Think small, achieve small results
- Chris Haycock
- Sunday, March 24, 2019
- Comments
So, you've got yourself a local business. Cool! But why stop there?
Happy Sunday to you.
I was thinking this morning why some business owners are reluctant to think bigger, and grow nationally.
Are they scared of becoming too big?
Are they worried it'll cost too much?
Do they doubt their capabilities?
My business isn't a household brand, but it operates on a national stage, even though most of my work is centred around “local”.
If I'd have stayed with a 'local' mindset, I'd probably be happy with 10,000 visitors to my websites each month. But by thinking bigger - nationally - I'm getting almost 1,000,000 visitors - a hundred times more.
The key difference was mindset.
You might be a small fish in a big pond, but those bigger fish were once tiddlers. Today, we're incredibly lucky to be able to communicate internationally at the click of a mouse. We can reach massive audiences in the blink of an eyelid - at low cost too!
You might think you can't compete with the big fish, but you can. Being a small business can be a huge advantage.
So, if you really want to grow your business outside of your local area and take it to a national stage, here are some tips to get you thinking along the right lines:
- Stop thinking local. Look outside your area for growth. Local networking groups are OK if you just want to remain local, but if you want to operate nationally you've got to start thinking nationally. Look at your industry from the top down. Where do you deserve to be?
- Keep your brand consistent. Big businesses have style guides to ensure that their image consistent and on-message. You don't need to spend a fortune on branding, but if your brand looks sloppy, it'll be difficult to establish yourself nationally.
- Study the strategies of the bigger brands. Just because you don't have the same budget, it doesn't mean you can't compete - if you are creative with your time and money. You just need to think more strategically than they do.
- Think of innovative ways that you can expand your reach. How will you reach that customer at the other end of the country who's itching to get their hands on your product? Brainstorm ways you can achieve this.
- Discover other companies you can collaborate with for a joint venture. Can you offer your product to their customers as an added extra/bonus, giving you exposure?
- Consider starting a referral or affiliate programme to tap into a much wider audience. Use the power of the 'crowd' to spread awareness of your brand.
Get your thinking caps on - can you come up with more ways?
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About Chris Haycock
Chris is the Managing Director of digital media company CliqTo Ltd. He is responsible for creating a portfolio of more than 30+ online businesses that attract almost 1 in 6 of the UK population. Chris also works as a consultant, offering a range of services that are designed to help businesses improve and refine their digital strategies.
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