How to keep your business on track

Running a business can be exciting, ever changing and rewarding! It can also be challenging, continually monitoring sales, staying ahead of competitors, having a marketing strategy that works and keeping the team motivated and engaged! With so much to manage it’s not difficult to lose focus and go off track.

Here, we take a look at five ways to keep your new business on track.

Have a plan

To know in which direction your business is going, you must have a plan! It doesn’t have to be long-winded, full of forecasts, graphs and charts which mean nothing to anyone except the person who created it! It should be tailored and relevant to your business. Only you and your team know your vision and the final destination if 5 key points on the board work for you that is great. Keep it simple and stick to it.   

Know your finances

Keeping on top of your finances is an absolute must! Cashflow problems are the biggest cause of business failures. Whatever the scale of your funds, as a business owner it is essential you understand them. If finances confuse you, don’t cut corners or ignore potential problems. Always seek professional advice, a good financial planner or accountant can be the difference between the success and failure of your business.  Advice should always be sought if you are investing in new products or services or borrowing for expansion.

Monitor your competitors

We all want to stay ahead of our competitors, so it is important that you view them not as enemies but as an essential resource for your own business planning and investment. You can learn a great deal from the successes and failures of your competition, as well as being able to tailor your own services to fill gaps which are left open by competitors.

Have a great marketing strategy

You can spend thousands on marketing with little or no results! Know your target demographic, engage and communicate with them effectively. Your website must have lively and engaging content, which captures the audience’s attention. One crucial point with your website is make sure it is up to date because there is nothing worse than out of date content! What message does that send to existing and potential customers? Social Media has a place but needs to be tailored to your type of business and audience. One of the best forms of marketing is face to face interaction, go networking! People buy from people! Not only are you promoting your business but you build up a great network of business contacts.

Conduct regular reviews

The world of business is ever changing and here in the UK we face unknown and potentially uncertain times in 2019. As well as changes to the market, competitor strategies also change. The only way to ensure that your company is always moving in the right direction and staying on track is to conduct regular reviews. Think of it like a regular dental check-up or an annual car service – problems can be fixed once they are identified – left to fester they can become expensive and painful!