Strategy For
Locally Scaling
Your Business
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How do you scale your business locally?
Growing a business is not as simple as starting to sell more and that’s it.
The primary objective of any company, beyond getting more money, must be to grow market share within its market.
First, locally – then later beginning to expand to other locations.
Both internal and external factors, will determine the possibilities of scaling your business, and planning a strategy to do it is vital.
Read on to learn key principles on how to scale your business.
The primary objective of any company, beyond getting more money, must be to grow market share within its market.
First, locally – then later beginning to expand to other locations.
Both internal and external factors, will determine the possibilities of scaling your business, and planning a strategy to do it is vital.
Read on to learn key principles on how to scale your business.
Why is locally scaling your business important?
It is important for a business to be scalable so that it is capable of implementing processes that lead to an efficient operation.
Your organization’s workflow and business structure make scalability possible (or impossible).
Scalable businesses typically have a well-established team of executives, financiers, and consultants that can offer strategy and guidance for profitable expansion.
Scalable businesses communicate their brand consistently across all of their departments and locations.
Sometimes a company’s basic values are lost due to a lack of brand conformity, which affects scalability.
A scalable enterprise has efficient measuring tools, allowing for comprehensive evaluation and management of the entire operation.
Scalable management results in effective operations and aids in capital planning.
Your organization’s workflow and business structure make scalability possible (or impossible).
Scalable businesses typically have a well-established team of executives, financiers, and consultants that can offer strategy and guidance for profitable expansion.
Scalable businesses communicate their brand consistently across all of their departments and locations.
Sometimes a company’s basic values are lost due to a lack of brand conformity, which affects scalability.
A scalable enterprise has efficient measuring tools, allowing for comprehensive evaluation and management of the entire operation.
Scalable management results in effective operations and aids in capital planning.
Signs that you need to improve your business
Here are some of the main clues that scaling your business locally is the right strategic choice:
- You have identified opportunities to seize more local market share and you are itching to grow your business.
- Your product/service is better than your local competitors and you are confident you can take customers from your local competitors because of this.
- You were considering selling nationally and internationally, but were concerned your shipping/delivery costs would significantly cut into your profit margin – and if you sell locally, you get to keep that profit.
- You know your local target market’s needs and like helping them.
- You have gained the trust of your local customers who like your product/service and have given you great reviews/testimonials.
- You have researched your local market and you are excited because you have discovered that there is great demand and market opportunities for your product/service.
- You have systematized your product/service delivery and you are anxious to increase the number of clients you serve to fill your capacity.
- You have worked hard to get to where you are and you are ready to increase your local market share.
- You have some capital saved, want to accelerate your business growth, and are confident that growing local market share this year is more profitable than expanding nationally.
Benefits to growing your business
Growing your business locally is a great strategy to:
- increase business profits and revenue.
- beat the competition by becoming well known in your local area to attract the majority of customers and then gain market share security.
- reduce costs of travel/delivery by focusing on serving local clients.
- increase your product/service delivery quality by specializing in the wants and needs of your local target market
- focusing your marketing budget and generating a higher ROI
- strengthening the local economy and improving your communities quality of life
- become a prominent member of your community’s business leaders.
- increase the number of referrals for your business by becoming well-known locally.
- attract the top local talent (and prevent your competitors from getting them)
Ready to scale your business locally? Do this first:
Change Your Mindset
That is the first step, and the most necessary. Start thinking like a factory and start looking at your business as something that can be scaled.
It is important to think about the necessary structure, the processes that have to be carried out and the relationships with clients, collaborators and suppliers. This may mean turning your daily routine on its head, but it is necessary.
Having a touch of ambition and always wanting to improve and grow your business is a vital element but only to a fair extent, without exaggeration.
Investing in training or a mentor to guide you when implementing your plan and help you achieve your business objectives is a tool that you can consider.
It is important to think about the necessary structure, the processes that have to be carried out and the relationships with clients, collaborators and suppliers. This may mean turning your daily routine on its head, but it is necessary.
Having a touch of ambition and always wanting to improve and grow your business is a vital element but only to a fair extent, without exaggeration.
Investing in training or a mentor to guide you when implementing your plan and help you achieve your business objectives is a tool that you can consider.
Set a Growth Plan
Like any business project, having a plan to fall back on in uncertain times is crucial.
By planning well, you will have access to the tools you require, the technology you will be relying on, or everything you need to grow your business.
Without a planned, controlled way to scale with potential risks kept to a minimum, you run the risk of losing quality in your product or service, spending more than you intended to, or ceasing to be a scalable model.
You don’t need to plan every second of your growth plan, but you do need a clear, written vision of your growth plans and growth strategy.
By planning well, you will have access to the tools you require, the technology you will be relying on, or everything you need to grow your business.
Without a planned, controlled way to scale with potential risks kept to a minimum, you run the risk of losing quality in your product or service, spending more than you intended to, or ceasing to be a scalable model.
You don’t need to plan every second of your growth plan, but you do need a clear, written vision of your growth plans and growth strategy.
Create new processes and a performance evaluation strategy
It is crucial to outline the many procedures and operations that will result in expansion in the growth plan.
This is essential for a number of reasons, the first of which is to make it easier for new team members to integrate.
But it also turns into a very helpful tool when you will need to assign tasks, or when someone is ill or goes on vacation.
The execution of clearly defined, written processes will be much simpler if everything is in writing.
Similarly, nothing beats having focused control and thorough examination of what is happening and whether everything is functioning as expected.
Always keep your staff performance data close at hand to offer you confidence that your company is scaling in the manner you desire – and where to make corrections.
This is essential for a number of reasons, the first of which is to make it easier for new team members to integrate.
