Growth is the difference between flying forwards and sitting still. Every man and their dog who have ever run a business ultimately want it to grow, but it’s not unusual to lose sight of the bigger picture. We’ve compiled ten of our killer tips to help you keep your foot on the accelerator!
1. Get to Know Your Customers
Feedback from your customers is worth its weight in gold!
If you’re a business offering services, showcase your glowing reviews – but also ask for constructive feedback to improve.
Maybe you sell goods or are creating a brand. Find out what customers are buying, whether it’s your brand or a similar one. Do you need to streamline the products you offer or increase your range? The only way to find out is through your customers!
2. Be Sociable (Yes, we’re talking Social Media!)
Social Media is a place to grow your profile as a business and find new customers. It’s a powerful platform on which to advertise, keep up with your target market and keep an eye on what the competition are doing.
Like it or not, having a social media presence has become a sign of trust among consumers. It’s a first port of call for prospective customers and leads, which often results in them clicking through to your website. Speaking of which…
3. Polish up your Old Website
Whilst we’d argue that a social media presence has become a necessary part of running your business, your website is where the magic happens. It’s your opportunity to showcase what you’ve got and what you can do for others – so it has to be top notch!
Having a sloppy website is no longer an option. Whether you provide a service or sell a good, people won’t want to buy it from a dodgy-looking webpage – money invested in fine-tuning your site is money well spent.
4. Spend Your Time Wisely – Delegate!
As an owner of a start-up or a small business, chances are you’ll find yourself overwhelmed with tasks of varying levels of importance. In order to grow, you need to focus on the areas where you can make the most difference.
If you’re spending the bulk of your time scheduling appointments, writing emails, cold-calling or sorting your calendar then you’re not using your time as wisely as you should be! In order to grow your business, consider outsourcing or hiring a Virtual Assistant (VA) so you can focus on what matters.
5. Focus on Sales
If you’re a budding entrepreneur or a business owner, actual physical sales are what drives your profit and grows your business. No-one knows more about your product than you do and no-one has as much passion for it as you.
So, what should you be doing? Selling! Consider your sales funnel and how effective it is. Focus on strategy and growth by getting more sales – the rest can be outsourced.
6. Find your Niche
Often, small businesses try to do too much – it can overwhelm you and drown you out.
A much better strategy is to find your niche. Ask yourself which of your products stands out the most, or which of the services you provide is most sought-after. Focusing on these is what will drive your profits initially – once you get them down to a tee, the rest will follow.
7. Hone your Productivity
Productivity isn’t just about how much you get done. It’s about efficiency – tackling the tasks which are strategically important and being at the heart of your own business.
Don’t mistake working long hours for high productivity. If you’re spending those hours trawling through emails or sending proposals with spelling mistakes then you aren’t being productive. Work smarter – not harder!
8. Make Sure You’re Connected
The importance of networking cannot be understated. There are other people just like you and with platforms such as LinkedIn you don’t even need your house to meet them!
Networking is important, as other business-people will have made mistakes that you can learn from. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people with similar projects to yours and ask for insight.
9. State Your Values
Make sure you know what your company’s values are and that the people you employ do as well. This may mean writing down and sharing goals or discussing your inspiration.
Either way, when you picture your company in ten years’ time, it won’t have grown or flourished without clear values to help along the way. Now is the time to outline them!
10. Find Out What Works
In order to continuously improve, you need to measure what works for you. Find it, refine it and use it to your advantage.
This may be a particular product, a target market, a niche or a strategy. Experimentation keeps your business moving forward but using what you know is crucial. Work hard, be prepared to fail and you’ll grow!