For small businesses, every growth is a victory. The increasing number of social media followers or the number of people visiting the website is a significant victory for small businesses. However, running a small business also has its own difficulties. It seems, it is very difficult to experience growth , especially in the midst of global competition today. As business people running small businesses, we must use the right strategy.

What must be done so that we can maintain the continuity of small businesses and get profits in the long run? There are 2 main things that become our focus in running a small business, namely the operational system and marketing system.

Operational systems are things that relate to the daily running of business processes. Marketing system is an effort made to make people know and buy the products we have. Of course, marketing strategies continue to develop from year to year. If we never change our business marketing strategy, then we will not progress. Customers may feel bored and move to competitors. For that, make sure that we always follow the marketing strategies that are trending . Well, this time, we will see what needs to be done in the operational and marketing systems so that we can experience growth and improvement.

Operational System 

Here are things to do:

1. Have confidence in the team.

Without trust, we will find it difficult to operate a business and get great results. If you believe that your team will work correctly, you can focus on growth and other opportunities.

Instead of having to take care of small things, it’s good if we focus on the concepts, processes and procedures that are owned in the team. Make sure that we have growth that can motivate everyone to work and produce creativity. That way, we will be able to build a strong team.

2. Deepen market expansion.

There is a difference between broad and deep words. In running a small business, it is important to deepen market share. Deepening is far more important than expanding. What does it mean? This means that it is better for us to focus on how people can become more familiar with the products we sell, rather than having to open new branches in other cities or countries.

3. Have a clear Key Performance Indicator (KPI). 

KPIs are matrices that are used to measure company performance. Make sure that we have clear numbers in measuring the performance of the business that is run. KPI helps us to track business growth. We will be able to see whether the business owned has experienced growth, stagnation or decline. If we experience setbacks, we can find things that still need to be improved. KPI is a benchmark that determines whether the business that is run is in the right lane or outside the path that should not be.

4. Has a cash system.

To increase the amount of capital, we need cash. Cash is a difficult thing to get in small businesses. Therefore, it is important for us to identify and find the right way to get cash, so that we can still do business and use cash for product development, the process of hiring new employees and other things. Take it easy, eventually we will find that this mechanism will be a part of the growth of the business being run. Just enjoy it.

5. Do not owe and have fixed expenses.

Small businesses have low capital. Not many customers really know the products we sell. For that, do not let us have debt. Also make sure we have fixed expenses. At the beginning of a business trip, it doesn’t matter if we have to wait to have a luxurious office and expensive items.

Marketing system

1. Learn from competitors.

If you want to change your marketing strategy, consider what competitors are doing. We must be able to see the steps competitors are taking in attracting customers. If we still use the old way, it never hurts to use the same method as used by competitors. This strategy will be very effective if the target market that we have is the same as that of competitors.

2. Get testimonials.

Before buying, we will definitely see product reviews. Reviews can be things that make us buy or even not buy a product. Of course we don’t want to waste money on things that aren’t quality. This is also the right way to attract customers. Customers will be able to buy the products we sell if they see reviews from several customers. We can post this review on the website or even social media. That way, anyone can read the reviews.

3. Update on social media.

Social media has an important role in small businesses. For that, we must be able to use it appropriately. First, continue to have updates on the account that is owned. Make sure that all information about the business that we have is accurate and real. Second, enter new content in our timeline. Do this regularly. New content that we upload every day can be a trick to attract the attention of customers. They will find out about new products, discounts or anything related to the business being run.

4. Exit the store.

Even if we have a physical store, we can’t wait for customers. We have to find a customer. We can join exhibitions, festivals or anything that can be a product marketing platform. Let the outside world know the products we have. When attending any event, don’t forget to bring the products we have. That way, we can tell the people present about the products they have.

5. Become an expert.

We can improve small businesses by positioning ourselves as an expert. Being an expert is a marketing strategy that can be beneficial in the long run and provide great results.

We can offer to be a speaker at a meeting, do a demonstration or contact a journalist to write a business article about the business we are in.