“AI in customer service”: That phrase either excites you or scares you as a business owner.   The exciting part is what you can do with AI, like reducing service-related questions, creating a knowledge base with ChatGPT, and automating everything in between.  The scary part is letting AI into your business. You’re replacing personal touch with [...] Read More... The post AI in Customer Service: Everything Your SMB Needs to Know appeared first on Thryv ..read more

Like it or not, seasonality impacts every small business. Whether it’s the ebbs and flows of changing seasons or the highs and lows of the holidays – skipping out on seasonal marketing is a miss your business can’t afford. What is Seasonal marketing? Seasonal marketing promotes your services or products during specific times of the [...] Read More... The post What is Seasonal Marketing? (+Build a Campaign in 5 Steps) appeared first on Thryv ..read more

It’s tax season! And if you’re reading this, you have until April 15th, 2024, to submit your company’s return before the federal deadline.   Not sure that applies to you? No worries.  In this post, we’ll explain the business tax deadline and when you need to file your forms this year. We’ll also include a list [...] Read More... The post Business Tax Deadlines: What Your SMB Needs to Know in 2024 appeared first on Thryv ..read more

“Knowing is half the battle.” – G.I. Joe  Okay, I’m pretty sure he wasn’t explaining how to identify business competitors, but stick with me here for a second.   Researching competitors is like a recon mission. You want to see who and what you’re up against before launching an attack – or, in this case, a [...] Read More... The post 10 Ways to Identify Competitors at Your Small Business appeared first on Thryv ..read more

Do you want a crystal ball? Because that’s pretty much what a market analysis is.  It’s a report that tells you what your industry looks like, who your target audience is, and which businesses you’ll be competing with over time. It’s an essential tool for launching products and services, and knowing how to conduct one [...] Read More... The post What is a Market Analysis? (& How to Conduct One in 5 Steps) appeared first on Thryv ..read more

When you work in trades, invoices are used in most transactions, so learning how to write one for contractor work is essential for managing your business.  Invoices track completed projects and help you get paid faster by communicating your preferred payment channels to each customer. They also ensure you’re compensated fairly by listing the products [...] Read More... The post How to Write an Invoice for Contractor Work [Free Template] appeared first on Thryv ..read more

Trust me – you know what a search engine is.   You might not know how they work, but you’ve used one before.    Google is the go-to example, but plenty of other websites provide search features for finding information. Understanding how they work and how to rank on them can give your business a big advantage [...] Read More... The post What is a Search Engine? (& How Do They Work) appeared first on Thryv ..read more

Efficiency is key for small businesses, and document storage is no exception.   Invoices, tax documents, marketing plans — these need to be accessible to your team and, in some cases, your customers. Having documents at the ready will not only streamline your workflow, but it will also help you get things done faster.   In this [...] Read More... The post The 10 Best Document Management Software for Small Business appeared first on Thryv ..read more

Google may reign supreme, but not all searches are performed on search engines. Directories, business listing sites, and social media all expand your company’s reach and help you attract valuable leads at an inexpensive cost.   Whether free or paid, business listing sites are marketplaces worth spending budget on. They make it easier to discover [...] Read More... The post 51 Business Listing Websites That Will Get You Referral Traffic appeared first on Thryv ..read more

If you work as a freelancer, then you need to know how to write an invoice. After all, you want to get paid, don’t you?   Doing the job should be the easy part – running your business is the real challenge. When I first started as a freelancer, I had no idea how to write [...] Read More... The post How to Write an Invoice for Freelance Work appeared first on Thryv ..read more