Starting and growing a small business has always been a challenge, and even more so in recent years, given the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and the economic recession.
But don’t get discouraged, we are here to help. Of course, we can’t promise surefire strategies for success, as there isn’t a single magical formula that works for all.
Still, we have some tips that can help you develop your small business in 2023.
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How to Grow a Small Business: 9 Simple Steps
- Do Proper Market Research
- Hire the Best People for Your Business
- Optimize Your Homepage and Invest in SEO
- Create a Stunning Blog
- Form Strategic Partnerships
- Develop a Plan and Reduce Risks
- Diversify Your Product/Service Portfolio
- Try to Reach New Customers
- Focus on Your Strengths and Build up Your Brand
1. Do Proper Market Research
Before you create any plans to grow your business, it’s essential to conduct proper research of the market in order to understand your current, and potential customers.
Gaining insights into the preferences of your target audience will help you to provide not only products or services that your customers actually need, but also it allows you to personalize offers.
Naturally, don’t forget to also do some competitive research to help you find out which best practices your competitors are following, how they attract customers, and so on.
2. Hire the Best People for Your Business
One of the best ways to grow a small business is to hire the absolute best team of people you can afford.
Once you have managed to get the right people for your business, and have successfully motivated them to give it their all, things will definitely change. Smart and happy employees that contribute with innovative ideas, and hard work are irreplaceable.
What’s more, delegating tasks to the appropriate team members will give you time to work on other important tasks. This will also help you create a great work environment and company culture.
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3. Optimize Your Homepage and Invest in SEO
SEO can be really beneficial to small businesses. After all, it’s an organic way to boost your traffic that requires little-to-no investment.
Sure, you can hire a specialist, but you’ll have to pay them… However, you can also start your own search engine optimization, or delegate it to a team member.
One of the most crucial aspects of your search engine optimization should be your homepage. It is your business’s digital storefront, and basically what most of your customers will see first when they visit your site.
Considering the fact that 96% of people visiting your website aren’t ready to purchase, it’s up to you to change their minds.
In order to maximize your chances of converting your visitors into customers, you can:
- Write a great copy.
- Clean and easy navigation.
- Craft a luring call-to-action button.
- Ensure your website loads fast.
4. Create a Stunning Blog
Blog posts can practically bring unlimited traffic to your website. It’s no coincidence that 92% of content marketers use blog posts as part of their strategy.
Apart from traffic, writing awesome content on your blog can bring in more customers, establish yourself as an expert in your industry, and ultimately help you stand out from the competition.
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5. Form Strategic Partnerships
A strategic partnership with another business could allow you to reach new markets, and help your long term growth.
Not only are there different types of partnerships you can develop, but there are also various benefits for your business, like boosted sales, decreased expenses, and predictable revenue streams.
Whatever type of business partnership you choose, remember to always seek shared objectives where you benefit mutually. And always keep in mind the goals you’ve set for yourself and your partnership.
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6. Develop a Plan and Reduce Risks
The truth is that there are numerous paths to take on how to grow your small business. One thing is always key, though, and that is – proper planning.
The proper execution of your plans is equally important, though, as it turns out 67% of well-formed strategies failed due to poor execution.
Also, another key ingredient in the topic of how small businesses grow, is to minimize risks whenever possible. Sure, it’s impossible not to take any risks, since risks are the way to growth.
Still, always try to calculate risks and identify potential blockers ahead of time. Be proactive and 100% oriented towards achieving your goals, that will help you to overcome any difficulties.
7. Diversify Your Product/Service Portfolio
How often do you wonder, “How do I grow my small business”? Most probably, your company has already achieved some kind of success with your product or service.
In fact, if you want to continue to develop and grow, it is a good idea to add new products/services to your portfolio.
One of the best ways to approach this is by doing some market research, which allows you to establish the needs of your customers, and identify any potential gaps you can fill.
8. Try to Reach New Customers
You can’t grow your small business, unless you keep attracting new customers. It’s as simple as that. What’s hard is actually doing it.
When you’ve reached a certain level of engagement amongst your customers, you should start looking for ways to scale that to new audiences.
We’ve already discussed some of the most popular ways of doing so:
- Collaborate with another business.
- Write great blog posts.
- Add new products/services.
- Use SEO.
- Develop your social media accounts.
- Try advertising.
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9. Focus on Your Strengths and Build up Your Brand
Last but not least in today’s list… focus on the strong aspects of your business, and never stop developing your brand.
First, your strengths, they have made you successful so far, so don’t just ignore them.
Additionally, it’s vital to build up your brand, and since that’s an ongoing process, you should always invest time and efforts into it. Branding creates loyal customers, and makes it easier to develop a relationship with your clients. In simple terms, a brand can make a website visitor turn into a customer.
Think about it: would you rather buy clothes from Zara or H&M, or would you buy from a generic company with no branding, like Pete’s Clothes?
In Conclusion
Running a small business in 2023 comes with all sorts of challenges and obstacles. It’s a good thing that there are steps on how to grow a small, and successful business.
By following our advice, staying strong, and having faith in your business, we can all survive these difficult times, and look forward to a more successful future.
Team DevriX
This article is crafted by DevriX's seasoned marketing team, boasting over four decades of collective expertise in crafting sophisticated marketing funnels, devising comprehensive content frameworks and pillars, implementing engaging email campaigns, and creating impactful social media content designed for scalability.
Our marketing experts specialize in the complete spectrum of inbound marketing strategies. As an accredited HubSpot Agency Partner and a Semrush Partner, we engage in meticulous research, blending our extensive experience with the unique insights of our highly skilled team.
We set benchmarks in content creation by incorporating cutting-edge marketing trends, leveraging in-depth industry research, and utilizing state-of-the-art AI tools for data segmentation and captivating content hooks. Our proficiency extends across a diverse range of sectors, including working with SMEs, Fortune 1000 companies, global B2B brands, major publishing entities, WooCommerce platforms, business directories, and affiliate networks.
