Growing Your Business in the New Year

Psst, small business owners, listen up! We know it’s hard to believe that 2022 is drawing to a close. After struggling through the pandemic, we are all still figuring out a new way of doing life and business. Research shows that Covid lockdowns completely reshaped consumers' minds when it comes to the buying cycle and how they want to be marketed to. 

Today, consumers are more intentional with their money, and they don’t respond to gimmicky sales tactics. People don’t just buy products, they buy from businesses they feel like they know. Today’s consumers need connection and interaction. They need to know you’re there, and that you care. 

This consumer mind shift is not industry specific. In fact, we mention it because it spans across all industries. Have you noticed the way you buy has changed? Have your own customer buying patterns changed? This is all information you need to know to hit the ground running in 2023 and prepare your business for growth.

So, where do you start? Hint: It’s time to make those much needed changes you’ve been putting off. 

Need more? Keep reading!

Evaluate Your Goals

Your goals are the foundation of your business. Everything that goes into your business should reflect the goals you have set for yourself. Are you keeping track of your growth? Are you increasing sales year over year? Are you retaining more customers this year? Did you expand into a new area? Take time to think through your goals and work hard to implement strategies to meet them that fall in line with your business practices and values to make you more money, and help you live a better life.

Remember, your goals don’t necessarily have to be financial. If you are seeing a steady increase in sales, you can shoot for customer and employee retention, structural changes, or even more time off.

Consider Your Marketing Budget

As marketers, we’ve gotta say it. It’s almost always the right time to increase your marketing budget. 

But why? 

Listen, we hear you. It can be difficult to invest your hard earned money into something you don’t really understand. But as experts, we can tell you confidently that marketing not only helps you get in front of new customers, but helps you keep the ones you’ve already got! 

Like we said earlier, today’s marketing is about building connections and reaching people where they are. Old school marketing just isn’t going to cut it anymore! At Stillwell+Co, we believe marketing starts with the processes you have internally - how does that customer feel taken care of from the moment they encounter you til they are a paying customer? 

So, let’s say you did invest in marketing, and you’re trying to decide what to do with your budget. What does an increased marketing budget actually get you?

Well, it depends on who you ask. If you work with Stillwell + Co, you’re getting expert advice, a social strategy that converts followers into customers, email marketing with an impressive ROI, and strategic solutions to truly grow and expand your business. We assist you with the processes that support your investment so you actually feel as though you know where your money went and how well it worked. 

Sound worth it? We think so! Click here to join the tribe.

Upgrade Your Customer Experience

As a small Indiana business ourselves, we know there is always room for improvement. One of the areas we focus on heavily with our clients is trying to improve and upgrade their customer experience at every touch point. We’ve said this about a million times throughout this piece, but we can’t say it enough: connection matters. A good experience matters. You can have the best marketing in the world and the best product for hundreds of miles, but if you aren’t making your customers happy with your interactions, they won’t come back. That’s why your customer experience is key in knowing how and where you need to improve - every phone call, invoice, software process, and more matters. 

If you aren’t sure how to get this feedback, asking your customers is a great start! 

Starting 2023 off on the right foot starts with you. Start by reflecting and refining your goals, evaluating (aka increasing!) your marketing budget, and ensuring your customer is getting a quality experience every single time.