Keys to Small Business Growth

A recent Yahoo! Small Business survey, conducted by Harris Interactive, shows that many small business owners believe an online presence is important, as is leveraging the Internet.



In a survey of over 1,000 small business owners, the following activities were listed as the most beneficial to the growth of their company, in order of importance:

• Having or establishing an online presence (35%)





• Having or obtaining dedicated business email (30%)





• Increasing online advertising (30%)





• Hiring more employees (19%)

In many ways the Internet is the great equalizer. It levels the playing field for small businesses to compete with the big guys. It can make a small business look big. It is a 24/7 marketing arm. It can open up markets, including global markets, that small businesses previously could only have dreamed about. And without the Internet, some businesses -- such as etailers and eBay sellers -- would not even be in business.