By Sean Peek
September 15, 2022
Source: Business News Daily
Photo Source: Unsplash, Blake S.
1. Focus on your customer experience.
Customers’ perceptions can make or break your business. Deliver quality experiences and products, and they’ll quickly sing your praises on social media; mess it up, and they’ll tell the world even faster. Fast growth depends on making your current and potential customers happy with their experience.
“Compared with large companies, small businesses are nimble and often better able to see, anticipate, and respond to their customers’ needs,” DeHetre said. “The most successful small businesses exploit this advantage by bringing new and innovative products and services to market more quickly and developing and nurturing long-term customer relationships.”
Dennis Tanjeloff, president and CEO of Astro Gallery of Gems, agreed. He said listening to your customers and giving them what they want is of utmost importance.
“Diversify your offerings so you can best cater to the customers’ changing tastes,” Tanjeloff said. “Remember, you are here to serve the customer – it’s why you are open for business.”
While engaging with your audience is crucial, personalizing the experience can boost and strengthen that relationship.
Key takeaway: Small businesses can quickly adapt and respond to customers’ needs. This agility can give them an advantage over larger businesses.
2. Invest in yourself.
In the early stages of your business, you’ll likely see a very lean profit margin (or no profit at all), so any money you do make should go directly to helping you grow.
“A startup’s ability to invest in itself [helps] accelerate growth,” Lanng said. “In those early years, it’s critical to make sure that you’re redirecting any revenues back into the company. It’s vital to invest early and heavily in order to grow quickly.”
While it might be tempting to pocket all your profits, it’s better to invest in your business’s growth so you can reap bigger benefits later. Determine which parts of your business need more attention: For example, do you need to hire more workers, expand your marketing efforts, or secure additional funding? When you find a crucial area that needs improvement, give that area your financial support.
3. Always think ahead.
While agility is an important quality for a startup, you can’t fly by the seat of your pants when you’re running a business. Planning your next step – in anticipation of all possible scenarios – is the best way to stay grounded and secure as your business evolves.
Thinking ahead is broad advice, but it can be as simple as reviewing all ongoing contracts, like comparing rates with the best credit card processors and seeing if you can negotiate a better deal.
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