Although growing your business is the most commonly discussed topic in the entrepreneurial universe, the top 3 reasons startups fail is being outshone by your competitors, offering a product or service not geared towards your target market, and a lack of funds–all are related to a palpable lack thereof​.  

In a nutshell, businesses that stagnate fail. By better understanding what it takes to successfully instigate growth, your business will be better equipped to deal with a range of scenarios and ultimately come out on top! Here are some of the most common ways to grow your business: 

Growing Your Top Line Sales​

You can do that by:  

  • Expanding your client base: fold in new sectors, target markets, and distribution channels while keeping any expansion of your team, production, and distribution aligned with one another.  
  • Increasing your value per client: offer complementary services or products, incentivized training programs, or irresistible tiered bundles. 
  • Increasing your price per unit or service: adding value will justify this! You might also consider changing your business model (i.e., from sales to leasing) as a way of boosting revenues. 

Growing Your Profit Margins​.

To do that, you can:   

  • Find the most efficient route: streamline and optimize operations wherever possible; this may seem like more work, but it’s ultimately less! 
  • Raise your selling price: again, make sure to add value to justify an increase. 
  • Utilize economies of scale: increase production in order to lower costs.  
  • Offer high margin services: to achieve higher overall margins. Check out some of the most profitable businesses for inspiration! 

Growing Your Business with Your Product Mix​:  

  • Listen to your clients & watch your competition: What needs remain unfulfilled? What do your competitors do well, and what can you do better? 
  • Go wide: broaden your offerings (think of lifestyle companies that offer accessories, apparel, shoes and protein shakes). 
  • Go deep: increase your variety (think of drink companies offering soft drinks, juices, shakes, water). 

Growing Your Business with Your Market Share:  

  • Dominate your niche: work on achieving recognizable branding and delivering a quality offering, alongside having a strong marketing and customer engagement strategy. 
  • Keep a finger on the pulse of your client base: keep up with and respond to their evolving needs. 
  • Acquire competitors (if you can): both within your market and in new markets, but always be sure to assess if/how your new company will help you to achieve your long-term growth goals. 

Bottom line: as a general rule, sustainable growth is gradual, but continual. It takes courage to grow, and mistakes will be made—but as long as you’re committed to evolving, you’ve got this! 

A YES Business Coach can help you create a successful growth strategy. Book your first appointment.