# Business Buddy > Business Buddy is a Rhode Island-based technology consulting company helping small business owners get their websites, tools, and technology working properly. Founded and operated by Mike Uttley, Business Buddy provides practical, affordable, and personal tech support to local businesses across Rhode Island. ## About Business Buddy is owned and operated by Mike Uttley, a Rhode Island resident based in Smithfield, RI. Mike has nearly two decades of experience in financial technology and started Business Buddy to give small business owners access to the same quality of technology support that larger companies take for granted. The approach is local, personal, and focused on what actually works for the business — not on selling unnecessary complexity. Phone: 401-889-2999 Location: Smithfield, Rhode Island (serving all of Rhode Island) Founded: April 2024 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@businessbuddymike Free consultations available by phone or video call. ## Services Business Buddy offers two primary service areas: ### Websites Custom-built websites for small businesses. Every website is designed to load fast, look professional on all devices, and be structured correctly for search engines. Services include new website builds, website redesigns, and ongoing website support. Industry-specific experience includes websites for restaurants, home service companies, landscapers, salons, barbers, real estate agents, professional services firms, artists, crafters, and political campaigns. ### Business Tools & Automation Setup and configuration of software tools that help small businesses operate more efficiently. This includes CRM (customer relationship management) systems, scheduling and appointment booking tools, automated follow-up systems, email marketing, and workflow automation using platforms like Monday.com, ActiveCampaign, Zapier, Cal.com, and Google Workspace. The goal is always to recommend the simplest tool that solves the problem. ## Case Studies ### CRM Setup for a Career Coaching Business A career coaching business had client information scattered across spreadsheets, email, and a course platform. Business Buddy set up a Monday.com CRM with three integrated boards, migrated 200+ contacts with zero data loss, and built a Zapier automation to sync new purchases directly into the CRM. The result was hours of admin time recovered each week and one-click sync between platforms. ### Shopify Store for Premier Post Accents Premier Post Accents, a maker of custom home accessories, had no way to sell online. Business Buddy built a full Shopify store with 25 products, 30+ color variants with visual swatches, a custom ordering feature, and complete training documentation. The store launched with national sales capability and generated its first sale within weeks. Visit the live store at premierpostaccents.com. ### SEO Rebuild for a Safety Decal Manufacturer A specialty manufacturer of reflective safety decals had declining revenue and virtually no online visibility. Business Buddy partnered with an SEO specialist to rebuild the site's search foundation, repositioned the brand as a premium specialist, set up 15+ directory listings, optimized the Google Business Profile, and targeted zero-competition keywords specific to the first responder market. A WordPress security breach discovered during the audit was also coordinated and resolved. ### Email Automation for a Career Services Company A resume and career services company needed automated client communication — every follow-up was manual and every reminder was a mental note. Business Buddy integrated their CRM with ActiveCampaign to create automated email sequences for onboarding, follow-up, and ongoing nurture. The result was a professional, consistent client experience from first contact through project completion with zero manual effort on routine communications. ## Pages - [Home](https://businessbuddyri.com/): Overview of Business Buddy, services offered, industries served, and the process for working together. - [What We Do](https://businessbuddyri.com/what-we-do/): Full overview of services including websites and business tools, with FAQs about working with Business Buddy. - [Websites](https://businessbuddyri.com/what-we-do/websites/): Detail on website design and development services for small businesses. - [Business Tools](https://businessbuddyri.com/what-we-do/business-tools/): Detail on CRM, automation, scheduling, and other business software services. - [Our Work](https://businessbuddyri.com/our-work/): Portfolio and examples of past projects. - [Free Resources](https://businessbuddyri.com/resources/): Free tools and guides for small business owners — interactive self-assessment guide, CRM templates, and a library of Business Buddy YouTube videos, each with its own page containing free templates, chapter links, FAQ, and full transcript. - [Self-Assessment: Are Day-to-Day Operations Eating Up Your