You want your business to be successful. You want to have a steady stream of clients that help you turn a profit on a regular basis. Every business owner starts with a dream, but the most successful and profitable businesses go beyond the dream and make a new reality. How do they do it? The most profitable businesses have mastered these five items and work daily to improve on them.
#1 Your Business Needs a Website
Why?
•It takes less time to pull out a smartphone and google a service than it does to look one up in the phonebook.
•A website makes your address, hours of operation and business details easy for the public to find so you will spend less time answering the “Are you open today?” phone calls.
•A website that has a general product listing will help your customers find you.
The world has gone digital. Itʼs time for your business to catch up. Whether you own a small “mom and pop” restaurant, a scrap-booking supply store or a car wash, you need a website for your business.
#2 Your Business Needs a Solid Online Presence
Why?
•Your website will turn up in more searches if you have a solid online presence.
•People like to buy from businesses they know and trust.
The more time you spend promoting your business and yourself online, the more people will be attracted to your business. It is never a bad thing to have a good online presence.
#3 Your Business Needs Great Organization and Leadership
Why?
•Your customers will notice when you donʼt ship items on time.
•Your customers will notice when your store is cluttered and dirty.
•Your employees will be happier when they know exactly what is expected of them.
Take some time to create a company manual with strict guidelines for how and when work should be done. Create procedures, forms and lists that are easy to use and follow. Your employees and customers will all appreciate these little details.
#4 Your Business Needs to Outsource and/or Hire Employees
Why?
•You need time to run your business and attract new clients.
•No one is good at everything.
•Outsourcing creates valuable networking opportunities.
Outsourcing administrative tasks, promotional tasks and writing tasks is an investment that every business owner needs to make. You should do the things you are really good at and hire other people to do the rest.
#5 Your Business Needs Excellent Communication and Customer Service
Why?
•You will lose customers if you wait too long to reply to questions and concerns.
•You risk losing clients that canʼt contact you for clarification on the terms of an agreement.
Unfortunately, people are more likely to talk about a bad experience than a good one. Every customer you lose because of bad customer service has the potential to turn ten new customers away with bad reviews. Your business cannot afford to lose that many customers because of bad communication.
These five things wonʼt automatically put your business on the fortune 500 list. Youʼll still have to work hard every day to build a successful business, but the five things on this list are essential to your business. Without them you will have to work twice as hard, and honestly, you probably wonʼt be able to go near as far. Remember: Your business will be as successful as you make it.