Is your small business ready to grow, but you’re not sure how to approach the task? Don’t fret! In this article, we’ll explore 20 simple ways to get your company on the path to growth!
Set clear goals
Before you start to grow your business, you need to know where you’re heading. What are your business objectives? Set aside time to figure out where you want to take your company; select short- and long-term goals, so you can feel a sense of achievement along the way to your ultimate measure of success.
Get to know your client base
How well do you really know your customers? It’s always best to check! Use analytic tools to discover the demographic data of your visitors, customers, and clients. This helps you to grow your business in the direction of those who are most receptive to your efforts.
Understand your competition
Whilst you always want to maintain your uniqueness and integrity as a business, it’s worthwhile to watch what your competition is doing. If a strategy is working well for an adjacent brand, try to emulate some of their tactics – with your own spin, of course!
Focus on customer service
Growth can easily be stunted by a reputation for poor customer service. Place an emphasis on going the extra mile for your customers; they’ll be inclined to give good reviews and recommend you to others. Think of good customer service as the gateway to business growth.
Get connected on Facebook
If you haven’t already, set up a business account on Facebook. This allows you to promote your brand, attract new visitors, interact with existing customers, and take feedback. Always be courteous, professional, and personable, to support your growth ambitions!
Dazzle your audience on Instagram
There are now 800 million active Instagram users. Tap into this huge base of potential customers by creating an account for your business. You might not think that visual content is right for your brand, but there are many creative ways to make it work. Images, videos, infographics, and stories allow you to engage directly and show off what makes your business unique.
Offer a Twitter customer service channel
People are increasingly turning to Twitter to access customer service. It’s convenient for customers, and offers them a communication trail to refer back to. Growing by developing your online service is great news for customers, encouraging them to come back, time and again!
Invest in new equipment
If your equipment is dated, requiring extensive repair, or constantly breaking down, replacing it can aid your growth ambitions. But this can be expensive. Fortunately, it needn’t be difficult for small businesses to access loans to help them replace equipment. Click here to find out how Lend Genius can connect you with the right business loan for your needs.
Keep training up-to-date
Help your employees to flourish by investing in their training. Your staff are the front-line of your business’ growth; by ensuring their training is up-to-date, you can be certain that they’re well placed to deliver optimal work and exceptional customer service.
Attend industry events (and consider sponsoring them!)
Industry events allow you to connect with other businesses and people within your sector. Networking should play a part in your growth strategy; sometimes, seemingly innocuous meetings can turn out to be extremely lucrative! If you want to really get your name out there, consider sponsoring an event; this provides important brand exposure and demonstrates commitment to your industry.
Reward customer loyalty
Loyal customers are the backbone of every business, and help to drive onward growth. Reward them with a loyalty program; whether their accrued points add up to money off, exclusive offers, or special gifts, it’s nice to feel appreciated.
Create conversion opportunities
Is your website optimised? Create every opportunity you can to convert visitors into subscribers or customers. Adding a relevant call to action (CTA) form at the side and end of each page helps you to make the critical connections that help your brand to grow.
Expand your product lines
One of the simplest ways to grow your business is to offer a wider choice of products. Look at your most popular lines and figure out how you can add adjacent and complimentary items, or entirely new products. It’s also worth going directly to your customers to find out what they’d like to see.
Develop your service portfolio
If your brand deals with services instead of – or in addition to – products, make sure your portfolio is fresh and serves a purpose. Review the services that are popular, and consider dropping those that are relatively quiet, particularly if they are expensive to maintain. This allows you to focus on growth areas of your business.
Take your business online
Not all businesses have made the jump online just yet. It’s understandable, but there’s no need to be hesitant about e-commerce! Start small to test the waters; place some of your products or services for purchase online, ensure you have the resources to accommodate an online shop, then jump right in!
Go international
If you’re already online but serving only a domestic market, consider expanding your business internationally. Look for courier companies that offer reasonable overseas delivery rates, and unlock the world market!
Create resources
A fantastic way to get your message out into the world is to provide helpful resources that can be downloaded from your website, such as e-books, infographics, and videos. In exchange, request that visitors sign up for your newsletter. It’s a win-win for everyone!
Gather customer feedback (and act upon it!)
Your customers are crucial to a growth program, and their feedback is especially valuable. You may not know precisely what you’re doing best, and what might need improvement, but your customers will provide an honest indication. Use surveys or an email inbox to give them the opportunity to share their thoughts. Most importantly, take their comments on board!
Give back to the community
Giveaways might seem gimmicky, but they create buzz around your brand! Set up a competition every so often to bring attention to your business, and encourage sharing to optimise your reach. Charitable donations also give a positive impression of your company; helping others whilst contributing to your business goals.
Keep an eye on your progress
Whilst your company grows, it’s good to periodically review how things are going. This allows you to adjust your course if needed, and acknowledge your team for a job well done!
We hope these pointers are helpful; good luck!
