Tips on how to make your small business more successful
You did it!
Had a dream of running your own business, carefully played out the pros and cons, made the decision to leave your safe, predictable job behind and have jumped 2 feet first into your new business.
Congratulations!
Now what…….you were proactive when you started, making sure you had goals in place but now feel like you are not making any progress towards them.
You are not alone. Every Entrepreneur wants to own a successful and profitable business, or why would you have done it in the first place? But it’s not always clear on how to get there. Here are some suggestions, through my experience that will help make it happen. Remember, success doesn’t come over night. Building a successful business is a marathon, not a sprint.
- Focus on GREAT customer Service
A customer is four times more likely to buy from a competitor if the problem is service related rather than price or product related (Bain & Company). Other studies have shown that is takes several positive customer service experiences to make up for one negative one.
Making good customer service should be a top priority. Take the time to examine your current customer service and make the changes necessary to ensure your business is providing a much superior product then that of your competitors.
With great customer service will come positive word of mouth, a free marketing tool that works better than any other.
- Find and retain GREAT employees
Attracting and keeping the right employees is one of the most important things you can do with your business.
Taking time to weed through the piles of resumes, sitting down and interviewing less than qualified candidates is all part of the process. So in order to reduce the time it takes to find the right match make sure you have a good system in place. From wording your job posting accurately and with very detailed expectations, to a well laid out interview process, ultimately leading into a thorough training course.
Once you have found “the one”…..treat them well, nurture them into the employee you want them to be and make sure they are happy. Create a work environment that makes them comfortable and makes them look forward to going to work everyday. Always be open to suggestions, they work the front line and usually have great ones. This also makes them have a sense of belonging within the company.
I cannot stress enough how important this step is. So show them how much you appreciate there hardwork, from a simple card to a staff outing these actions go a long way.
- Go Mobile
Along side having a great social media presence, making sure your business website is mobile friendly is extremely important.
People are checking there phones more now than ever; this trend is not fading anytime soon. They are also more likely to download your businesses app for ease and efficiency. This year global app downloads are said to reach 284 billion. Can your small business really afford to stay out of that game when those kinds of numbers are in play?
Offering mobile payment solutions through options such as apple pay, google wallet, square, paypal, – the choices are endless and are the preferred method of payment for the majority of Canadians.
So make it easier for your customers, play to the way they operate on a day to day basis and bring your business to there fingertips.
