More and more people are starting their own small business. This can be a great way to earn an extra income, transition to a different career, or improve a talent or skill. Unfortunately, a lot of these small businesses go under because people lack the knowledge to keep them going over a long period of time. It is possible to learn these business skills to turn your small business into a profitable one.
It may seem overwhelming to see all the tips and tricks lined up together, but starting small is key. If you try to spread yourself too thin, you will get burnt out quickly and will be unable to keep up with any of it. It is crucial to pick a few things to start with, and then once you have implemented those, choose a couple more.
You should also take care when choosing which ones to focus on at first. Some will be more applicable to some businesses than others. You should always assess where your business is and what the next logical step is when deciding the next steps to take. Every business is unique, so there is not one-size fits all blueprint for success.
Listen to the Customers
A business can’t survive without customers, so it is important to take feedback seriously. Obviously not every single piece of feedback is going to be something to base your business decisions on, but examining customer experiences can help you determine a trend.
A successful business is one that has found a way to fill a hole in the market. If you can listen to customers and what their needs are, then you will be able to adapt and become sustainable to the ever-changing market.
Customer Support
Something that goes right along with listening to customer feedback is to offer stellar customer support. Maintaining an open line of communication with your customers is the only way to gain their feedback and see where you can make improvements.
In today’s online world, having a quick email and online response time is critical for success. Good customer support can mean all the difference between a negative reputation and turning unhappy customers into happy, loyal ones. Customers do not typically stop going to a store based on a negative experience if the problem is fixed quickly.
Increased customer support can also lead to more brand awareness and online marketing. Customers that have a good customer support experience will tend to share those experiences with their friends and on social media. Tagging in social media posts in groups and forums will boost your online presence and good reputation.
Search Engine Optimization
Also known as SEO, search engine optimization is all about reaching the maximum number of people who are searching for businesses related to yours on the internet. There are many ways you can boost your SEO. It can get a little complicated so finding the best SEO agency and getting help is always an option.
SEO has a lot to do with how your website is set up, what you share on social media, and how you write any articles or blog posts on your website. It is the combination of many different small factors that work together in order to give you a ranking for a search engine to pull your information based on certain search criteria.
Page loading speed is a huge factor in SEO rankings. Slow loading sites mean people will go somewhere else for their products or services. Slow loading pages communicate to the customer that the site is outdated and the company probably is as well. It is important to remove anything from your site that might be slowing it down.
Making your website user-friendly is also a big indicator of whether or not people will stay or leave. You can make your website more user friendly by decluttering the sidebar and getting rid of non-essential elements. If you have plugins installed, but you are not using them, consider deactivating them to boost your page speed and clean up your site. Your menus should be easy to use and contain links to all pertinent information on your site that a customer might need to find.
You should also do things like add alternative text to your pictures, set a featured image, and use relevant keywords in your posts to help fine tune your SEO. If you have a blog section on your site, you should also use backlinks to your own blog and links from reputable websites in each blog post.
Stay Focused
It is easy to get distracted with new ideas for growth and expansion before you are ready for it. Staying focused on your niche can help you accumulate sustainable growth instead of continuously chasing the next big thing.
A niche will help you attract loyal customers that will come back again and again. Focusing your efforts on one small area will also help you be able to maintain a solid customer base and perfect your marketing strategy. If you are trying to be too many things for too many people, you are inevitably going to fail. Staying focused on one area allows you to give superior service to the customers you have. Any branching out you do should be done to serve the customers you have and not abandon them. It is much easier to keep an old customer than to gain a new customer in terms of time and money for marketing, so plan accordingly.
Time-efficient
Time is your most valuable commodity. As a small business owner, you are in charge of managing so many different aspects of your business. Not being able to manage your time efficiently will be your downfall, especially as your business starts to grow.
There are several ways you can prioritize your time. One of the easiest easiest ways is to use technology and automation to take some things off your plate. You can use social media scheduling to pre-schedule all your posts and email newsletters. You can also automate appointment setting and online marketing.
Batching time is another great way to use your time in a more efficient way. Contrary to what most people think, multi-tasking is not an efficient way to use your time. It takes your brain more time to switch so rapidly between different tasks than it would be to separate them and do them one at a time. You can cut down on these distractions by setting times during the day to deal with small items that might distract you otherwise, like checking and responding to emails.
Delegating is one of the trickiest but most important ways to use your time wisely. Small business owners often have a hard time with this because they see their company as a part of themselves and they want to make sure everything goes smoothly. Trusting other people with something that you have worked so hard on is very hard. If this is something you struggle with, then start small. Find a small task that will take some burden off your shoulders and give it to someone else to do. Set clear expectations and deadlines with an employee you trust, and then let them do it. Check in on them as the deadline approaches, but don’t micromanage them the entire time. If you start small and build on what you have, you will find it gets easier with time.
Networking and Partnerships
No company grows on its own, they are all interconnected. It is important to not see other businesses as the enemy, but rather look for ways you can network and collaborate to help each other.
Finding ways to work with other businesses in your area can help you learn a great deal and can boost brand recognition. You can find ways to promote each other, offer discounts for packages of services together, or offer discounts for referrals.
Networking is also very important. This should be done with a variety of people. You of course should be on good terms with other companies in your area, but you shouldn’t stop there. You also need to be active in your community. Businesses that reach out and find ways to be active in their communities usually have higher brand recognition and are viewed in a more positive light by the community.
You should also network with vendors or other people that you need in order to run your business. Having good relationships with reputable vendors will mean you are able to maintain your level of production and service with no interruptions.
Reliable Team
You should seek to build a reliable team for your company. Having employees that you can trust is essential if your business is going to grow. In order to gain high-quality employees, you have to be a good employer. Have a good work environment and offer ways for employees to grow within the company. You should look for employees that are passionate about what you do and are excited to offer what they can to the company and are willing to learn even more.
