Having a successful business takes work. We started out with an idea. Maybe we turned something we loved into a way to make money. Perhaps we stepped away from a 40-hour-a-week job to now work 80. We are constantly looking for ways to grow our businesses.
Regardless of how we got here – we are here (usually) because we love what we do and want to find ways to make it a success!
This week I want to give you 5 steps you can take to grow your business – right now!
1 – Have an online presence.
We live in a world where being offline is no longer an option. Customers use google to find you and they want to see what you have to offer. A website design that’s modern, informative, and functional is an absolute necessity. According to the data – In today’s competitive market, having a presence is not enough. An optimized and well-designed site can help your business generate new leads and provide a 30% or greater increase in your overall conversion rate. (Source)
A small 1-3 page website is adequate for most businesses – simply showing who you are and what you do. Check out this Free Website Planning Workbook created by our own website expert, Jess.
2 – Have an active social media presence.
Your business should have both a Facebook page and an Instagram account – at a minimum and should be actively posting information relevant to your audience several times a week. Learn more about how to get the most out of your social media here.
Not sure you have the capacity to keep up with your social accounts. Consider hiring a social media manager.
Want to learn more about Social Media Strategy? Sign up for the next Social Media strategy workshop here.
3 – Develop an email list
There is no more effective way to ensure that you are reaching your customers directly than with email. While we sometimes feel that email can be overwhelming it is still the number one way that companies connect with clients and earn business. Having an email strategy does several things including direct targeting, opening up channels for communication, and generating leads. Business Gems is a testament to effective email marketing.
In 2022 we almost called it quits, but decided to incorporate a weekly newsletter and email marketing for 3 months first just to see where it took us. As a result, we grew, our events are consistently full, we are having meaningful conversations with our target market (you!) and are now able to offer more ways for this community to benefit.
Not sure where to start? We’ve all been there – check out last week’s blog to learn more about how to get started in Email Marketing.
As well, make sure you check out and sign up for our next email marketing course.
4. Invest in yourself.
Set aside a percentage of each sale to go towards continuing education for yourself. This can be classes that are relevant to your industry, business workshops, or even hiring a business coach for a few months. When finances are tight this recommendation can feel overwhelming. But you cannot grow your business if you are not growing yourself. You are worth it.
5 – Lastly, know your finances
No matter the size of your business, having a true understanding of your business finances is crucial to the health and growth of your company. You need to know where your money comes from and where it goes every single day. Learn more about taking the overwhelm out of business budgeting in this blog from Business Gems contributor & accounting expert, Nasreen.
Knowledge of your financial health will help you be able to make informed choices around much of the information mentioned above. If business budgeting is overwhelming to you make sure you are on the list for our next Budgeting workshop.
Next Steps you can take today
These 5 things to grow your business may feel like a lot to start right this second. But there is no time like the present to make a move when it comes to growing your business. Here is how I guide my own business clients to start.
1. Pick one and focus on it like you would any project. (You can grab a project planning sheet by filling out the form below and downloading our Business Gems Productivity Planner.)
2. Take the next 30 days to focus on this one step. (Learn more about a 30-day plan here.)
3. Rinse and Repeat. Once you have that up and running go back to step 1 and repeat with the next thing.
In the next few months as you implement these things you’ll see both personal and professional growth. We can’t wait to hear all about it.
