Harvey
Creating a viable business plan is one of the most important things you can do to ensure that your startup gets off on the right foot. There’s more to creating a successful business than your initial plan. You need to know how to get ahead and stay ahead of your competition. So how do you do this in a competitive world?
Know and Understand Your Competition
It stands to reason that if you want to get ahead of your competition, you need to know who your competition is. Ideally, this should have been established in your business plan. If it wasn’t, you need to research and study your main competitors in your chosen marketplace. Some of the questions you may want to ask yourself include why are they successful? Why would customers choose them instead of you and vice versa? The answers to these questions will give you a greater understanding of how their operations work and why their customers like them. All this information can be used to inform your marketing strategy.
Get Your Finances in Order
Your initial plan should also include financial statements and projections to keep you focused and on track as your company grows. These will prove invaluable and provide direction when you meet new challenges or hit an unexpected crisis. Knowing that you have your finances in order will reduce some of the stress associated with running a business. You’ll be better able to predict your cashflow needs and how you can keep the cash flowing if you experience a dip in sales. Having access to business and personal loans can be a great help when you need an injection of cash. Taking a personal loan can help you to free up money for your business or could help with temporary cashflow problems.
Be an Early Adopter
Some of us are naturally cautious while others are more impulsive and will implement an idea with little prior planning. To be successful, you need to position yourself somewhere in the middle. Being overly cautious usually means taking fewer risks. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with this, it’s unlikely that your company will reach its full potential. So how do you find the happy medium?If an opportunity arises which could benefit your business, take some time to do your research. If the research shows it is a good idea, then you’ll feel far more confident that what you are doing is right. However, the research should be completed quickly so that you can follow up on your idea ahead of your competition. Have courage in your convictions. Becoming an early adopter of an idea can give you a big advantage over similar companies.
Gain More Knowledge
The best entrepreneurs know that the roles of a CEO are limitless and varied, so they are always looking to become more knowledgeable about their products or services, the sector in general, and their competitors. When you have a good level of knowledge, you’ll be far more confident when talking to potential customers or investors. Positioning yourself as an expert in your field will help you to become a more trusted and respected business and is an essential part of being a success. You can demonstrate your knowledge by setting up a blog or vlog, putting on workshops or talks, writing eBooks, or offering free advice. All these will add to your credibility.
Encourage Customer Feedback
In today’s digital world, it’s easy to obtain or view feedback. If we want to go on a trip, we’ll consult TripAdvisor. Want to know about a certain product? We’ll check the reviews. As a business, you need to know what your customers are thinking, so it’s important to listen to what they have to say. Make it easy for them to leave reviews on your website or social media accounts. Send out follow up email questionnaires after a purchase. Email your customers directly for their thoughts on your product or service.It’s important to follow up on feedback received, especially if it’s negative or if they raise a point that could improve your product, service, or your operations in general. Without your customers, you don’t have a company. Use their suggestions to help you to improve what you do and make sure you stay ahead of the competition.
