A prospect heard your name at a networking event, or a referral told them to look you up, and now they are reading your LinkedIn profile. The headline still carries a job title from a company you left years ago. The About section is empty or reads like a resume. Nothing says what your business does today, who it serves or how to reach you. If you have been meaning to fix your LinkedIn profile as a business owner and never had a free hour, start with the five parts a client sees first. Each one takes minutes, the free version of LinkedIn covers all of it, and you can finish in one sitting.
Key Takeaways
The headline and the first two lines of About should say what you do, who you help and how to continue the conversation.
Pick your company from the dropdown in Experience so the Page name and logo appear beside your role.
The custom button is a paid feature, and the Creator Mode switch no longer exists, so neither is part of a first fix.
Start with the headline and the first two lines of About
Open your profile in a private browser window, where you are not signed in, and read only the headline and the first two lines of About. A stranger decides from those lines whether to keep reading. They should be able to answer three questions: what does this person do, who is it for, and how do I get in touch?
A headline that says only "Founder" or "CEO" answers none of them. Pair your role with a plain description of the work and the client you serve. "Owner, Riverside Bookkeeping: monthly books and tax prep for dental offices" says more than any title alone. Watch the character counter in the editor as you type, because LinkedIn cuts long headlines off.
LinkedIn describes About as the place to express your "mission, motivation, and skills," according to its About section help page. For a business owner, the first two lines should name the problem your client has and the result you work toward. Save the story of your career for later in the section.
Connect your job entry to your company Page
Your personal profile and your company Page are two different things. The profile represents you. The Page represents the business. They meet in the Experience section.
When you add or edit your current role, choose your company from LinkedIn's dropdown list instead of typing the name by hand. LinkedIn then shows the company name and logo beside the role, as its Experience section help explains. You may also appear in the Page's list of associated members.
Only list a company where you have a real professional connection. LinkedIn's experience association guidelines cover employment, contract work, an official internship, volunteer work and board service. Being a customer does not count. If the company Page does not exist yet, that is a separate job to finish before this step.
Describe your current role in client terms. "Run day-to-day operations" tells a prospect little. "Help homeowners plan and finish kitchen remodels" tells them whether you are the right person to call.
Clear out Featured and Services
Featured sits near the top of your profile and is the quickest place to show proof. LinkedIn's Featured FAQs say it can hold posts, articles, images, documents and external links. You can add an unlimited number of items, but only 400 display.
Keep two or three items that a prospect would want to see: a case study, a project photo, a short article you wrote, or a link to your contact page. Remove anything tied to an old job, an old campaign or a product you no longer sell.
Then open Services. LinkedIn says any member can create a free service page, and paid plans add extras such as a request proposal button. List only what you do today, in the words a client would use to search for it. An empty or outdated Services list sends the wrong message.
| Step | What to look at | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headline and first two lines of About, read as a stranger | 3 minutes |
| 2 | Experience entry linked to your company, logo showing | 2 minutes |
| 3 | Featured: remove stale items, keep the strongest proof first | 2 minutes |
| 4 | Services: delete anything you no longer offer | 2 minutes |
| 5 | Contact path: can a stranger tell how to reach you? | 1 minute |
Make the next step obvious
A profile that explains your work and then leaves the visitor stuck loses the lead. Put a way to reach you where a stranger will see it: a line near the end of About that says how to contact you, a contact page in Featured, or a note about the kind of message you answer.
LinkedIn offers a custom button on the profile that can link to a website, store, portfolio, blog, appointment page, newsletter or services page. Its custom button help page limits the button to selected Premium Business, Sales Navigator and Recruiter Lite subscribers. A free profile can still be clear. Use the About section and Featured to carry the same message.
Stop hunting for features that changed
Two things send owners looking in the wrong places. LinkedIn removed the Creator Mode on and off switch in 2024 and removed profile hashtags starting in February 2024, according to its Creator Mode update. The sharing tools and analytics stayed. You do not have to switch anything on.
Verification is the other. LinkedIn lets members verify identity, workplace or education, as described on its verification help page. LinkedIn says its own data shows verified members receive 60 percent more profile views and 50 percent more engagement on average. Those are LinkedIn's figures, and a badge does not replace a clear headline and accurate claims.
On that point, LinkedIn's Professional Community Policies require accurate information about you and your organization. Keep credentials, awards and results to what you can back up. If you quote a client testimonial or share a free product or payment arrangement, the FTC's endorsement guidance says the disclosure has to be clear.
Know how long each fix takes and when to get help
Most of the first pass is small. A vague headline is a 10 to 20 minute job once you know your target client. Featured cleanup takes about the same. Linking Experience to the right Page is quick when the Page exists. Rewriting About and updating your current role is a medium job, often 30 to 90 minutes, because you have to decide what to say first.
You can do all of it yourself in one sitting. A monthly package, a Premium subscription or a full personal-brand campaign is not required to get a clear profile.
Help earns its place when the hard part is not typing. That includes choosing which client to speak to when you serve several, lining up your personal profile with your company's brand, deciding what proof to show, or keeping content going after the profile is fixed. That is judgment, writing and upkeep. It is not a promise of reach or leads, and nobody can promise one.
After you finish, ask one trusted client or colleague to open your profile cold and tell you what they think you do and how they would contact you. If their answer matches yours, the profile is working.
Is your LinkedIn profile ready for clients?
Pick an answer to begin.
1. Which lines of your profile does a stranger read first?
2. How do you make your company name and logo appear beside your current role?
3. What should you do about Creator Mode?
Frequently Asked Questions About linkedin profile for business owners
Should a business owner use a personal profile or a company Page?
Use both. The profile represents you, and the Page represents the business. They connect through your Experience entry.
What should go in my LinkedIn headline?
Your role, the service you provide and the client or problem it serves, in plain language.
What belongs in the Featured section?
Current work samples, useful posts or articles, documents, images and links that support the business, such as a contact page.
Can every profile add a custom website button?
No. LinkedIn limits the custom button to selected paid subscribers.
Do I need Premium to have a good profile?
No. A free profile can state what you do, show proof in Featured, link your company in Experience and list services.
Does verification guarantee sales?
No. LinkedIn describes verification as a sign of authenticity, and the 60 and 50 percent figures are LinkedIn's own data.
Moving Forward
Fix the parts a client sees first: the headline, the opening of About, your current Experience entry, Featured, Services and a clear way to reach you. Say what you do, who you help and what problem you solve, and remove anything that still points to an old job.
Set aside ten minutes for the check and another hour for the writing. Then ask someone outside your business to read your profile and tell you what they think you do. Their answer shows you what to adjust next.
If the harder questions are on your plate, Web Leveling can help you decide what to say and keep it consistent with your brand. Our social media marketing work covers profile writing, positioning and ongoing content, and if you can finish the first fixes on your own, do that first. We work with small and medium businesses across the country and overseas. Tell us about your profile and your clients, and we will tell you where to start.
Terms
LinkedIn words in this post
Tap a term to see what it means.
Profile. Your personal LinkedIn page, which represents you rather than your company.
Company Page. The LinkedIn page that represents a business, separate from any one person's profile.
Headline. The line under your name that appears in search results and next to your posts.
About. The profile section where you describe your work, in your own words.
Featured. A profile section for showing posts, articles, documents, images and links.
Custom button. A paid profile feature that links to a website, portfolio or booking page.
