Many entrepreneurs will tell you that overcoming the fear of failure is part of the daily job when you run a business. Numbers for both sales and losses fluctuate constantly and your team needs to figure out the driving factors in order to adjust quickly. If you can’t grasp why you’re unexpectedly earning more revenue or dealing with increased costs, your business will be prone to losing out to the next smart competitor that comes along.
From that perspective, greater lead acquisitions and conversions are good if you know what to do with the opportunity. Is your business ready for expansion? Here are four positive indicators to look out for, and some steps you can take to grow your enterprise:
Interest from other areas
Whether you read customer reviews online or talk to in-store visitors, you may find that some customers are making inquiries or placing orders from far-off locations. Tools like Google Analytics can also help you gauge interest in your business from outside your current operations area.
If you feel that there’s sufficient market interest and you have good fundamentals in place, a record of steady profits over the past few years, a solid team of employees, and well-organized processes to replicate at a new location, then you should work with an experienced consultant. They can show you how to franchise your business and make sure your new operations site is a success.
A loyal and engaged customer base
Any business move comes with a level of risk, but sound market research can minimize that. Collecting and analyzing the necessary information about your customer base will give you an idea of brand loyalty and how likely your existing customers are to make repeat purchases.
If your research indicates that you’ve established a foothold in the market, build on that success by offering new products. Listen to what existing customers are saying so that you have a solid grasp of their unmet needs and the price point at which your next offering could be a success.
Success in other markets
Has your analytics uncovered some trends you didn’t expect? Suppose your core apparel line targets young professionals in the 18-34 range, but you find that some items are gaining traction among older millennials and Gen Xers with greater disposable income. This could be your cue to offer products that specifically target these new consumers; a high-end line may be a good idea.
Before you do this, it’s important to connect with your target customers through the appropriate channels. This could mean a new marketing campaign or even bigger changes; an e-commerce business may need to set up its first retail outlet, for example. The payoff could be well worth the investment.
Demand for related products
Are your regular customers also displaying a consistent interest in related products and services? A consultancy for web design can bring in more revenue by adding content marketing and search engine optimization. Consider expanding your offerings to take advantage of such synergy. Alternatively, if the market for such services is already being tapped by a strong brand and you have access to the financial resources, acquiring or merging is another tactic you can use.
Pay attention to the signs of growth and interpret them through the lens of market research. This will inform your next moves to expand and guide your business to strategic success in the future.