Time?](https://businessbuddyri.com/resources/self-assessment/): A free interactive self-assessment guide for small business owners. Answer 10 yes/no questions covering Google visibility, mobile website, customer records, online scheduling, follow-up systems, data entry automation, email marketing, Google reviews, business continuity, and AI tools — with specific fixes for each area. - [About](https://businessbuddyri.com/about/): Background on Mike Uttley, his experience, and his approach to working with small business clients. - [Contact](https://businessbuddyri.com/contact/): Book a free consultation or get in touch by phone. - [Privacy Policy](https://businessbuddyri.com/privacy-policy/): Privacy policy for the Business Buddy website. - [Terms of Service](https://businessbuddyri.com/terms/): Terms of service for the Business Buddy website. ## Videos - [Online Booking Made Simple](https://businessbuddyri.com/resources/videos/online-booking-made-simple/): Video showing how to set up simple online booking for small businesses using tools like Cal.com. Covers defining your rules first, limiting appointment types, syncing with your calendar to prevent double bookings, enabling automatic reminders to reduce no-shows, and adding custom questions to gather job details upfront. Published 2026-07-01. - [Most Small Businesses Lose Leads This Way (And a Spreadsheet Fixes It)](https://businessbuddyri.com/resources/videos/simple-follow-up-system-spreadsheet/): Video demonstrating how a simple three-column spreadsheet tracker (status, next step, date) prevents service businesses from losing leads during busy periods. Covers assigning clear statuses, defining actionable next steps, attaching specific follow-up dates, and keeping the system simple enough to use daily. Published 2026-06-24. - [The One Spreadsheet That Fixes Scattered Business Information](https://businessbuddyri.com/resources/videos/one-simple-spreadsheet-for-small-businesses/): Video showing how a three-tab workbook replaces scattered business data by centralizing customer tracking, legal IDs, account contacts, renewal dates, and equipment serial numbers while keeping passwords in a dedicated manager. Includes the two-week handoff test. - [5 Practical AI Tools for Small Business Owners](https://businessbuddyri.com/resources/videos/5-ai-tools-for-small-businesses/): Video covering five AI tools that save time for small businesses, a six-question framework for judging any tool, the specialist analogy for using AI, and why organized customer data is a prerequisite before automating anything. - [How to Organize Customer Information as a Small Business](https://businessbuddyri.com/resources/videos/how-to-organize-customer-information/): Practical video guide covering the two-week test for your customer system, essential fields every customer record needs, how to clean duplicate contacts for free, and how to choose between a CRM and a spreadsheet. Includes free downloadable templates. ## Industry Website Pages Business Buddy has built websites for businesses in many industries. The following pages show examples and describe services for specific industries: - [Websites for Restaurants](https://businessbuddyri.com/websites/restaurants/): Website services for restaurant owners including menus, hours, reservations, and local SEO. - [Websites for Home Services](https://businessbuddyri.com/websites/home-services/): Website services for plumbers, electricians, HVAC, cleaning companies, and other home service businesses. - [Websites for Landscaping Companies](https://businessbuddyri.com/websites/landscaping/): Website services for landscaping and lawn care businesses. - [Websites for Salons & Barbers](https://businessbuddyri.com/websites/salons-barbers/): Website services for hair salons, barbershops, and personal care businesses including online booking. - [Websites for Real Estate](https://businessbuddyri.com/websites/real-estate/): Website services for real estate agents and agencies. - [Websites for Professional Services](https://businessbuddyri.com/websites/professional-services/): Website services for accountants, lawyers, consultants, and other professional service providers. - [Websites for Artists](https://businessbuddyri.com/websites/artists/): Website and portfolio services for artists, photographers, and creative professionals. - [Websites for Crafters & Makers](https://businessbuddyri.com/websites/crafters-makers/): Website services for Etsy sellers, handmade goods businesses, and craft-based businesses. - [Websites for Political Campaigns](https://businessbuddyri.com/websites/political-campaigns/): Website services for local political campaigns. ## Geographic Focus Business Buddy primarily serves small businesses in Rhode Island, including Providence, Smithfield, Cranston, Warwick, Pawtucket, North Providence, Johnston, Lincoln, Cumberland, Woonsocket, and surrounding communities. Remote projects outside Rhode Island are occasionally taken on.