The Ultimate Business Blog Citygirlbusinessclub.com
You’ve worked tirelessly for months, but small wins are finally starting to accumulate into bigger gains. Your new business has been nothing short of exhausting to get up and running. But it is running, and it’s growing, and you’re starting to see some money coming in. As the next few months build momentum for your business, it’s time to consider what comes next for your startup.
If you’ve been on your own this whole time, it can be tempting to hire some help. Before you do, consider the costs involved. Your business is still growing. It isn’t established yet. You’ve made a few sales, but retaining those clients and customers is not easy. Repeat business from those first few customers is essential. You also need to continue spreading the good word about your products and services.
Growing without additional help is generally difficult. It may be beneficial for you to engage the services of a recruitment agency or a consultant (such as Alex Gotch for legal recruitment) to assist you with the recruiting process. This is especially true if you want to scale up your business in less time. There are lots of other ways you can get help for recruitment and other operations for your business.
Using a phone answering service means you are always available for your customers. These specialist call centers pick up your calls and take messages on your behalf while you are busy. This means your client can reach a real human being. This gives you the opportunity to reach out to that customer later.
Other ways to save money on staffing costs is to use professional services. You can find accountants, bookkeepers and marketers online. They are often willing to help you project by project. That way, you do not have to hire anyone on a permanent basis. There will be no HR requirements, or pension schemes to maintain. Life is simpler when you contract out.
Of course, once your business is firmly established, it makes sense to have people close to you in-house to perform these essential duties. Until your business is reaching this level of profit making, try not to invest in these overheads. Using professional services often means you can pool the best local and national talent. This isn’t always possible for a local business like yours to do in-house.
Increasing your reach as a small business will require you to diversify your talents. More marketing will be needed. Try to make the best use of social media and paid advertising opportunities. You might want to upgrade your website to offer clients a better quality of online service. Perhaps you can include a shopping cart or blog facility? These could increase visits and conversion rates.
The next step for your business may be even harder than the first. You need to keep up the momentum of growth but now look to retain customers as well as attract new ones. Look for cost-effective help, with minimum commitment periods. With the freedom to change direction, you can keep on top of your business goals more effectively too.