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The new year is looking bright for entrepreneurship: An Intuit Quickbooks survey reported that over 54% of respondents want to start a new business in 2025. Despite the struggles that may lie ahead due to shifting political and economic climates, many entrepreneurs are emerging with new, innovative ideas that are shaping the way businesses operate.
If you want to start a new venture or improve your already established small business, here are 15 small business growth strategies recommended by entrepreneurs like you.
Create scalable systems internally
Scaling your small business can increase its success, and that often starts with your internal strategies. For Mary Hagen, CEO of Colossal, her company's focus in the new year is to scale internal capabilities by leveraging software.
"Leveraging software to open up bandwidth and increase efficiency is anticipated to have a two- to three times impact on the business without increasing our payroll," Hagen emphasized.
Identify growth opportunities within existing contracts
If market data supports changes in your current contracts, Jim Camp Jr., Co-Owner and Coach at Camp Negotiations, encourages small business leaders to renegotiate.
"Attempting to respectfully engage in a revised business deal will never hurt the relationship; it's the opposite. At worst, they might hear the word 'no.' So what? A no is simply a decision that maintains the status quo," said Camp. "It's also a decision that can change when your opponent considers the next contract."
Invest in GenAI
Bob Spoerl, Owner and CEO of Bear Icebox Communications, says he constantly thinks about the intersection of generative AI (GenAI) and human connection.
"As the owner of a PR firm, I want to focus on helping our team and working directly with our clients," Spoerl said. "We're focused on learning how new AI tools can help our team focus on what matters the most: delivering strategic advice, insights, and results for our clients."
Improve the customer experience and value
Investing in your customers' experience with your brand can increase customer loyalty, profit margins, and brand equity.
"We are significantly increasing our [customer experience] investment in both technology and people to increase our responsiveness and lay the foundation to scale up our revenue and improve our [customer experience] scores at the same time," said Rob Scott, Co-Founder and Chief Innovator at Monjur.
For Paul Miller, Managing Partner at Miller and Company LLP, technology continues to play a pivotal role in improving the customer experience.
"The top growth strategy that I will be following in 2025 is to provide deeper client engagement/value and improve client experience by leveraging technology and data analytics in the new digital landscape," Miller said.
Invest in your employees
According to Charlie Carroll, Owner of Table33, businesses thrive when their people thrive. As such, supporting and investing in your employees can go a long way in increasing morale and profitability.
"We're focusing on creating an environment where employees feel truly seen, heard, and valued while also connecting them to a larger purpose," Carroll explained. "Engaged, happy employees are the driving force behind everything we do, from guest experiences to community impact, and ultimately, to our bottom line. When employees feel valued not just for their work but for who they are, they bring their best energy and ideas to the table."
Ninety percent of people search online for a business near them, and if you put some effort into your local business profiles, you're going to start showing up in more search results and getting new customers.
Justin Silverman, Founder and CEO of Merchynt
Focus on direct outreach
According to Sagnik Roy, Senior Vice President of the Times Internet, expanding their clientele into North America will require a multifaceted approach with direct outreach at the helm.
"One key strategy is shifting from a reactive, inbound approach to a more proactive engagement model. This involves identifying and reaching out to potential clients who can benefit from connecting with the South Asian diaspora audience," Roy said. "Additionally, we aim to leverage the insights gained from inbound leads to refine and strengthen our proactive tactics."
Expand your email list of subscribers
To establish an engaged audience around your brand in an affordable way, Leo Ye, Founder and CEO of CUBO, recommends growing your email subscriber base. In doing so, your business can run campaigns and send personalized communications, including anniversary, birthday, and promotional emails.
"Growing your email subscriber base … lessens your dependency on traditional marketing channels, lowers your advertising expenses, and enables you to develop next-level client loyalty through individualized interactions with your prospects and customers," said Ye.
Concentrate on client retention
According to Kelley Van Boxmeer, Co-Founder and CEO of Motion Invest, retaining existing consumers is simpler than finding new ones. It also expedites growth, because clients already trust your brand.
"If you have an integrated CRM and marketing automation system, that enables you to provide a memorable and beneficial customer experience to your target audience," Van Boxmeer said. "You have a greater chance of retaining their business."
Build a strong referral network
Brett Prentiss, Co-Founder of Instinct Marketing, recommends establishing a referral network to incentivize employees and existing customers to market your business on your behalf.
"You can … [build a network] by working with the biggest supporters of your company by providing discounts for bringing you clients," Prentiss said. "Monetize the strong connections you have to build a bigger small business for [the new year]!"
[Read more: 10 Networking Groups for Entrepreneurs]
Adapt marketing strategies based on ROI
When you're on a tight budget, Jay Soni, Founder of Yorkshire Fabric Shop, says the best thing to do is analyze the success of your marketing initiatives and adjust accordingly.
"You may assess the ROI when you've established your budget," Soni said. "The benefit of being small is that you can be flexible and change your techniques from ones that don't work to ones that do."
Automate time-consuming processes
Automation is an effective way for businesses to streamline repeatable processes and give employees time to focus on the bigger picture, explained Kevin Holmes, Founder of Hairbro.
"Wherever time-consuming business processes are consuming a lot of your or your workers' time, automation should be considered," Holmes said. "Automation can increase data entry and reconciliation accuracy while freeing up your employees to work on more crucial tasks, like expanding the business and creating new markets."
Introduce new offerings
Keeping your existing customers engaged with special promotions and new offerings is critical to small business growth, said Chelsea Clarke, Founder of HerPaperRoute.
"When someone feels truly supported by one of your offerings, they're likely to invest in another one," Clarke said. "Whether you sell digital or physical products (or both), focus on creating an email list to help keep customers engaged, share new products, and let them know about any sales you have going on."
[Read more: The Essential Rules of Email Marketing for Small Businesses]
Make use of AI and machine-learning tools
Martha Carlin, Co-Founder and CEO of The BioCollective, advises small businesses to invest in appropriate technology solutions to eliminate outdated procedures and automate repetitive operations.
"Due to businesses' widespread adoption of remote and hybrid working environments, you need a solid platform to organize communications among employees and foster teamwork," said Carlin, who recommends project management software like Trello and Airtable for planning, scheduling, and other operational tasks.
Compete on a local level to acquire customers for less
Justin Silverman, Founder and CEO of Merchynt, recommends using free tools like a Google Business profile to help small businesses compete with larger companies that have more considerable marketing and advertising budgets.
"Ninety percent of people search online for a business near them, and if you put some effort into your local business profiles, you're going to start showing up in more search results and getting new customers," Silverman said.
Establish credibility with video content
Video content helps build brand awareness and generates a positive return on investment for its marketing efforts, explained Edward Mellett, Director at WikiJob.
"Video is your hidden weapon for establishing brand authority and enhancing SEO," Mellet said. "Creating comprehensive and actionable videos that answer your audience's most pressing problems can assist you in establishing your authority."
Additional reporting by Miranda Fraraccio.
CO— aims to bring you inspiration from leading respected experts. However, before making any business decision, you should consult a professional who can advise you based on your individual situation.
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