Good Morning!

1. Feature: Your LLC’s Essential Online Toolkit: Credibility on a Shoestring
   (5 min read)

2. From the Archive: Cybersecurity on a Shoestring: Protecting Your SMB from Rising Threats. Read it here.

3. Dear TCoL: Would an LLC Be Better Than My Existing S Corporation?

Sunday is a chance to slow down, reflect, and set yourself up for a great week to come.

-TCoL

Missed our last feature article? Who Can Own Your LLC—and What It Can Own. Read it here.

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When you start an LLC, few people tell you this: if you’re not online, you’re invisible. Customers, vendors, and even bankers now use Google or AI chat tools to decide if your business looks legitimate.

Have you asked AI to tell you everything about your business and it can’t even identify it?

A bare-bones but credible digital presence is no longer optional. The good news? You don’t need tech skills, a marketing agency, or thousands of dollars. For under $400 a year—and an hour or two per month—you can build the essentials: a simple website, a verified Google listing, one social media feed, and accurate info that AI tools can easily understand and share.

This guide walks you through exactly how to do that.

1. Launch a One-Page Website (Weekend 1)

Your website is your digital business card, brochure, and front desk all rolled into one. It's also the only part of your online presence that you fully control. Social platforms change algorithms, rules, and ad prices without warning. A website is yours.

Use a website builder like:

• Wix–great for beginners; drag-and-drop editing

• Squarespace–sleek templates, good support

• WordPress + Bluehost–budget-friendly, but with a learning curve

Estimated cost: $50–$200 per year (domain + hosting)

Must-have pages:

• Home: Short tagline (“Reliable landscaping in Toledo”), 1–2 sentence intro, and a “Contact Us” button

• About: 2–3 sentence story of how and why you started

• Services/Products: Brief list with simple explanations

• Contact: Clickable email, phone, and a form (provided by most builders)

Keep it simple. Use a clean layout. Make sure it loads well on phones. A logo from Canva and a few friendly photos go a long way.

Time required: 4–8 hours to build, 1 hour per month to update

2. Claim Your Google Business Profile (Weekend 2)

When someone searches for your business or service type, your Google Business Profile is what shows up on Google Maps and in the search sidebar. It’s free—and absolutely essential.

Setup steps:

1. Go to google.com/business and enter your LLC details

2. Verify via mail or phone (this may take a week or two)

3. Add photos—your storefront, staff, product displays, etc.

4. Write a brief, keyword-rich description (e.g., “Trusted residential plumber serving the Des Moines area”)

5. Set your hours, list your website, and enable messaging

Bonus tips:

• Ask satisfied customers for reviews (5–10 to start)

• Respond politely to each review

• Keep info updated (especially hours)

Why it matters: Your Google profile feeds directly into search results and AI-driven queries. If you don’t claim it, someone else could—or worse, no information will appear at all.

Time required: 1–2 hours setup, 15 minutes monthly

3. Pick One Social Media Channel (Weekend 3)

You don’t need to post everywhere. You don’t need to go viral. You just need to show that you’re active and real.

Choose ONE:

• Facebook – best for local services, eateries, retail

• LinkedIn – ideal for B2B or professional services

How to use it:

• Create a business profile with your logo, website, and contact info

• Post once a week: updates, photos, behind-the-scenes, FAQs, or reviews

• Keep business name and details identical to your website and Google profile

Why it matters: Customers often check your social profile before calling. Even a simple feed signals credibility. AI also scans it for confirmation that your business is real and active.

Time required: 1 hour setup, 1 hour per week ongoing

4. Teach AI About Your Business (Weekend 4)

This is the secret weapon most SMBs ignore. AI-driven tools—like Grok, Google, Bing Chat, and ChatGPT—now guide millions of customers to local businesses every day. But these tools don’t “guess” who you are. They look for patterns. If your online information is unclear, outdated, or inconsistent, AI won’t recommend you.

Think of AI as the world’s smartest referral assistant—but it can only recommend businesses it understands.

Here’s how to make your business AI-friendly:

A. Be Consistent Everywhere

Your Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP) must appear exactly the same on your website, Google profile, and social media. If your website says “Joe’s Heating LLC” but Google says “Joe’s Heating & Cooling,” that’s a red flag for AI.

Use one version of your business name and never deviate.