But it also turns into a very helpful tool when you will need to assign tasks, or when someone is ill or goes on vacation.
The execution of clearly defined, written processes will be much simpler if everything is in writing.
Similarly, nothing beats having focused control and thorough examination of what is happening and whether everything is functioning as expected.
Always keep your staff performance data close at hand to offer you confidence that your company is scaling in the manner you desire – and where to make corrections.
Start your growth marketing execution
Scaling your companies market share locally requires multiple marketing initiatives because you simply cannot reach certain targets in they are not using that communication channel.
You will need to approach things differently from your competitors and have additional strategies to supplement what you have been doing in the past.
Only by doing this can you fully realize the potential of your brand, establish your place in the consumer’s mind, and set yourself apart from the competitors.
Test, quantify, evaluate, and if necessary, switch to a different approach.
All of your activities, from content marketing to automated sales funnels, will move you one step closer to your objective of controlled growth.
You will need to approach things differently from your competitors and have additional strategies to supplement what you have been doing in the past.
Only by doing this can you fully realize the potential of your brand, establish your place in the consumer’s mind, and set yourself apart from the competitors.
Test, quantify, evaluate, and if necessary, switch to a different approach.
All of your activities, from content marketing to automated sales funnels, will move you one step closer to your objective of controlled growth.
Invest in technology
In order to scale locally, it is a must to start supporting your company with technology.
Whether it’s for management and for automating certain time consuming processes, properly using information and communication technologies to will help your organization scale.
Once good place to start is a Customer Relationship Management System or CRM. There are many free CRM systems online you can register for.
Other common technology can help you build sales funnels, nurture leads, and retain customers.
Including modern technology in your growth plan is essential to supporting your business growth.
Whether it’s for management and for automating certain time consuming processes, properly using information and communication technologies to will help your organization scale.
Once good place to start is a Customer Relationship Management System or CRM. There are many free CRM systems online you can register for.
Other common technology can help you build sales funnels, nurture leads, and retain customers.
Including modern technology in your growth plan is essential to supporting your business growth.
Innovate within a global market
The entire world is linked.
Nearly all restrictions are no longer present, allowing both a huge multinational and a local artisan to transport goods or provide services to clients on the opposite side of the globe.
This gives the consumer access to thousands of brands, which is unquestionably advantageous for reaching the widest audience.
It’s time to stand out from the crowd and contribute fresh perspectives to society.
Change what everyone is used to or how things were done in your industry, come up with a fresh approach to an issue that was previously ignored, or produce something that defies all accepted norms.
This gives the consumer access to thousands of brands, which is unquestionably advantageous for reaching the widest audience.
It’s time to stand out from the crowd and contribute fresh perspectives to society.
Change what everyone is used to or how things were done in your industry, come up with a fresh approach to an issue that was previously ignored, or produce something that defies all accepted norms.
Impress your customers
Your services must be continuously updated if you want to scale your business successfully.
This will help you to increase the quality of your offerings, which will attract new customers and keep existing ones already working with you.
If you’ve been in business for a long time, you probably already know that a company’s success is primarily determined by the loyalty of its current customers.
Keeping your current customers satisfied and getting them to buy from you again will yield the greatest profit.
Compared to seeking new customers, it is much simpler and more lucrative.
So, spend time getting to know your customers and make every effort to provide (and improve) products and services that impress them.
This will help you to increase the quality of your offerings, which will attract new customers and keep existing ones already working with you.
If you’ve been in business for a long time, you probably already know that a company’s success is primarily determined by the loyalty of its current customers.
Keeping your current customers satisfied and getting them to buy from you again will yield the greatest profit.
Compared to seeking new customers, it is much simpler and more lucrative.
So, spend time getting to know your customers and make every effort to provide (and improve) products and services that impress them.
Start to Scale
Scaling your business locally is not just about selling.
The way you structure your processes and the people you hire can make or break scalability in any market.
Make sure you review each element of your business in depth and improve the necessary areas.
Then you will begin to see results in the short and medium term.
The way you structure your processes and the people you hire can make or break scalability in any market.
Make sure you review each element of your business in depth and improve the necessary areas.
Then you will begin to see results in the short and medium term.
Note:
**Keep in mind that the way you serve and gather information as you scale will be different from how you have served your first customers. For information on how to serve your first customers, click here.
**Keep in mind that the way you serve and gather information as you scale will be different from how you have served your first customers. For information on how to serve your first customers, click here.
Next Steps:
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Prefer a done-for-you service? Check our Sales, Customer Retention, Market Research, and Business Investing services here.
Or, if you are looking for step-by-step video training on how to get your first customers, check out our courses here, or join one of our free webinars here.
Prefer a done-for-you service? Check our Sales, Customer Retention, Market Research, and Business Investing services here.
About Dan Gilmour
Dan Gilmour is the Founder of SalesStrategy.ca with 10+ years of sales and customer retention expertise.
From scaling clients from $500K to $3M in 6 months to managing teams of 15+ staff, Dan has led campaigns in 10+ industries selling products/services ranging from $7 dollars to $12.5 million dollars.
Dan has extensive experience building and managing customized account management systems for 500+ accounts, has generated 10s of thousands of leads from cold calling, and has trained 1000s of salespeople and business owners to scale their sales.
From scaling clients from $500K to $3M in 6 months to managing teams of 15+ staff, Dan has led campaigns in 10+ industries selling products/services ranging from $7 dollars to $12.5 million dollars.
Dan has extensive experience building and managing customized account management systems for 500+ accounts, has generated 10s of thousands of leads from cold calling, and has trained 1000s of salespeople and business owners to scale their sales.
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