Business owners have a way of envisioning things on a larger lens for they know too well the back stops with them. It can be through goal setting to push their limits and continuous improvement as they compete against themselves (or with others). There are various ways one can uplevel their business.
Here's how entrepreneurs and business owners take their business to the next level.
#1- Improving our organic rankings
I have taken my business to the next level over the last 6 months by concentrating on improving our organic rankings in Google. Prior to this my primary focus had been on lead generation via paid ads, and while this still makes up a large part of the business, it's great to see the increase in traffic and quality leads from our organic efforts coming to fruition. This has opened a sustainable new stream of customers that we could never have reached using paid ads alone.
Thanks to Amy Finlay, Edinburgh IFA!
#2- Being completely candid and asking for feedback
I have found that being completely candid and asking for feedback from company owners and entrepreneurs more successful than yourself can work wonders. People can read all the books available, yet nothing can be more refreshing and eye-opening than laying out a few goals or honest barriers to growth for another to analyze. You'll often hear things maybe you already knew were true, but needed to further validate. Other times, you'll get a few nuggets of wisdom that will soon take you to new heights.
Thanks to Bob Bradley, Bradley Public Relations & Marketing!
#3- Took myself to the next level
I took my business to the next level by taking MYSELF to the next level. I took a year and I worked to re-evaluate how I wanted to show up in this world. I made sure to give myself love and self-care. I disconnected from what wasn’t working for me. I took time to ask myself the hard questions and be okay with the dark and lonely moments of entrepreneurship. And then I made sure that my business aligned with my soul. The result? Business is the best it has ever been. And so is LIFE!
Thanks to Jana Mowrer, HealthWins!
#4- Outsourcing to people like me
It's common (but very successful) to take a business to another level through outsourcing. But instead of outsourcing to someone who is just good at marketing or writing, I'm working someone who has a side business with a service and goals that are similar to mine. Very often, they try something out for their business and then, after they've tested it, they recommend it (or not) to me. Plus, we do a lot of masterminding and brainstorming in ways that are beneficial to both of us.
Thanks to Janie J
#5- Three strategies
After 10 years in my industry, It's easy to get comfortable with staying in one lane. However, over the course of the years I have learned that your ability to adapt to industry trends will sustain your business for the long run. As a serial entrepreneur, I spend majority of my time studying the market and streamlining techniques to grow my business. It's all about working smarter not harder. I price my packages for my services competitively and outsource skillsets that my team can't manage within a specific time frame. For all of our programs, I develop project plans and hold our clients and partners accountable. So what happens if a new technique doesn't work? I review what worked and what didn't and make adjustments. My top 3 strategies to take my business to the next level is to assess every project, measure the success with my clients, and research the competition in your and stay 5 steps ahead. This approach enables me and my team to keep up with industry trends with the intent to focus on the outcome versus income.
Thanks to Armani Foster, F.A.C.E. The Agency!
#6- Working with contractors to make up for your weaknesses
One of the most important things I've come to realize as a business owner is that I'm not the best at everything. There are many marketing agencies, PR firms, coaches, product development specialists, and importers out there who can save years of frustration compared to doing things ourself. For one of our businesses, we work with one of the largest food importers in the country to do the heavy lifting for us. It costs a little bit extra in the short term, but the time saved and the ability to scale quicker makes up for it all. We are doing the same with the PR agencies we are hiring today.
Thanks to Andrew Alexander, LimitlessAcademy.com!
#7- Goal setting
It’s challenging to measure success in an early stage of a company, so I put the focus on goal-setting to push boundaries. With our goals set in place, it helps our team to stay focus and track progress. I establish clear, meaningful goals and milestones by defining what the next level looks like and then determining the strategies that will get us there. During the process, I work with my team members and ask for their feedback to analyze how clear our current direction is, and if they all commit to working towards that goal.
Thanks to Ms. Charlene Consolacion, The BiigVault!
#8- Delegating
One of the most important skills you have to gain as an entrepreneur and a business owner is to delegate responsibilities to other people within your team. It frequently feels hard to hand over tasks that have been your responsibility to other people because you think that you will perform them better than anyone else. While this might be the actual case, you simply cannot grow your business if you attempt to do everything by yourself. Being an entrepreneur and having a successful business is not a one-person show. The first step is to hire employees whom you can trust and in whose true potential you believe. You have to feel comfortable with everyone single member of your team so that you can delegate new tasks and responsibilities when the time comes. This is crucially important for taking your business to the next level.
Thanks to Peter Abualzolof, Mashvisor!
#9- Focus on Customer Service
Businesses grow with great customer experience. Retaining loyal customers cost less than attracting new customers. A great product or service is only half the game you win but providing great customer experience is something that brings a continuous stream of income for you. Also, satisfied customers become devoted buyers when the business is trustworthy and listens to their feedback. If you are a small business or even an established company, always ask for feedback and act on it. Issues and complaints are a part of business, try to address or fix them quickly. Always remember that happy and satisfied customers can impact the growth of your business and take it into the next level.
