In ever-increasing numbers, today's consumers are tossing their Yellow Page directories in the recycling bin and turning to the Internet to find goods and services. Does your business have a presence on the web?

• Build a website, even if it's only a basic one. (You can always add to it later.) It should look professional, provide down-to-earth content, and provide basic contact info like an e-mail address and phone number. Many web-hosting companies provide web design tools you can use to build a site, or you can pay them to do the work for you.
• Pick a good site name. Keep it short and unique. (Visit a site like GoDaddy.com or Register.com to make sure a name isn't already taken.) You can purchase annual rights to a domain name for $10-$35.
• Include your business address in key areas throughout your site - an address is what search engines look for when they deploy "spiders" - online tools that look for local search results.
• Choose your keywords wisely. Similar to the way an index works in a hardcopy book, keywords summarize the content of a website and increase the chance that your website will appear when a potential customer enters the matching search words online.
• Submit your website to the major search engines. Rather than waiting for a search engine to find you, take the first step by submitting your website to the top search engines like Google, Yahoo, and MSN.
• Don't forget to go local. Many users search for businesses using a map, so be sure to reach out to Google Maps, MapQuest, and Yahoo! Maps, too. If you find a listing already exists for your business (perhaps detected by a spider), take ownership of the listing and maintain it. Check out sites that offer free listings like YellowPages.com, too.

For more information about using the Internet to boost your business, use these links:

• How to Create a Small Business Website That Works (About.com)
• How to Use Local Search for Small Businesses (WikiHow)
• Smart Marketing Tips for Your Website (Entrepreneur Magazine)
• Tips on Choosing a Good Domain Name (The Site Wizard)

In tough economic times, many businesses - large and small - face layoffs. Did you know that the State of Arizona offers an alternative to a layoff?

The Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES) runs the Shared Work Program for Arizona Employers. Through this program, a business that is facing the need to lay off at least one employee can take a different approach. Once approved for the program, the employer can reduce the total hours for a group of employees, equivalent to the hours that would have been cut through the layoff. Then the affected employees are eligible for a portion of their unemployment compensation while they continue to work.

By using this program, a business can retain its valuable, trained workforce. No employee will lose a job through a layoff, and employee morale can remain high.

Of course, there are official requirements to meet, and there can be some disadvantages, such as the possibility that work scheduling may be more challenging.

For details about this program, start by reading the Shared Work Program FAQs on the DES website, which also includes information about how to apply, forms of payment, and more.

These days, the news is filled with talk of the Recovery Act, which is more formally known as the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA). This federal act, enacted in early 2009, intends to jumpstart the economy by creating and saving jobs, and modernizing the national infrastructure.

So how can small businesses benefit from the Recovery Act? The first step is to become certified with the State of Arizona as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE), a designation for minority-owned, women-owned and small businesses.

Once certified, your business can be hired as a DBE with the City of Phoenix, City of Tucson, Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), and be eligible for Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) contracts via other in-state entities.

After you become a DBE, your business is added to the Arizona Unified Certification Program (UCP) and listed on websites used by state procurement/ purchasing personnel, as well as the general public, to locate certified enterprises to work with, including:

• Arizona Steps Up, the Arizona governor's directory of certified DBEs, and
• ProcureAZ, the State Procurement Office's e-procurement website.

For more information about Arizona DBEs, visit the Arizona DBE Program website and the Governor's Office of Economic Recovery website. You can also go to Recovery.gov to learn more about ARRA, and visit FedBizOpps.Gov to check out federal business opportunities.

Want to start a new business or grow your existing business? If your business is organized for profit and meets the Small Business Administration's (SBA) size requirements, you may have an easier time getting a loan these days, thanks to the Recovery Act.

Also known as the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the government hopes the SBA-related features of the Recovery Act will help small businesses by:

• Expanding the amount of capital available to small businesses by increasing loan guarantees, making it less risky for banks, credit unions, lending corporations, and certified development companies.
• Eliminating some loan fees for small business owners.
• Providing counseling for small business via ARRA resource partners.
• Working with the Treasury Department to unfreeze the secondary market for loans, providing much-needed cash to banks.

The deal involves increasing the loan guarantee (up to 90% from the usual 75-85%), which means you are more likely to get a loan from a lender. For example, on a loan of $300,000 with a 90% guarantee, the normal guarantee fee would be 3%. Thanks to the Recovery Act, the temporary elimination of these fees saves about $8,100.

For more details about loan–related benefits related to the Recovery Act, visit the following links:

• U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) website
• Podcast with Erik Zonako, Assoc. Administrator for Capital Access at the SBA
• www.Recovery.gov
• SBA Has the Tools to Boost Small Business (AllBusiness.com)
• Arizona SBA District Office website