What are the keys to success when operating a small scale business?

Are you worried that your small scale business is not meeting with your goals? Or are you unable to set the right kind of goals for your business?

A small scale business is the one that is started with the low initial investment, less number of staff and covering a small marketplace. Every entrepreneur who started their own business wishes to make it profitable and successful but sometimes is unclear on how to reach there. The truth is, every business that is successful now was once a small scale business. If you wish to make your business more successful than before, then we have listed some tips to make it happen. Have a look:

Customer Service

A customer would never continue buying stuff from you after a bad service from your company. To make up for one negative customer experience, several customer experiences are required. Ensure good customer service. It is easy to make good customer service a priority; all you need to do is provide better customer service compared to your competitors. You can introduce some changes, like investing in staff training or customer suitable return policy. Further, you could do some fundamental changes like promptly responding to customer emails, or wishing them on birthdays and anniversaries.

Effective Marketing Efforts

The key to increasing sales is improvising marketing tactics. You don't have to burn a hole in the pocket because there are many inexpensive ways to achieve that. You can:

• Create an exclusive promotion kit.
• Send promotions with invoices.
• Do a print ad in newspapers about your opening, charity events or any moves.
• Conduct a free class or workshop related to products and services.
• Do cross-promotion with a complementary business or develop business partnerships.
• Cold Call; the concept of cold calling is old, but it is still useful.
• Advertise a business on vehicles with a vehicle wrap.

Word of Mouth for Business

Building word of mouth for the business has become more necessary than ever. It is because many consumers check out the reviews about the business before making a purchase. Thus, building a good reputation has become vital for the success of the business. The question is, how to get a positive word of mouth? All you need to do is to provide adequate professional service and monitor the reputation of your brand. Further, you can gain publicity by doing sponsorship for local events. Plus, you can give back to your community by supporting charities. After all, a book is judged by its cover first!

Online Presence

Building an online presence is necessary these days. Thus, for your small scale business create a professional-looking website. You can do some research on the competitor's website before starting an online presence. So what does your business website describe? A website must talk about what you do, who you are and how to reach you. Your site should contain:

• The brand logo.
• The business name.
• Summary of your services and products.
• The contact information like address, including google map link or customer service number.
• The mission of your business and customer testimonials.

You can also target your customers through social media. Promoting business through Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter has become the standard way of showcasing your business.

Cloud Computing

Undoubtedly, cloud computing has proven to be beneficial for many small scale businesses. Cost-reduction and getting access from everywhere have proven to be the biggest advantages of getting in the cloud. If you move some of your business data from the desktop to cloud, then you don't have to worry about installation, updates, backups etc. With cloud computing, you can have access to business from anywhere, even from your mobile phone. If you haven't started with cloud computing yet then do some research and try using it at least for a year.

Business Cost Cutting

As a business owner, it is a crucial task to keep a check on all the expenses involved. Thus, to keep track of expenses, you can use new technology to make the job less tedious. These days there are various mobile applications to keep a check on the expenses, you can use them. Plus, you can review annually or semi-annually your significant expenses. For example, if you have some extra space, then you could convert it into something useful. Review your significant supply cost and look for discounts or you can indulge in pool purchasing to save money. Bringing expense reduction can be part of your company culture.

Retain Right Employees

Retaining the right employees can be an essential factor for the success of small scale business. It is tedious to keep on hiring and training the employees every month. Thus, you can retain employees by appraising them on performing well. The success of a business relies on quality staff and keeping them for a long time.

Be Mobile Friendly

When you have an online presence through the website, then being mobile-friendly is crucial. The mobile phone is handy, and people continuously search and surf stuff through the phone. You can ensure the success of your business in two ways:

1. Mobile Marketing:

There are various strategies to reach the right set of target customers through mobile marketing. Depending on your business and budget, you can either go for mobile display ads or text message advertising.

2. Mobile Payment System:

It is convenient for customers to pay by phone. There are endless options to start with pay-by-phone like Apple Pay, Venmo, Google Wallet, etc. Thus, the mobile payment system would give you considerable savings, and at the same, it would attract customers.

Updating Business Plan

A business plan is essential for testing the viability of your business. Thus, when you update your business plan, it would help you in deciding new goals and directions. The financial section of your business plan contains the financial health of your business through income statements and cash flow projections. This helps in reviewing sales and checking profit at the end of the year. The business plan is a way to ensure a profitable business.

Stay Balanced

You didn't earn more when you spent more hours in the office. There is no point of compromising mental health in pursuit of achieving business goals. It is essential to find an acceptable work-life balance. Thus, stay healthy by getting enough sleep and through regular work out. This will keep your mind healthy and allow your business to grow for a long time.

These key factors can help ensure a successful small scale business. However, it is important to grow in all areas of your business from marketing, finance to product development and sales. Plus, the first step to ensure entrepreneurial success is through a complete understanding of your business.

Also read:

What Would be a Good Government Policy to Encourage the Growth of Small Businesses?
What are the most unusual business models?
What is the Difference Between Commerce and Business?
Why Market Research Is Important for Startup Businesses?
Top 10 Things Every Business Owner Should Know & Do.

FAQs

Q. Is there any limit on having a maximum number of employees in a small business?

Ans: Many small scale companies have a maximum of 500 employees. However, there is no metric available on having the maximum number of employees to run a small scale business. Further, the number of employees varies on the type of business and the revenue it is generating.

Q. What is the reason for the failure of small scale business?

Ans: Various causes lead to the failure of small scale businesses like the flawed business model, unmotivated sales staff, poor sale strategy or mismanaged capital. However, depending on the nature of the business, the reason for the failure of small scale business may differ.

Q. What are the responsibilities of a small scale business owner?

Ans: Being the owner of a small scale business, it is not feasible to delegate responsibility. However, the duty of the business owner juggles from handling marketing, supervising the team, checking the expenses to managing taxes and accounting. However, everyday duty may differ depending on the goal of the business, but the survival of the business is the owner's responsibility.