Talked to a dozen local business owners this month — salons, gyms, restaurants — and almost none of them are doing this one thing: asking for reviews the same day a customer is happy.

Everyone waits until "later," which means never. Reviews are the #1 thing Google uses to rank you locally, and the #1 thing new customers check before walking in.

Here's the exact script we use: text the customer within an hour of a good interaction — "So glad you loved it! We're a small local business and reviews genuinely help more than you'd think — mind leaving a quick Google review? [link]. Takes 30 seconds, thank you!"

Do this with your next 10 happy customers this week. It costs nothing and it's the highest-leverage 30 minutes you'll spend on marketing this month.

If you want the full playbook (Google Maps SEO, simple social content system, $5/day local ads) we packaged it into a step-by-step kit built specifically for owners with no marketing team and no time — check out MainStreet Growth.