Spring is a great time to clean and refresh your spaces. Cleaning and refreshing your website is no exception. Like cleaning your physical spaces, cleaning your website gives you a renewed sense of purpose and motivation with the added benefit of supporting customers and clients as they explore what your brand and business have to offer. Here are a few ways you can tidy up your website in 2023.

A strong online presence is a powerful marketing tool for any small business. Consumers often make quick decisions about whether or not to engage with your content and brand based solely on the design and functionality of your website. To ensure that your business has the best opportunity to engage with consumers, you need a professionally designed website. Many business owners attempt to create a website on their own, only to find themselves struggling to meet the needs of their target audience and ever-changing algorithms. A professional web design and development company can create a quality website that reflects the values of your brand. Here are five reasons why your business would benefit from hiring a professional web design company.

Tax season is upon us, and it is time to start gathering documents and familiarizing ourselves with the latest tax updates and possible deductions. Tax deductions help small business owners to make the tax-filing process more manageable. These deductions are subtracted from your taxable income and can make a big difference in how tax season affects your business financially.

The new year offers a fresh start and an opportunity to commit to a worthy goal. Creating a business goal requires careful consideration. An attainable business goal can be broken up into small, actionable steps you can take toward the finish line. Whether your business aims to improve customer service, increase sales, expand into more markets, or hire new employees, you can begin with a single step. Your website!

The holiday season is the perfect time of year to express gratitude for our loved ones. A gesture of kindness, no matter how small, always counts. Small business owners depend on the support of their communities to continue their mission. This holiday season, consider how your business can give back to your community.

If you have driven on Silver Springs Boulevard recently, you may have seen traffic cones, caution tape, camping chairs, and even some large sets of aluminum bleachers. It’s that time of year again! The Ocala Christmas Parade marks its 65th anniversary this year and is truly a beloved community tradition. While our community has changed so much since the parade first started, it remains one of the most attended local events of the season.

This holiday season, shoppers are excited to support local businesses and purchase unique treasures and services for their families and friends. Here are a few tips to help get your storefront ready to attract and welcome holiday shoppers.

Are you and your family looking for a festive way to usher in the holiday season? On Saturday, November 19, Downtown Ocala will host its 38th Annual Light Up Ocala event from 4-9 p.m.

Rolling out your seasonal marketing campaign can be both stressful and exciting. As a small business, it gives you the perfect opportunity to bring attention to your brand, and remind consumers about the importance of supporting locally owned businesses. Don’t be afraid to start your campaign early, as many consumers have already started their holiday shopping.

According to a recent research study, 83% of American consumers purchase a product or service based on verbal recommendations. Whether someone is sharing a rave review on social media, or in person, the influence of recommendation is powerful.

As we get closer to the biggest shopping season of the year, consumers are searching for unique gift items and hoping to support local businesses in the process. Make sure consumers have an opportunity to notice your brand and business with these local marketing strategies that will help you get noticed this fall and beyond!

Having your own e-commerce site can expand your business exponentially. Small business owners that rely on a third-party marketplace often struggle with limiting rules, regulations, and competition with other businesses listing products on the site. With your own e-commerce site, you make the rules, you showcase your brand, and you reap the rewards.

Learning about your target audience is a powerful way to boost your marketing strategies. Many businesses struggle when it comes to marketing to both younger and older audiences. A recent Forbes article entitled, “12 Marketing Moves Businesses Can Use to Reach Older and Younger Audiences," offers marketing advice from a 12-member expert panel at the Forbes Communications Council. We wanted to share some key takeaways that we think are especially valuable to any small business marketing strategy.

When a potential client or customer visits your website, you want the content to be engaging while still being deeply connected to the message and purpose of your brand. Whether you are hiring a professional photographer or searching for budget-friendly stock photos for your website, there are a few things you should keep in mind when choosing which images will represent your brand.

As a busy small business owner, it can be difficult to invest time and energy into creating and executing an extensive marketing strategy. While it may seem overwhelming, we have a few tips that will help you to begin developing a marketing strategy that works for you and will benefit your business for years to come.

Each year, First Citizens Bank conducts a small business survey in California, Florida, Wisconsin, South Carolina, and North Carolina. FCB uses this data “to assess the motivations, sentiments, and success of small business owners in the U.S.” Many business owners are still recovering from the impact of COVID-19 as they attempt to adjust and adapt to the current state of inflation. Considering these seemingly insurmountable obstacles, the data collected from FCB’s survey offers some encouraging insight into the health of small businesses across the country, especially in Florida.