For many business owners, including service professionals, marketing is what they do to grow their businesses. After all, marketing is about attracting clients, a process that will result in business growth. Right?
Perhaps for the smallest and most simple of businesses, marketing and business growth might in fact be one and the same thing. Instead of focusing on sustainable long term growth, these businesses play it small, continuing to do what they have always done, hoping to retain their basic customer base, adding a few more clients along the way.
Realistically, for businesses interested in sustainable long term growth, marketing…the process of attracting more clients…is one of four elements of growing a business. The other three are:
- Improvement
- Innovation
- Scaling
Continuous Improvement Leads To Continuous Growth
Regardless of the age, nature or location of your business, there is no shortage of opportunities for improvement. From administration to marketing and operations to work processes there is no limit to the number of factors that can be revised, updated, upgraded or otherwise made better.
Each and every improvement will make its own contribution any or all of attracting more clients, serving clients better and increasing profitability.
Innovation Distinguishes You From The Competition
In a constantly shifting marketplace, the best and only way to remain competitive, attracting the kinds of clients you love to serve is to innovate wherever and whenever you can.
Whatever you did to attract ideal clients last year probably wont be good enough to attract the same kinds of clients next year. Similarly, the services that satisfied clients last time might not be as satisfying next time.
Continuing to do what you always done inevitably results in being left behind by the market.
Scaling Growth To Match Your Resources
Seldom is growth a ‘pedal to the metal, full speed ahead’ approach.
Based on careful planning, the best growth matches the growth in client volume with your ability to serve and satisfy them as well, if not better than you look after existing clients.
Obviously good marketing is an essential element of business growth.
The best and most effective marketing is undertaken along with continuous improvement, innovation and scaled growth.
