Growing Your Successful BusinessHere we'll review what's available to get your business off the ground with the traction it needs to become sustainable.MarketingFor some, promoting a business can be a huge challenge. Sharing what is largely a representation of who you are – your passion – can be scary. Take a deep breath and get started. This guide will make things easier, more fun, and definitely cheaper. I've always found public relations (PR) to be not only more effective than advertising, but also much less expensive. With the Internet, your potential to get the message out is exponential. This viral marketing, as it is called, leverages the Web 2.0 or social media phenomenon to get the message across for you. The idea is that you have a hot product or service and Internet gossip quickly shares the news. The flip side is that if your service or product is poor, word will spread even faster. So you need to make sure the quality is there before you start promoting. As simple as the principle may be, it usually takes some work to create it. The work may involve getting your name out there by having your own network or following it before introducing your business to the world. This could be connecting to someone else's network, such as a friend who has a long list of "friends" on Facebook. If you're looking for buzz on the Internet, you need a website or blog where people can find you. Many of the resources at the back of this book will give you specific instructions on how to market your business. My suggestion is to start with what you are passionate about. Find a way to share your passion, then continue to grow your sites. Websites Today, having a website is as necessary as having a business card. But unlike business cards, they can be free...... middle of paper ...... user-friendly web-based accounting program. If you invoice clients, it integrates with FreshBooks, an online invoicing service. What made Intuit products so popular is the foundation of Outright. They all use check register interfaces; You enter transaction details and get quick and easy access to the overall health of your business. Some people are concerned about using the Internet to store and manage financial data. Over the years, the security of these services has been proven. For others, there is a trade-off: not having the full range of options or control offered by purchased programs. It's almost fun to use these programs. You are simply relegated to data imputation; the programs do the rest. One caveat: make sure you set up your accounts correctly. You may want your CPA to guide you through this process, as you don't want to enter your data into the wrong accounts..