Boost Your Business Reach With Apple's Free Business Connect

When you own a small business, the hardest part of staying afloat is being recognized as a brand. Now, Apple’s making it easier for small businesses—even those without a physical location—to be seen.

Apple Business Connect isn’t new, but on Wednesday, Apple opened the program to businesses of all sizes, including small businesses that don’t have a physical location. And best of all, it’s free. Apple claims over 1 billion people use its devices, apps, and services. That’s a whole lot of audience that you might not have been able to reach before.

So, what does Apple Business Connect do for you? According to Apple’s press release, it lets you “create a consistent brand and location presence across apps that customers use everyday. ” That includes apps like Apple Wallet, Maps, and Mail.

You start by claiming your business and creating a business place card. The business place card is where you upload (and later update) your photos and logos, add promotions, include information about your hours, add a location, link to a website, and more. It’s basically your central Apple services hub for your business.

You can also sign up to have your logo displayed in the Mail and Phone apps, so when you send marketing emails or call your customers, your logo will pop up on their screens. You can even add your logo to Tap to Pay to appear onscreen when your customer purchases from you.

Not all of these features are available right now. According to the press release, some will become available later this year (like Branded Mail, which includes your logo) or next year (Business Caller ID). Apple says Business Connect is free. To take advantage of those features, though, you can go ahead and sign up for Business Connect through Apple’s website. If you don’t already have an Apple Account, you’ll need to register for one.