Top Ways To Take Your Business To The Next Level
Your business may be ticking along nicely. You may be making a relatively steady income, happy with how things are going, and want it to stay that way. But you also might not be. You might be making a steady income, ticking along nicely, and feeling how you’ve hit your peak, unsure of how to take it that next level. You have exhausted your current means of attracting customers, and while your numbers are okay, they’re also not getting any higher. This plateau is where many business owners stay at - and many are ok with this - but if you aren’t, and want to continue to propel your business to success, you must get a plan in place. Whether you have a plan, but it isn’t working, or you are entirely new to strategizing your business, it is never too early, or late, to implement this. Here are a few ways to leverage your business to the next level…
1. Get your SEO up to scratch
These days there is no excuse to have bad SEO. Without it, the chances of your website being found organically on search engines are pretty much redundant. Use a free analyzer to see what can be done, or find a company that offers all types of SEO services so they can sort it out for you. SEO needs to be done to everything from your individual web pages to the text and images on your pages, so it’s crucial that it is done right.
2. Ensure your website is optimized for mobile
In 2019 almost half of the internet traffic worldwide was from mobile users, meaning it is vital that your website is optimized for all devices, not just desktop. Most web developers include this when building your site, but it is worth checking when you get your site created. Optimizing for mobile means people can also visit, interact with, and buy from your site no matter where they are or what they are doing.
3. Don’t be afraid to diversify
This year has been a strange one, and you may find yourself making less money from your business than you were before. If this is the case, don’t be afraid to diversify your services to leverage your business. If you are a photographer, why not offer photo editing services too? A copywriter, why not branch out to other areas such as SEO or technical copywriting? There are many things out there that you could do, so why not use your skills to your advantage and grow your business that way.
4. Grow Your Employees Skills and Loyalty
People are a huge asset to growing a business the right way. When you think about the cost of recruitment, on-boarding and training a new staff member up, as well as the disruption caused to the whole organization when someone leaves, it becomes clear that minimizing staff turnover should be a huge focus. You can work towards that by making your employees feel valued. There are so many ways to do this. First of, make sure that every role within your company has clearly defined responsibilities and KPIs attached to the job, so that your hire can know whether they are doing a great job or not. Often in start-ups, roles aren’t very clearly defined, and this can lead to confusion and dissatisfaction among staff. Second, have in place a training and progression plan for each employee. A lot of the appeal of working for a small business is the opportunity to shape a role, and grow and develop your career alongside the company. Let people know that if they stick with you and work hard, this will be recognized, and they will be give opportunities to progress their careers. Make sure they have the training and skills they need, so that they are constantly improving your operations as well as not feeling stagnant themselves. Thirdly, always make sure your employees feel valued and celebrated when they do a great job. You’d be amazed how often this is overlooked - we expect people to just know when they’re performing well, but the truth is, we all like praise. Make sure feedback is given just as much when something has been done well as when there are improvements to be made. A simple personal recognition goes a long way, but you could also look at buying gifts for office staff or arranging a company-wide celebration or day out to say thank you to your team. These are the things that make a team more than just a collection of colleagues and inspire people to work hard.
5. Ensure your pricing relates to inflation
If you have long term clients you work with, you can find yourself sticking to charging them the same price, even if you have been working for them for a long time. Don’t be afraid to broach the subject of a small price rise each year in line with inflation. Most clients won’t have a problem with this, and it means you won’t lose out on any money.
These are just a few ways to take your business to the next level.
