presence

If the first two decades of the 21st century was all about the internet, you’re free to guess the third one will be too. As a matter of fact, being present online has become more of an essential necessity than a luxury. For example, if you’re a musician looking to broaden your audience, one effective approach is using tools like DistroKid’s app to release your music on various platforms. Yet, whether due to the challenges of going online, research shows that an overwhelming percentage of SMEs don’t have a website, aren’t listed anywhere or don’t manage social media accounts. 

If there were 11 commandments, “Be online” would have been the eleventh.

These days there’s no excuse for your passion turned into business to not be present online:

In other words, if you’re hobby-turned-business doesn’t have a website or is not found on Google, you might as well give up on your dreams and stick to your 9-5 job.

Sure, becoming viral is trickier than before, but with the right storytelling and SEO writing, marketing tactics and growth mindset nothing is impossible. But even so, building a brand that is consistent and has a solid base of clients, even if it is a small one, is sometimes more important than being famous on the internet for one minute.

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy

Remember not to stop having fun once you turn a hobby into a business. The thing you once loved so much can easily become a burden and you’ll be as miserable as you were at your job if you’re not careful. To put it briefly, every once in a while remind yourself why you started in the first place and stick to your true self. Don’t let the current take you deep underwater.

A passion turned into business that lost its original appeal is not much different from a corporate job. Hence it’s important to keep looking at your hobby as just a hobby and not work. That way you’ll never have to work a day in your life.

Extra: 9 hobbies turned into successful businesses

There are many examples of hobbies turned into successful businesses.

For example, we have all heard about Craigslist but did you know that it all started with an email containing a listing of only two events?

Also, are you familiar with Twitch? With it, people are now making thousands of dollars each month just by playing video games. Imagine a hobby that was once flagged as being unreasonable and childish now is a billion dollar industry.

Tom’s of Maine, Harley Davidson, Darn Good Yarn, Rent the Runway, Yankee Candle – these are all a fraction of the list of hobbies turned into successful businesses.

But if you still need reassurance, here are ten real-life examples of hobbies turned into successful businesses.

Truism Fitness

I used to write freelance fitness articles for fun after I got out of the marine corps and never meant for it to turn into a business or passive income, but after doing it for a couple years I decided to start my own website and it is now a 5 figure monthly income.

I had a period where I got away from working out and eating healthy and gained a lot of weight. When I decided to get back into shape I noticed how deceiving the fitness industry can be and that is what made me go from a writer to creating a website that gave people a tool to help them change their lifestyle without being taken advantage of.

I have more fun doing it now then before, especially when I receive comments from our readers and get to help them one on one.

Jamie Hickey, Personal trainer/Nutritionist at Truism Fitness

Tunedly

I have been into songwriting and music production since an early age. Matter of fact, I started playing the piano when I was nine years old. Music has always been my main hobby growing up. In my early and mid 20s, my music started generating some income. 

Eventually, in 2016, I co-founded the music/tech company Tunedly, which is an online recording studio and trusted music publishing company. We raised angel capital and managed to put together an advisory board consisting of Mathew Knowles (Beyonce’s father) and Harvey Mason Jr. (interim CEO of the Grammys). 

I turned my hobby of songwriting and music production into one of the market leaders for online music production for songwriters worldwide.

Chris Erhardt, Co-founder & CEO of Tunedly

Mye De Leon

I’m a lettering artist who teaches creatives how to draw the art of letters and turn it into a profitable income. My story started when I was just rediscovering lettering while on the verge of depression after giving birth to my son with Down Syndrome and I used lettering to keep me sane from all the challenges of raising a child with special needs and twin daughters in a foreign country without any help around. I started making 6-figures from my hobby by teaching other creatives what I know since 2019.

Mye De Leon, Hand Lettering Maven and Business Mentor for Creatives

KidsNaturally Photography

I run my own photography business, and have done for 14 years. Before that, I was an astronomer, at various Universities and NASA. I had the enviable job of travelling to telescopes in far-flung locations like Hawaii! The trouble was I had job contracts that lasted for 3-5 years, and I moved around following the jobs. 

In the end, with my wife and young son, we decided to stay in one place and I turned my lifelong photography hobby into a business. I started with photos of my son and friend’s children, and I loved it! I went from a dry academic environment to a much more creative, people-based business.

