From heartwarming stories of saving businesses from closing to eye-opening tips to keep your business competitive: Here are our editors’ top 10 Thryv blogs of 2021. (Click on the headline to dive into the full blog.)

10. 6 Times Exceptional Customer Experience Created Fanatical Fans for These Small Businesses

Let’s kick off the list with the blog that proved the Thryv team doesn’t just talk about small businesses, we support them. Our staff shared personal moments from when they became die-hard fans of small businesses in their area, thanks to their customer experience.

9. 6 Signs Your Small Business is Growing Up

It’s hard to see your business’s growth, especially when you never take the time to stop moving and acknowledge it. This blog was a great reflection point for maturing businesses to appreciate their glow up. If we’re being honest, the past two years have been rough. If you’re feeling like you haven’t accomplished enough as a business, this is a great starting point to appreciate your greatness.

8. The Human Side of Digital Transformation

The digital shift seemed to happen overnight and many thought that meant trying out different digital tools to keep up. This blog took a look look at how digital efforts could pay off big while also addressing the elephant in the room — that technology is only part of the solution.

7. Free Yourself from Stress — Get the 24/7 Personal Assistant You Deserve

I’m not one to toot horn my own horn but, toot-toot! At Thryv, we know business owners are busy trying to do what matters most: running their business. Everyone can’t afford to tack on an extra employee to manage the repetitive day-to-day tasks. This blog was a solution to that woe, especially during the post-pandemic rush. And the best part is that implementation of the software is easy according to our users.

6. Contactless Isn’t Just a COVID Buzzword — These Trends Are Here to Stay

This blog was consistently trending throughout 2021 and for good reason. While people everywhere fought to return to life as they knew it, business owners had to decide what pieces of COVID protocol to keep, and which ones got the ax. This write-up highlighted the many reasons why the adoption of certain technology and processes weren’t going away (hello, ease of convenience!) and how small businesses can use it to their advantage.

5. 5 Secrets of Highly Successful Business Owners

It’s no secret that this blog would land in our top 5. It offered insight into what it takes to become a successful business owner. Readers walked away not only feeling confident in the traits they noticed in themselves, but also more aware of what characteristics they have yet to tap into. Talk about a confidence boost and well-needed reality check wrapped into one!

4. What If Your Software Provider Goes Out of Business?

Remember the great Oct. 4th outage that took Facebook and its subsidiaries down for nearly seven hours? Like it was yesterday? Us, too. Many were left wondering what would happen if a service provider suddenly went belly up one day. Think about it: your bank, internet and phone service. This thought-provoking piece forced business owners to question the software providers they entrust their businesses and livelihood with.

3. I Visited a Small Business. What the Owner Shared Left Me in Tears

This heartwarming story shared how one forward-thinking young man took a trip to visit an old client. After a long conversation and a couple of cups of coffee, a tired business owner ready to throw in the towel got back on top of his game. Dive into the journey and see how a human approach to adding technology made all the difference.

2. 14 Surprisingly Cheap Marketing Strategies that Cost Less Than Lunch

We’re all about making life easier for business owners; whether that’s sharing secrets or helping you save a few dollars. This blog was a crowd favorite for a few reasons but, the fact that every item on the list could be done for FREE is what stood out for me. Running a business means working on a tight budget and these strategies were as financially feasible as they are effective.

1. How to Increase Prices Without Upsetting Your Customers

We’ve made it to the number 1 spot — and it is well-deserved! We experienced a bit of inflation worldwide but, the U.S. saw one of the largest increases. The annual rate hit 6.2% in October, making it the highest in over three decades. Business owners needed to adjust prices but didn’t want to lose customers. This blog was a saving grace for many. There was coaching on transparency, proactivity and being steadfast in your new prices. It featured a step-by-step guide on how to make the transition smooth and even a much-needed pep talk.

And Here’s to the Amazing Blogs that Almost Made the Cut!