Thanks to Mike Grewal, We Buy Houses In Toronto!
#10- The right organizational structure
Taking a business to the next level requires being organizationally strong in 6 key areas or components – Vision, People, Data, having a culture of immediate problem resolution, using the 20/80 rule for process development and gaining Traction or making sure everyone in the organization is rowing in the same direction. One of the most critical components that will determine organizational success and growth (getting to the next level) is the people component. Basically, do you have the Right People in your organization and are they in the Right Seats. What does Right People-Right Seats mean? It starts with having the right organizational structure and functions in place, then, determination of the key roles necessary for each function to achieve next level success. Once structure, function and key roles have been determined, you then take a look at your people. First of all, are they the right people for the company? Do they have what it takes and do they exhibit the company's core values. It's a shame, but, millions of dollars are wasted every year by businesses that hire the wrong people for their organizations. People that just don't match up to their culture.
Thanks to Rick Cottrell, BizResults.com!
#11-Investment
Everything is an investment. Next level means more commitment, more hours, more money. You can ask for loans, get more employees, but at the end of the day, the company is yours. Get as early as you can and start to work, this is a thing about sacrifices, more hours for the company means less for your family, the more money you loan, the more money you need to make to pay the loan. Reduce the “ego” to a bare minimum and work, build your company, it’s like a child, it only takes full commitment and the majority of your time.
Thanks to Arthur Ruth, Memphis Maids!
#12- Variety of ways
I'm constantly educating myself about my business (ie/ never stop learning). Whether its listening to podcasts when driving or reading books before bed, I'm always looking to learn new things and how to improve. It's also important to hire a mentor and/or to surround yourself (ie/ masterminds) by successful, like-minded people. Lastly, I think it's also important to stay in good health so that you can be more productive and not get lazy and complacent. This is why I go to the gym daily and also try to eat the right foods. A healthy body helps support a healthy mind.
Thanks to Ryan Paliukaitis, Real Estate Solution Providers!
#13- Partnerships
I am a business owner who finds that one of the best ways to take a business to the next level is to establish partnerships with other like-minded businesses. These partnerships should be mutual and able to provide offerings and services that you do not already offer to your customer base. In return, you can provide the partner's customer base with your services. This makes it a win-win for the partners and customers!
Thanks to Deborah Sweeney, MyCorporation.com!
#14- Keep up with technology
As months and years pass by, technology is getting better and better. Technology has created a revolution in almost every field. With countless people on the internet, and the number is increasing day by day, keeping ahead of technology is essential if your organization aims for long term stability and growth. Invest in technology to connect with your customers and increase the productivity of your business. Understand how technology is relevant to your business and how it develops and creates more opportunities for you. If an organization is not keeping up with technology, then it is likely to miss many more opportunities to close a sale.
Thanks to Jeremy Ong, HUSTLR!
#15- Have the RIGHT references
I’ve founded three companies: one ultimately went through an IPO before being acquired, my second was acquired by Cloud Sherpas and then Accenture, and my current company recently closed a Seed Funding round. Along the way, I’ve found that the best growth strategies are building a base of happy customers, and hiring the right team. My experience taught me to prioritize building a strong reference base. It’s important to not only have references, but to have the RIGHT references. You need to find ones that help mold you and lead you to prospects who are the correct fit. Then when you’re ready to scale – make sure you hire the right team, at all levels and for all roles. At Spiro we have a ‘no jerks’ hiring policy. Culture is of the utmost importance and we know that just because someone might seem to be a great salesperson or developer, if they don’t fit in with our core values of being scrappy, unconstrained, and collaborative while having fun along the way – then they’re not a good long-term fit for us. Not everyone is cut out to work at a startup, and we focus on hiring people who believe in our vision and are “in it to win it.”
Thanks to Adam Honig, Spiro!
#16- Hiring a coach
When I need to get my business to the next level, I hire a coach. And I don't say that because I am a coach. As a solo business owner it's vital to have someone who can see things from a different perspective and then tell it to me straight. Perhaps I need to kick a certain skillset up a notch, or re-examine how I serve my clients, or take a fresh look at a particular aspect of my infrastructure. It's impossible to get far away enough from my own brain to see what someone else can. And the coach doesn't only help me see things differently, but acts as an accountability partner during the execution phase, so that next level is attained.
Thanks to Mary Kutheis, MCK Coaching and Training!
#17- Focus
The best strategy to use to take your business to the next level is to stay focused and get your hustle on. When you first start out, there are so many directions you could take. Once you choose a direction, set a single goal and focus fire on that target. I co-founded Finder in Australia at age 26 in 2006 with my business partner Frank Restuccia, launching with our focus set exclusively on credit cards. We focused and mastered credit cards in Australia before we expanded into niches such as home loans, shopping, insurance, cryptocurrency, one at a time. We took our proven formula and applied it to the USA and we’re now operating in 83 countries. By focusing on one niche at a time, we’ve broken through one of the most highly competitive online categories in Australia – the comparison market.
Thanks to Fred Schebesta, Finder.com!