(ARA) – Entrepreneurs are the most progressive people out there. If there is a less expensive, more efficient way to get business done, most small businesses will find it a lot faster than the big businesses that are weighed down by red tape.

So what are the most resourceful small businesses doing to stay afloat in the toughest economy since the Great Depression? They’re letting go of old, albeit familiar, methods of running their businesses and making the switch to online services.

While it may be natural for many business owners to look online for some business solutions, like hosted e-mail and SEO solutions, most don’t take inventory and figure out how to run all aspects of their businesses online – or at least the ones that will result in significant time and cost savings. In fact, most don’t know they can. We would recommend that you spend time talking to a professional in these areas such as OutreachPete who can help improve your SEO, and there are so many companies around who can help you with your email and telephone solutions.

From customer communications to time management, it can all be done online for a fraction of the cost spent on offline services.

SurePayroll introduced the country’s first full-service online payroll company in 2000. They help small business owners save time and money by providing a fast and easy way to process payroll. President and CEO Michael Alter says his company has experienced tremendous growth in this down economy because business owners look for ways to save money now more than ever.

“Cost is on the minds of every business owner today,” he says. “When businesses see that they can save nearly $1,000 a year by switching from a traditional offline payroll provider to us and get all of the same services, it’s a no-brainer.”

Making the switch to a dozen or so online business services could free up thousands of dollars a year for small business owners.

Randy Knapp, a partner at the technology consulting firm Breakthrough Technologies in Evanston, Ill., chooses online services whenever he has the opportunity.

“I run payroll from the office, from home or even on the road with SurePayroll. It saves me a lot of time and money. Employees can access payroll information on their computers or iPhones, which saves on HR costs,” he says. “It’s one of many online services we use to run the office in the most efficient and cost-effective manner. I’d estimate that we save near the five-digit mark every year just by choosing online services.”

Hundreds of online services help business owners run their offices while cutting expenses. Want to say goodbye to paper costs? Use a system like PerfectForms to create and manage a variety of types of business forms. Not interested in footing the bill for stamps? Companies like FreshBooks will help you track time and invoice clients online. Interested in cutting the phone bill? Check out one of the VOIP services like Skype. Don’t have the funds to make it to a meeting? Use GoToMeeeting.com.

Before deciding to go with an online company with any given service, business owners need to do their homework:

* Compare equal features when shopping. Most online services offer price quotes online that can be obtained in seconds, but when comparing prices make sure you’re comparing equal features among providers.

* Make sure the service is truly online. Some companies claim to be online but really only offer certain components of their services online. Often, these services don’t offer the benefits of flexibility and control, and normally don’t result in significant cost savings or higher efficiency.

* Ensure they offer phone support. While many will never use it, business owners should ensure that they can reach someone by phone for support issues if they ever need to.

The bottom line is that business owners go into business for themselves so they can have more control. They want more control of their time and money, and the right online services will offer that.

“Online services should take the brunt of the work off the business owners’ shoulders while letting them be in charge,” says Alter. “Most of our customers didn’t go into business to spend their days figuring out payroll tax rules and regulations or submitting quarterly tax filings – so we do that for them. But they also don’t want us dictating when and where they run payroll. The beauty of our online service is that they have the freedom and control to process on their schedule without all the associated hassles.”