There are many ways that you can use maps to help increase your business operations. You can use maps to target marketing efforts, provide comprehensive directions or even research locations for potential operations.

With a wide array of maps to choose from online, there are maps to fit every need. Find the right map to fulfill your business needs by beginning with a quick online search. There are a lot of maps available, from a single world map to zoning maps, satellite maps, topographical maps and many more. Before you get started, keep the following things in mind:

1. Consider which information needs to be represented on your map, such as population or other businesses.

2. Do some research to find how competitors are taking advantage of information maps.

3. Assess your business needs to determine which features are essential and which can be left out.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Use simple location maps to connect with customers and clients

There are several ways that simple maps and directions can be useful for your business. Include a street map in advertisements or marketing so that customer can easily find your location, or use road maps to effectively find customers for service-based business.

I recommend: Search for and customize interactive maps from various highway maps and street maps at Maps.com or MapQuest.

Increase visibility with community business maps

Community business maps are for tourists or those unfamiliar with the area your business serves. They usually feature local attractions and businesses, which can be especially useful if your business is unique. Have community maps made yourself to hand out for free or sell as a side-product. Or, pay to have an existing community business map updated with your business listing.

I recommend: Download SmartDraw for free to custom design a community business map or make colorful attention grabbing maps with City Cartoon Maps.

Target the right demographic with marketing maps

Maps with the right marketing information on them will help you locate your customers and make the most concentrated marketing efforts. Marketing maps provide important information about the consumers in specific neighborhoods, such as age and income, as well as the locations of your competitors in those neighborhoods.

I recommend: Find marketing maps at Market Maps or Universal Maps.

Try map mashing to focus on your target demographics

Map mashing programs overlay the content of maps with other databases to match up data points. This is an extremely useful tool when you want to combine the marketing data from various informational maps, when determining your target markets.

I recommend: Use Microsoft's free mashing tool, or try a fee-based provider such as Placebase.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Limit maps to essential information only; jumbled and overly-busy maps are not very helpful.

The Internet makes finding maps of all types easier than if you search local stores for maps. Choose from a huge variety of different styles and map locations when browsing through maps for sale online. Find maps you can print immediately from the web or maps you can use in your business documents.

Maps found on the Internet may be free or you may pay for some of them. The benefits to using the Internet for maps include the huge selection available and the opportunity for customization. Find the following types of maps on the Internet:

1. Pre-printed maps of all types for many uses;

2. Printable maps for quick reference, sales and marketing planning and to use in documents;

3. And digital maps that you can edit and customize for documents and websites.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Purchase many types of maps for use in your business

Give a quality framed or mounted map or a globe as a gift to a valued employee. Hang area maps showing your sales territory in the sales department. Buy highway maps for sales or delivery staff to use in their vehicles.

I recommend: Choose from a huge selection of types of maps at Maps.com, including world and US atlases, wall maps, travel maps, historical maps, globes, map software and custom maps. Promote your business with customizable map products from Rand McNally, where you can also purchase custom view wall maps and many other map and travel-related products and services for businesses.

Find printable maps online

Use interactive maps to choose a state and then pick from one of several types of maps of that state. Printable maps online allow you to quickly print a specific area. You can find a variety of maps including road maps, topographical maps, atlases and more. Some companies customize maps based on territory.

I recommend: Find relief, elevation, drainage, political and road maps of the US and a great selection of world maps and satellite maps at Geology.com. Buy customized maps for use on websites and in printed promotional pieces from Maps of the World by MapXL Inc., where they have a variety of map-related products for businesses.

Buy digital maps for use in printed and online publications

Use a map in the layout of a printed document or website. When you purchase digital maps you can edit the map, showing just the features and cities you choose and merging the map image seamlessly into the overall document. Show a map of the world with dots identifying the location of each visitor to your website or illustrate the states your sales territory covers in a company brochure.

I recommend: Purchase digital maps in editable Adobe Illustrator or PDF format from Invenio LLC, where they have maps of the world, countries, US states and city maps. Use downloadable maps in Microsoft PowerPoint from PresentationMaps.com, which offers maps of the world, continents, countries, the US and individual states.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Enter the words 'zoning map' and the name of the town into an Internet search engine to find local zoning maps. Many are on local town or state websites.