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Starting up a small business is all about getting the best possible value for money for the least possible investment. With the internet life has become a lot easier for small businesses, there are a huge range of products that you can use to make your business more cost effective, but with such a crowded market place it can be difficult to get heard.

To get round this problem, Google have invented something called ‘Google Places’. Essentially, the internet has become an enormous directory of businesses and Google Places is designed to function as the Google version of that directory. When people search for a business online, then, they often try to narrow down the search by putting in various location details.

If you have a Google Places listing, when they put in a keyword relevant to your business and a location, you pop up top of the list – or at least nearer the top than you would do otherwise, there may be other companies in your area who are more popular.

The great thing with Google Places is that it means you don’t have to spend a packet on marketing or on getting heard because instead of having to pay Google for advertising, you appear in roughly the same position as you would do anyway. You don’t even need to necessarily worry about web hosting if you’re in the very early days, because you don’t have to include a website (although really, it’s a good idea – check out names.co.uk for competitive web hosting).

Of course a lot depends on exactly the kind of business you’re setting up. It’s easier to get people’s attention if you’re setting up a shop or an office because people can come to you and check you out. It’s much more difficult when you’re setting up a service based business because you need to build up a client base so people feel comfortable approaching you.

Nonetheless, Google Places is a great invention that can make a big difference to any business big or small, particularly if you’re in an industry like IT where there’s a lot of competition from national players and you just want to be known locally. If you haven’t given got a listing yet, it should definitely be at the top of your list of things to do.