When I think of all the things I’ve done over the years to grow my business, it’s clear that some have been more successful than others. When I’m looking for a boost in leads or sales, I always look back to things myself and my team have done well and do more of them Sometimes we don’t need a massive change of direction we just need to keep doing the good stuff! So, here are 10 things I’ve done to grow my business that worked.
1. Talk about it – how many people in your personal or social network actually know what you do? This is such an easy audience to start with, and great stories spread far and wide so you never know who else will get to hear about your products or services next. Be proud and be vocal about what you do.
2. Diversify – can you identify new business streams which compliment your current offering? Extend a popular service into a new region, or offer a new range of colours for your best selling products. It’s good practice to keep an eye on what your competitors are doing too, they might have a great idea which you can do better!
3. Remember to be local – even when the digital world makes us global, it’s easy to forget that people still like to trade locally. Often when your customers look for services and products online the browser search bar will default to “near me” or their local area, make sure your website SEO captures these opportunities for your business.
4. Take your digital footprint seriously – Everything you do online from a new blog on Linkedin to showboating on Instagram, has the potential to leave a digital footprint for your business. Being consistently active is a great way to generate awareness for your brand and to build a community of fans for your business.
5. Pay it forward – How do you thank your local community for supporting your business? It raises your profile if you can take time to give something back to your network. For example, deliver a free skills workshop to other local businesses, or donate products to a community group. This will be great social media content too!
6. Know your numbers – How will you know if your business has grown if you don’t know how it’s currently doing? Test and measure every step you take on your business journey so you can see the big picture. You need to know what works and what doesn’t so you can focus on the activities that deliver the most return.
7. Play where your customers play – How much time have you spent researching your target audience and plotting how, when and where to reach them? It’s time to get out there an network! Broaden your business connections through organised and casual meet ups. Or if your not ready for face to face meetings yet, get social online and make some noise on the likes of Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.
8. Sell more where you are – If you already have a loyal customer base, they’re a great audience to float new ideas to. Target them to try your new products and services first. You’ve done the hard work by selling to them once, now it’s time to sell to them more.
9. Nurture your leads – Are you still looking after leads even if they haven’t converted? Just because a lead doesn’t buy from you during their first interaction with your business, it doesn’t mean they won’t buy in the future. Using an efficient CRM system is a great way to stay in touch with people and remarket to them until they are ready to make a purchase.
10. Take action – All these tips are great, but you need to put them into action! When you come across a good idea, act on it as soon as you can, or put it into your business plan as a commitment to make your business grow.
If you would like to chat further about your business, please take advantage of our free business coaching sessions and lets ensure your business thrives together.