Learning business skills was all new to me, however. Back then I didn’t know cash flow from a profit and loss statement. My wife has been very supportive. Gradually, I’ve learned from my mistakes, had good advice along the way, honed my skills, and I’m still loving the freedom and the responsibility years later. I earn a decent wage and have lots of very happy and appreciative clients.

Laurence Jones, Owner of KidsNaturally Photography

Metropolis Collectibles

When students head off to college, the questions are always the same: What’s your major? What are you going to study? The focus is on academics. People hardly ever ask, “What are you going to do for fun?”  

Following their passions can be the key to students leading successful, happy lives. Not only does pursuing a hobby give them a way to blow off steam and relieve stress, it could lead to a future career. I should know. That’s exactly what I did.

For me, the passion was (and is) comic books. I first discovered a love of comic books when I was 4 or 5 years old. In my teen years, I began buying and selling comic books with friends. While in college at St. John’s University, I studied marketing.  I then set up on the streets of Manhattan shortly after graduating and sold comics to stockbrokers coming out of the Exchange.

I used the marketing skills I learned in college to help grow my business. In 1999, I co-created the world’s largest vintage comic book dealership, Metropolis Collectibles and later launched an online auction house, www.ComicConnect.com. The companies hold five Guinness world records for comics bought and sold. We also created the Metropolis Gallery featuring comic book art.

Vincent Zurzolo, Co-Creator of Metropolis Collectibles

DRD Enterprises inc of Davie

Post Hurricane Andrew I began designing and building a tornado proof storage building for the Broward County Boys Club. From what was to be a single project very quickly became an object of interest for those who saw it. 

Flash forward, 4 hurricanes hit Florida in one year! Demand for safe rooms increased as did my hobby of building portable 8 ton dome safe rooms.

Today the safedome is saving lives for Miami Dade County and most areas of Florida as well as Fort Sill OK 12 safedomes bought by the Department of Defense that classifies safedomes as bunkers.

David Pressler, Owner of DRD Enterprises inc of Davie

Mangrum Career Solutions

Before Mangrum Career Solutions was founded in 2009, it was a hobby of mine to refer my friends and relatives to companies that were hiring.

After they got hired, I realized I had a knack for matching people with meaningful work. This is when I decided to open my own executive search firm in 2009.

Since I know word of mouth is a very powerful marketing tool, over 80% of my placements come from referrals. I’ve learned the value of connections and having an active network. I was able to establish supportive partnerships to become the one-stop-shop for clients seeking manufacturing jobs in Ohio and nationwide.

Today, I absolutely love what I do. It still feels like a hobby and less than work, because I do my best to accommodate my clients’ needs while supporting manufacturing businesses with their hiring process. I hope this is helpful for your readers.

Anjela Mangrum, CPC, President at Mangrum Career Solutions 

Racket Expert

When I was 10, my father bought me a red table tennis racket and I started playing on a table tennis court in the backyard with friends. After instant success I started playing in tournaments. When I was 18 I left the game because it was not rewarding as I expected it to be and tried other options. 

However, I had developed a network of people and a lot of knowledge and so I decided to start a consulting and marketing company for the racket sports niche. It’s been the most fun and I couldn’t imagine having a normal job anymore. 

Thomas Roterd, Founder of Racket Expert

Conclusion

The road from passion to profit is often surprising and not everyone who ended up driving on it intended to. Doing something you love is ten times easier and more rewarding than something you’re not inclined to. And that’s your biggest advantage when you decide to turn your hobby into a successful business, as it demands great effort, patience and ingenuity.

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Home office security: 10 cybersecurity tips for remote workers

Home office security: 10 cybersecurity tips for remote workers

by | Dec 18, 2023

Business Tips

Home office security: 10 cybersecurity tips for remote workers

December 18, 2023

Home office security for remote workers

You should prioritize addressing the cybersecurity risks introduced by remote work, as over 70 percent of global employees engage in remote work at least once per week. Despite the various benefits of remote work, resources for mitigating these risks are still limited. To ensure business continuity and safeguard customer data, it is crucial to incorporate measures at both the infrastructure and individual levels. This will allow for location flexibility while maintaining the security of sensitive information.

Cybersecurity tips for remote workers

Here is how you can take proactive steps to protect customer data and home office security

Storage solution

Ensure the confidentiality and security of your confidential and personal data by storing it in a protected environment – the cloud. Make sure your company’s IT department approves the cloud’s security, storage capacity, upload speed, and flexibility to ensure it’s suitable for professional use. Avoid utilizing private cloud services for work purposes as they do not provide the same level of protection as professional clouds.

