As a small business owner, there will invariably come a point where you are ready to expand your operations. Once your business is up and running, and you are meeting your initial objectives, you will likely face a critical question: How do I expand operations? This is an important juncture in the development of your organisation, and one that requires careful thought and planning.

Business owners have multiple expansion options available, and many of these warrant consideration. Small business owners tend to struggle to grow beyond their local environment, when attracting new customers. Fortunately, there are many inventive ways of expanding business operations, and growing their customer base.

Build a Strong Online Presence

The Internet of things is a reality that all businesses must contend with. A viable online presence is key to attracting new business, and promoting one’s products and services. Nowadays, most every business has a website, or at the very least a social media page on LinkedIn, Facebook or G + to showcase its products and services to the world. It’s not necessary to employ the services of professional website creators to get up and running – but an online presence is required nonetheless.

SEO (search engine optimization) and SEM (search engine marketing) activity can be extremely useful in targeting clients searching for your specific products and services. Even small businesses operating in towns or cities will benefit from an online presence. Search engines like Google, Yahoo, Bing and others are the perfect virtual platforms to promote your business. Of course, business growth and expansion prospects require an investment of sorts.

If your company’s cash flow is limited, there are many financing options available out there. It’s important to consider the costs of bank loans versus non-bank loans. Nowadays, the Internet makes it possible to avoid the bureaucracy of banks and the qualification criteria, and skip direct to peer-to-peer lending options to qualify for loans. This is a great way to keep your small business growing, without being buried in red tape.

Getting the Right Mix of Products and Services

Once you have an online presence, it’s important that other people can find your business quickly and easily. There are many ways to get listed, including setting up your business on Google Maps or other directory listings. It’s important that the information provided by these online listings is accurate and that the images showcase your business in the best possible light. Old school listing services such as the Yellow Pages still have relevance today, and it’s good to ensure that your business has a presence there too.

Small businesses can certainly benefit from expanding their product and service offerings as much as possible, but in the infancy stages of your business, you will want to provide a limited range of products before you start growing. Remember, a handful of terrific products is far superior to a basketful of shoddy products. It’s important to establish credibility as a new business, and to maintain that as operations grow. Then, it’s entirely feasible to introduce a wide range of complementary products to customers. Throughout it all, it’s imperative that customer satisfaction remains at the forefront of your outreach program.

Happy Customers Make for Effective Free Advertising

The costs of attracting new customers are prohibitive, and that’s the reason why so many businesses invest so heavily in customer retention strategies. A happy customer is a returning customer. Satisfied clientele are also the most effective marketing options available to your business. Word-of-mouth recommendations are regarded as the most credible opinions of all. Once your business starts growing, you can use your increased revenues to pay back your automotive loans, business mortgages, even business credit card accounts, and reinvest that money in shoring up your balance sheet!

Categories: General