Grow My Business

Are you ready to take your business to the next level?  If you’re looking for ways to grow, the tips below will help you to get started.

1. Appreciate existing customers.
   Expanding your business may mean getting new customers, but first, take a look at your existing customers.  The customers you already have can be your best bet for increasing sales.  Expanding services to existing customers is a cost effective way to grow.
2. Ask for referrals.
   Looking for new customers?  Start by asking your current customers for referrals.  Doing a great job and assuming that your customers are singing your praises isn’t enough.  It’s important to actively seek referrals.  During or following every sale, ask your satisfied customer if he knows anyone else who would be interested in your product or services.
3. Innovate your product or service.
   Discovering and promoting new uses for your products or services is a great way to get existing customers to increase their purchases—and attract new customers as well.
4. Extend your market reach.
   Make your product available to a new pool of customers.  Open a store or kiosk in a new town, or consider a virtual location online.  Extend your reach through advertising.  Once you’ve identified a new market, you might advertise in select media that targets that market.
5. Participate in trade shows.
   Trade shows can be a great way to grow your business.  Because trade shows draw people who are already interested in the type of product or service you offer, they can powerfully your bottom line.  The trick is to select trade shows you impact carefully, identify the right target audience, seeking the right match for your product or service.
6. Conquer a niche market.
   Remember the analogy of the big fish in the small pond? Think of your niche market as a pond, a narrowly defined group of customers.  Specialize in providing a product or service that satisfies an unmet need for your customers.  A nursery, for instance, might specialize in roses.
7. Diversify your products or services.
   The key to growing your business successfully through diversification is similarity.  Focus on the related needs of your already established market or on market segments with similar needs and characteristics.
8. Franchise your business.
   The stories of entrepreneurs who have become successful by franchising their small businesses are legion—not just stories.  If you have a successful business and can develop a system that ensures others can duplicate your success, franchising may be the fast track to growing your business.
9. Export your products.
   Expanding into international markets can also be a powerful boost to your company’s bottom line.  Like franchising, this is a way of growing your business that requires quite a commitment of time and resources, but can be extremely rewarding.