Your business Web site is your house on the Internet. It's where people come to see you. The problem is that a domain name is something you rent, rather than something you buy. And every so often you have to renew the lease, paying more money in order to keep your business domain name. Mary Emma Allen of Home Biz Notes points this out:

Whether you’re an author, artist, or other type of home business owner, you generally own your domain name for only so long, then you renew it before the expiration date.  I’ve heard of others who lost their domain names, even those that include their personal name, because someone snapped it up the minute it expired.

This is a very important point, especially if you have a successful business and Web site. There is usually someone waiting around to snap it up. And continuity is very important. You want your loyal customers and clients to be able to find you, and it can be difficult when you change your cyberaddress.

So, keep track of when your domain name expires. Put a reminder on your computer, and make sure that you keep your info updated with the company that you rented your domain name from, so that you can receive the email notices they send you about renewing.