For many business owners across the world, their business wouldn’t survive without local customers. If your business depends on customers in a small geographic region around your place of business you need to establish an online presence with geolocation software such as Google or Apple Maps.But what if you don’t have the cash? Not to worry – several ways to establish yourself online for free where customers and potential customers can find you. In this article, I’ll show you some free and paid options for getting your business in front of your local clientele. First, let’s discuss the free options (and the most prominent). Apple Maps — used on Apple products (iPhone) and Google Maps (which power most all other smartphones) are the two primary sources for consumers to look for your business. It is likely that you used one of these two services to find and get directions to a local business in the past week. Imagine a potential customer saying, “Hey Siri, where is the nearest plumber?” And Siri listing your business? But unlike the yellow pages that charged you for space, these two services are completely free for you to join!  Google My Business Set UpFor your potential customers to see your business on Google Maps (side note – Waze the driving app is powered by Google Maps), you must establish your business on Google’s “Google My Business” platform. To set up your business, simply:1. Visit “Google My Business” home pageClick “Manage now” button located at the top right of the screen.2. Click “Add your business to Google” link at the bottom of the screen.3. Follow the prompts to complete your business profile.Note – If you don’t already have a Google account, you will need to establish one. Apple MapsFor your customers using iPhone or other Apple products, to see your business on Apple Maps, you must complete you business profile on the Apple Maps Platform.To set up, you must:

1. Visit the Apple Maps home page.
2. Sign in using your Apple ID. Or create one if you don’t have one for your business. 

By setting up your business on these services, your local market will be able to find you. Setting your business up online, however, is only the beginning. Once you’ve established yourself online, encourage your customers to review your business online. Businesses with high customer reviews are far more likely to get repeat business, even with limited engagement.