Hey there, my fabulous listener, welcome to episode 230 of the Small Business Made Simple Podcast.

Thanks for lending me your ears today – I know you have lots of choices, so I sincerely appreciate me being one of them!

If you’re enjoying this podcast – I’d love you to take a screen shot and share it on your socials and tag me in it.  How cool would that be!

Don’t forget you can get the show notes for this podcast at www.socialmediaandmarketing.com.au/230

Did you have a listen into last week’s episode?  With Natalia Hall?  If not, go back there.  Our conversation was fabulous all around mindset, money and wellbeing.  A good one to listen to and take some action with so early in the year. So, head back there and listen.  www.socialmediaandmarketing.com.au/229

Otherwise, today’s episode.

Rewind the clock a few months back and you may remember that I was involved in doing the Big Small Business Survey with other remarkable thought leaders in Australia.

The results of this survey were varied.  Some were not surprising at all and others were “really, seriously?” moments.

But it’s not enough to just do the survey, it is now up to me, and the others to use the data to help make change.

One way I can help make change is through this podcast – talking to the few thousand that listen in.

So over the next few weeks, maybe even months or the year, I am going to pick parts of the survey and hone in on what I can do to help.

So, today’s episode is going to knock off the big one!

The top challenge, for business owners, according to the survey was “understanding the best way to grow their business” – 36.54% chose this from the list of “challenges” in the survey.

So, let’s dig in – what are the best ways to grow your business in 2023?

1. Focus on building a strong online presence. Having a professional website, active social media accounts, and positive online reviews can help attract new customers and build trust with existing ones.
2. Network, network, network! Attend local business events, join industry groups and associations, and connect with other small business owners. Building relationships with other business owners can lead to new business opportunities and valuable partnerships.
3. Continuously assess and improve your products or services. Listen to customer feedback, stay up to date on industry trends, and make changes as needed. By constantly striving to improve, you’ll stand out from the competition and retain customers for the long-term.

Remember, growing a business takes time and effort, but by implementing these strategies, you’ll be well on your way to success.

And here’s are two more ways to grow:

4. Utilise digital marketing strategies. Invest in targeted advertising on social media platforms, search engines, and websites to reach new customers. Consider using email marketing, SEO, and paid search to generate leads and drive more traffic to your website.
5. Consider expanding your product or service offerings. Diversifying your offerings can help you reach new customers, increase revenue, and reduce your reliance on a single source of income. This could include developing new products, adding new services, or entering new markets.

Remember to always keep an open mind and be willing to adapt and change as needed. The business environment is constantly evolving, and by staying flexible and responsive, you’ll be able to take advantage of new opportunities as they arise.

There’s no magic bullet, no startling idea, thought or strategy I can give you – unfortunately – it’s consistency, patience, self-belief, being adaptable and flexible, that will keep you alive in any climate.

In the words of Peter Drucker, there’s only two things in business – MARKETING and INNOVATION – the rest is just stuff.

So make marketing a priority and innovate where you can (by listening to your customers and prospects).

Got questions or thoughts? Get in touch or head to the Facebook group – Like Minded Business Owners and let me know.

If you loved this episode, please take 30 seconds out of your day to leave me a rating and review if you want where you are listening.  One more goal of mine is to reach more people with this podcast, and you can help me achieve that, by leaving me a review!  Thanks in advance.

See you next week on the podcast for episode 231!

But in the meantime, let’s hang out on social and get social on social – you’ll find me on Instagram, Facebook and my fav LinkedIn.

But whatever you do,

……..remember small business peep, as my opening song says, there’s no point in dreaming small!