B. Use Natural Keywords

Include 2–3 phrases your customers might type when searching. If you’re a wedding caterer in Austin, make sure your Home or About page says something like: “We provide affordable wedding catering in Austin for small and large events.”

Same for your Google profile description. Avoid overloading with keywords. Write like a human, not a robot.

C. Add Descriptive Content

Don’t just say “We do HVAC.” Say, “We install energy-efficient HVAC systems and offer emergency repairs.” The more detail, the better AI can classify and recommend you.

Photos also help. Add at least 3 to your Google listing and website. AI can’t “see” images, but it recognizes captions, file names, and surrounding text.

D. Keep It Fresh

Every few months, update your Google profile or website with a new testimonial, seasonal service, or short blog post. AI prefers current, relevant info. A stagnant profile looks abandoned.

E. Encourage & Respond to Reviews

AI treats reviews as signals of trust and engagement. Ask a few loyal customers to leave a Google review. Then respond politely, even if it’s just a “Thanks for your feedback!”

The more clear, detailed, and current your online footprint is, the more likely AI is to surface your business when someone searches for what you offer. You’re not “coding” for AI—you’re simply feeding it good, structured information.

Time required: 1–2 hours initial setup, 30 minutes quarterly to update

5. Maintain with Minimal Effort

Now that your digital presence is live, don’t let it collect dust. A few small tasks monthly keep it healthy:

• Update your Google hours and services (if anything changes)

• Respond to reviews or social messages

• Review website traffic once a month (most builders have dashboards)

• Rotate passwords and turn on two-factor authentication for accounts

Time required: 1–2 hours per month

Final Snapshot

Closing Thoughts

You don’t need to be tech-savvy to show up online like a pro. A basic website, clear business listings, and up-to-date info help customers and AI find you, trust you, and choose you.

Start with one step this weekend: buy a domain, claim your Google profile, or write a two-line description of your services. Stack those wins, and soon you’ll have a professional online footprint that works while you sleep.

When you build for humans and AI at once, you don’t just look legit—you get found.

Dear TCoL: Would an LLC Be Better Than My Existing S Corporation?

Question: I really like your articles; they are very helpful to me. One question: I have an S corporation, and I file taxes every year, both personal and for the corporation, and my income is very low, $2,000 or less monthly. With that income, would it be better for me to have an LLC? Thank you in advance and for your articles.

Answer: Let’s discuss whether an LLC would be better, assuming you are the 100% owner of your business.

An S corporation is fine but can be more costly and complex to maintain than an LLC, especially with low income. As the sole owner, you could switch to a single-member LLC (SMLLC), which is treated as a disregarded entity for federal income tax purposes by default. This means:

• Fewer tax filings: You wouldn’t file a corporate return (Form 1120-S). Instead, you’d report the LLC’s income and expenses directly on your Form 1040 (Schedule C), simplifying your taxes.

• Initial costs vs. long-term savings: Switching to an LLC involves costs to dissolve the S corporation and register the LLC (which may range from $150 to $1,000, depending on the state), but afterward, your annual costs are likely lower by avoiding corporate return preparation and formalities (assuming you don’t make an S election for your new LLC).

• Self-employment taxes: In an SMLLC, all net income is subject to self-employment taxes (15.3% in 2025), unlike an S corporation, where you can save some FICA by taking a reasonable salary and distributions, per IRS Publication 334.

In other words, an SMLLC is easier and cheaper—but not necessarily better from a tax/cashflow perspective. In your income range, the tax savings from your S corporation are probably modest. However, that depends on your actual profits, how much you’re paying yourself as salary, and what you’re paying for tax prep.

The S-corp status also brings ongoing complexity. You’re required to file Form 1120-S annually and run a formal payroll. And if you ever wanted to close the S-corp and restart a new one later, a liquidation could trigger tax consequences under IRC § 336.

So, unless the S-corp structure is saving you at least $1,000 annually in taxes compared to an SMLLC, it may not be worth the extra cost and complexity.

My suggestion would be to have your CPA run a complete cost comparison between your existing S corporation and a new LLC before making the decision. Also, have them consider the assets that you are currently holding and which structure would be best for the ultimate planned disposal of those assets.

Have an interesting business question and need a free bit of advice? Send your question to [email protected]. No confidential info, please!