Tue, 15 March 2022

Consulting

Key Principles for a Growing Business

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The business environment has seen some interesting changes in the last two years. We embraced a new work-from-home culture, office dynamics changed, and we revolutionised the way we do business in our quest to survive the turmoil of the globe.

This in itself has led to fantastic opportunities, but we also faced some challenges, especially when growing a business.

Many companies need to recover lost revenue and steady their business in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some companies see growth as the only way to lay the foundation for success in this new post-pandemic era.

This quote rings true in every business, and it is important to be aware of these forces companies need to set up and grow.

There are some fundamental principles every business owner should know to achieve and sustain growth objectives within their business. These tried and tested principles will position your business for growth in the current market conditions, competitive threats and ever-changing customer sentiments.

Key principles

Customer focus is key

A customer-focused business has a company culture dedicated to ensuring customer communication and satisfaction. Your customer should be at the centre of every business decision you make.

Customer focus means a business understands the importance of placing the customers’ needs first. A happy customer is a returning customer, and this customer-orientated approach will ensure you have a competitive edge over your competitors.

Listen to what your customers want and need, and use this customer-focused approach to make your clients feel appreciated.

Customer focus is the foundation for customer loyalty, and it is a critical principle in helping your business grow.

An effective customer focus strategy requires:

  • Collaboration within the company – teams or departments should work cohesively to have a successful customer focus strategy.
  • Listen and take note – it is important to keep a record of your customers and the last interaction with them. Customers get irritated if they have to explain their complaint to different departments in a company. Keep record of the complaint and make sure the details are available to all involved.
  • Meet your customer where they are – make interaction effortless and the customer experience easy.
  • Use customer feedback and get better – it is important to act on all customer complaints to create a better experience.
  • Combine data with empathy – you will need to connect insights you have across systems and software to effectively manage and interpret the data you received before you send it out to your customers.
  • Meet customers’ expectations proactively with the help of AI – this does not have to be costly or complicated. A Chatbot can predict customer satisfaction proactively and welcome customers on your website to answer questions and reduce customer complaints.

When companies become more customer-focused, they introduce a human connection not only driven by profits but also by relationships. This customer service platform will help you set up and build your growing business.

Innovation is important

It is prudent for companies to innovate constantly, especially if you’re a small to medium business owner who wants to expand and grow your business.

The internet plays a vital role in staying on top of trends and on the cutting edge. It is as simple as logging on, and with a few clicks, you will know what the latest and greatest trends in the world are.

Successful innovation should always be part of your business strategy.

Innovation will help your business to:

  • Find creative ways to solve problems easily – you will be forced to think outside the box.
  • Increase productivity – work smarter not harder – innovate your work processes.
  • Market your business – innovative marketing strategies will ensure you stand out in the crowd.
  • Leave your competitors behind – you will always have a competitive edge over your competitors by staying on top of global trends, marketing and business strategies.

Forecast for better business strategies

Businesses cannot predict the future, but current and historical data will give a clear picture of future trends and forecasts with business forecasting.

Business forecasting uses tools and techniques to predict changes in sales, expenditure, profits, losses and customer relations. The goal of forecasting is to develop better strategies based on informed predictions to help to eliminate potential failures and losses before they happen.

Business forecasting is valuable because it gives businesses the ability to make informed decisions to develop strategies. Financial and operational decisions are made on current market conditions and predictions. Past data is analysed to find patterns and predict future trends and changes.

Forecasting can help your business to:

  • Budget – helps businesses to accurately estimate and better allocate their budget and time spend.
  • Anticipate change in the market – businesses can make calculated adjustments to their strategy to readjust in the overall market and to optimise resources to stand out from the competition.
  • It allows businesses to take charge – businesses are proactive instead of reactive.
  • Better inventory management – you will always have the right amount of stock for customers by using data to predict future demands.

Some forecasting tools are Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Solutions and Business Intelligence (BI).

You cannot develop your business strategies by throwing darts at a dartboard. Smart business owners know there is a better solution, and the key lies in the power of business forecasting.

Not only is it valuable in your financial strategies, but it is also crucial to gain valuable insight into your target industries, product and service offerings as well as customer needs.

Focus on quality assurance

Customers want products and services that are reliable and reputable. It is important to offer quality products to create a brand position.

Quality assurance ensures customer loyalty, and the brand needs to live up to its brand position to retain customers. Businesses have to deliver on their promise and value customer satisfaction consistently.

Customers have short attention spans, want instant gratification, and have ever-advancing technology at their fingertips. They value a business with an actual deliverable response and go above and beyond during the transaction phase and customer relations.

Quality assurance is essential across a range of industries and is becoming more and more vital.

Quality assurance is important because:

  • Speaks straight to feelings – it tells the customer that they are important and the company will go above and beyond what is expected by the customer.
  • It prioritises trust – reinforces dependability and gives your company credence.
  • Conveys integrity – people take note if a company delivers on promises.
  • It gives your brand a backbone – strengthens who you are and what your business is about.
  • It maintains consistency across all business levels – gives the business credibility from the top down.

A quality management system helps leadership. It promotes a customer-led business, improves company culture, improves the bottom line, ensures new innovations are managed and enables you to understand any issues within the business structure.

Feedback

Feedback plays a significant role in the growth of your business. Although business owners might be hesitant to engage customers, they are at the centre of any business and the development of a company.

It is essential to have a proactive approach to collecting customer feedback.

Do you want to know what you are doing wrong? Ask your unhappy customers.

Do you want to know what you do right? Ask your happy customers.

Grow with a plan

You need plan a growth strategy to have a profitable business.

You need to know what you want to accomplish each year and create a plan to execute it. You need to measure your success, and you have to benchmark your growth.

Growing your business will not happen automatically or by chance. You have to plan for growth and success and utilise all the available resources and the fundamental principles on hand to steer the way!

If you need support to reach the next stage of growth for your business, reach out to our consultants for an introductory call.

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