Times are tougher than ever for small business owners. And that means we need to be smarter than ever to keep our businesses alive, if not thriving. There's no "easy button" in the real world but there are some simple things you can do to stay ahead of your competition and even open a whole new revenue stream in the process.

I'll show you, step by step, how I got a new lease on my company's life and how you can do the same. Just replace your needs with those I mention and follow the same process. This works for any business with online interests, whether it's a full Web store or a shop on Main Street with nothing online but a simple homepage.

Step One: Start by identifying what is most important to your business and go from there. For me, it was being found on search engines; Google, Yahoo and MSN specifically.

Step Two: Determine what new skills or tools will get you what you need. In my case I needed search engine optimization or online marketing. With a little research I found that if I wanted to rank high on Google I would need to build one way inbound links to my site (not reciprocal links since Google no longer counts them.)

Step Three: Find a software tool or training package that will get you where you need to go. I found a product called Link A Minute to take care of my needs. When you find the product you want DON'T buy it! Not yet at least.

Step Four: Once you have found the tool you need, go to Google and search for its name followed by "affiliate program." If you can become an affiliate for the product it is well worth it. I found an affiliate sign up page at http://www.linkaminute.com/jmap.htm (JMAP stands for Join My Affiliate Page) and got an eighty dollar link building package for ten dollars.

Note: If you cannot find an affiliate program for your product of choice, try adding "/affiliate.htm" or "/JMAP.htm" to the main URL. These are common page names for affiliate signup. Also keep an eye out for free bonuses offered to affiliates. I got a training guide called Monetizing Your Links that proved quite valuable. Just look for deals like this. It is in the product owner's best interest to help you as an affiliate so they often offer nice bonuses like this.

Step Five: Use it internally, then as a new revenue stream... I got lucky here. The system I used provided almost immediate results without any real learning curve. But don't be disappointed if you need to invest some time in whatever skill you choose to build. It is worth it! Not only will your new skill benefit your existing business, it can open a whole new line of possibilities as well.

I chose link building because I needed it for my business. But as it turns out, I now earn slightly more with this new sideline than I do from my main copywriting business. Just try to find a niche you can use right away and later try to make money from it. You will be amazed at how profitable this can be.