Implement two-factor authentication

Recently, securing an account with a strong password was the prevalent method. However, there is now a widespread movement towards multi-factor authentication, which adds an extra layer of security and protects employees in case their password is compromised. Multi-factor authentication mandates individuals to provide a password and a second piece of information, such as a code sent to their phone or, in advanced systems, a fingerprint or retinal scan.

Use a VPN

One of the best ways to protect remote workers from cyber attacks is to install a VPN. There are also services with advanced VPN features, such as double VPN. VeePN’s 2x VPN technology means that traffic will be redirected through 2 servers. This means that your real location will not be able to be determined. The already strong AES-256 encryption is also twice as strong. This way you are protected from surveillance, data interception, and many types of cyber attacks.

Separate work and personal devices

Creating boundaries between your work life and home life is crucial, especially when working from home. Despite the challenge, strive to separate your work computer and home computer to ensure security. Switching between devices for simple tasks like paying bills or shopping online may seem tedious but is worth the effort. Additionally, if you can do the same for your mobile devices, it’s even better. This practice can minimize the risk of sensitive data exposure in case either your personal or work device is compromised.

Back up digital documents

To eliminate waste, it’s great to go paperless and store digital documentation. However, you need to safeguard these assets to prevent compromise by malicious actors. Most likely, your servers will contain numerous digital documents that require protection, such as invoices, contracts, employee files, and non-disclosure agreements. Losing any of these can seriously harm your organization. Therefore, you must create additional copies on a separate server to ensure access to the information in case the original documents are compromised.

Secure your home router

Cybercriminals seek to exploit default passwords on home routers because not many people bother to change them, thereby leaving their home networks vulnerable. By changing your router’s password from the default to a unique one, you can take a simple step to protect your home network from malicious actors seeking access to your devices.

This represents a good initial step, but you can also take additional actions. For instance, make sure to install firmware updates promptly to prevent known vulnerabilities from being exploitable. Outside of your Wi-Fi network, you should be especially careful. If you plan to use your PC or iPhone outside of your home, download iOS VPN and free extension. This way you can prevent all sorts of risks associated with public Wi-Fi networks. In addition to these preventative measures, it’s essential for organizations and remote workers alike to periodically perform a cloud security risk assessment. This step ensures that any evolving threats or lapses in the cloud’s defense mechanisms are identified and mitigated, further securing confidential and personal data against sophisticated cyber attacks.

Regular security updates

To ensure maximum security, regularly perform security updates everywhere, not just in your home office. Install relevant patches, regularly check your router’s settings, and always keep your hardware and software up to date. This is crucial because some updates contain patches to fix security flaws, preventing cybercriminals from infiltrating your systems and stealing sensitive data. Make sure to keep your antivirus software up to date, and if needed, coordinate with your organization’s IT department.

Organization

Keep your mind clear and focused by maintaining a tidy desk. Having all your essentials within reach and avoiding clutter will bring you peace of mind and enhance productivity. It will also make your home office more secure by hiding important data storage devices and documents, especially if there is a window nearby, to keep intruders and prying eyes at bay.

Don’t neglect your virtual workspace either. Ensure data and files are organized on your desktop, making it easier to locate important documents and identify any suspicious files early on.

Remember, tidying up is crucial in all aspects of life. Just as you wouldn’t leave your valuable belongings at your house’s doorstep, safeguard your digital assets and keep them out of reach.

Educate employees about phishing scams

To protect remote employees effectively, it is crucial to educate them on the dangers of common scams such as phishing emails. Cisco’s 2021 Cybersecurity Threat Trends report reveals that almost 90% of data breaches occur as a result of phishing.

Phishing poses a significant risk to employees since technology can only do so much to mitigate it. Clicking on a malicious link or downloading an infected attachment can grant attackers immediate access to sensitive organizational data.

To prevent such incidents, organizations must provide staff awareness training, explaining how phishing scams operate and what employees should watch out for. One excellent starting point for these lessons is our Phishing Staff Awareness E-Learning Course. This comprehensive online course covers everything employees need to know about scams, from fake text messages and emails to phone scams.

Conclusion

Working from home has always been a dream for many workers, but now it has become a reality and there are new challenges associated with remote work. Cybersecurity is currently under threat, but it can be improved. These methods will help you strengthen the protection of your personal and work devices with minimal effort.

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