You’ve worked hard and invested a lot of time and money in your business. And now you’d like to see your business grow. Here are three key areas to focus on today that can help your business grow in the long run.
Differentiate Yourself
In a marketplace filled with so many competing or seemingly similar businesses, it is important to differentiate yourself. Focus on what makes you stand out from the competition. What are your strengths? Do you offer products and services nobody else offers? Figure out what makes your business unique and then highlight that. It will not only differentiate you from the competition but also strengthen your brand in the process.
Cultivate Loyalty
Considering the fact that return customers spend more, and also send new business your way through referrals, having a loyal customer base can really pay off. Make sure you cultivate that loyalty by delivering great customer service every time, communicating regularly with your clients, and asking them for feedback. By making your customers feel like they are a valued part of your business, you’ll keep them coming back again and again. That translates into growth for you. Happy repeat clients not only spend more per visit, they actually visit more frequently, and can help you grow your new client base through referrals of family and friends.
Be flexible
You are a small business owner, and that gives you a great deal of flexibility to implement changes quickly when necessary. But if you never make the necessary changes, or are resistant to change, in the long run that can hurt your bottom line. Making sure you regularly evaluate your processes and business model and update it to meet your current and future needs will make sure your business is ready to handle growth. This is a great place to involve your staff, since they’re often the ones with the best first hand experience on what is and what is not working well. Having a streamlined business that can flex to meet future needs will set you up for future success.
By focusing on these three key areas, you can make small changes in your business model and practices that can pay off with big results. Take some time this week to focus on some changes you can make in these areas.