5 Staggering Ways to Improve Your Small Business

Do you wish more people would notice your brand messaging? Well, you may have to turn up the volume. Too often I see women whispering about their business when they should be speaking through a megaphone. This is a metaphor, of course, but I love it because it paints a clear picture of how loud you actually need to be in order for people to notice and remember your business. Here are 5 staggering ways to improve your small business. 

 

 

I’ve been talking to a lot of business owners lately–meeting with clients and potential clients–and I noticed a theme in our conversations. Every single one was feeling a big push to take their business to the next level…but it feels really scary to do it. So, if you can relate to this feeling, this post is for you. I am turning up the volume in my business and giving you the mic. I want you to share your goodness with those around you confidently and unapologetically. 

What does it take to actually crank up the volume in your business? What can you be doing right now to get more ears listening to what you have to offer them? This is exactly what I’ll be answering for you today in this post. Let’s get started!

 

5 Staggering Ways to Improve Your Small Business

 

 

Improve Your Small Business Step #1: Believe you are meant to do this. 

I need you to know that you should be doing your business. If you feel called to do this and you have the gifts and talents to make it happen, this is where you should be. You should totally be starting and growing your business and not feel selfish for wanting to be bigger than you are. 

So, check in with yourself and see if this is really what you want. Then, check in with God to see if this is the right time for you to commit to this. And then, if you have a spouse, have a conversation with them and see how you can work this into your daily lives. Once you do that, just go for it!

We spend so much time sitting and looking around and thinking how we should be doing certain things, but not actually doing them. We keep having these thoughts bounce around in our heads because we need to take action. 

And you need to take action on your business even if you’re newly married and don’t have a lot of money right now, even if you just had a baby or are a stay-at-home mom. Or even if your husband is working and you could find easier things to distract you every day. If you feel called to own this business and share your talents with the world, then you need to do it. The end. And do it with no shame or guilt attached to it. (I’m speaking to you, mamas.)

When my kids were young, and my husband was in medical school, my business is what saved me. I held onto it tight, even with all the craziness that comes from starting a family. So, do not feel bad about wanting more than motherhood. You are meant for all of it. 

 

 

Improve Your Small Business Step #2: Get good with numbers.

When I say you have to get good with numbers, I don’t mean taxes. I mean you have to get comfortable with talking about your numbers. I hear people say all of the time that they don’t care about how many followers they have or how much money they make, but that is straight BS. 

The truth is, those numbers are actual people. The more money you make the more impact you have. So these numbers are actually a big deal because the higher they are the bigger of a difference you’re making in people’s lives. 

And it’s not about the followers alone, but about the impact you’re making. And the followers are one way for you to gauge the difference you’re making in people’s lives. 

 

Improve Your Small Business Step #3: Get really good at your brand messaging.

If you’ve been following me for a while, you may be thinking, “Really, Michelle, any time you talk you always bring it back to brand messaging.” And that is 100 percent true. I start here with all of my clients, my Money Makers, and it’s what I often talk about in my content. 

All of your business success starts with brand messaging because if you are not clear on the message you’re sending out, it makes it really hard to turn up the volume in your business. The clearer you are in your messaging, the clearer it is to your audience on how you can serve them and solve their problems–and that is how you make sales. (Click HERE for a detailed guide on how to create a killer brand message.)

The last thing about brand messaging I’ll share here is to make sure your brand message is consistent across all of your platforms. It needs to show up on your Instagram, email list, podcast, YouTube video, TikTok, etc. Wherever you show up for your audience you need to be honed in on what your brand message is and share it over and over again. 

If you want some professional help with creating a brand message and knowing how to have it show up across all of your platforms, you can set up a call with me and I’ll help get it figured out! My branding team and I can do as much or as little as you need–we do everything from visual branding to the words you want on your website, Instagram bio, etc. You can check us out HERE!

 

 

Improve Your Small Business Step #4: Expand your channels.

Now, just go with me on this one. Just days ago (Halloween of 2022), Instagram had a complete meltdown. People were losing hundreds and thousands of followers. Some could not sign into their accounts or they were getting notifications that their accounts have been disabled. People were flipping out when this happened, and rightly so. Instagram is a large part of a lot of people’s businesses.

With that being said, Instagram cannot be the only egg in your basket. If it is then eventually you are going to be in trouble. Engagement is going down and it’s getting harder to grow there. It’s not impossible, but if you want a long-lasting business then you need to have a presence in several other places than just Instagram. 

The first thing I recommend you do is set up an email list. This is a place that you own and don’t have to deal with an algorithm. That alone should make you want to start! Check out my blog post HERE to help you set up your email marketing.

The second place I recommend showing up on is TikTok. Between now and the next 18 months is the most ideal time to get on TikTok. You have this 18-month window where it will be a lot easier to grow fast. Check out my post HERE about creating a TikTok strategy that will help you grow faster than you’ve ever imagined. 

And the last place I recommend is YouTube. I’ve been preaching about evergreen content for a long time and YouTube is a great place for that. It is so easy to repurpose content from your YouTube videos and you can make money from posting content there! It’s a no-brainer. Check out my post HERE to learn more about setting up a YouTube strategy. 

 

Improve Your Small Business Step #5: Take the next step.

I know you are feeling overwhelmed. You’ve got a lot to do, you’re trying to grow, and you feel like you should do this next thing. I don’t know what the next step is for you, but you do. Usually, you have an idea of where you need to go next. Whether that’s an email list, a podcast, outsourcing, or joining a coaching group. All of these are good things, but you know what you and your business need next. Trust in that and take action. Stop thinking about it and just do it. 

Every big milestone I have had has come on the other side of a really big, scary decision. You have to force yourself out of your comfort zone and take that next step. And guess what the coolest thing is? Your next step does not have to be perfect for it to be effective. 

In fact, your next step could be a complete flop and it could still turn into something good because you learned something. Sometimes you have to go one way to learn it’s not the right way. And it’s faster to dive all in rather than stop and sit on a problem for a couple of months. Remember, action brings clarity faster than indecision ever will. 

 

 

5 Staggering Ways to Improve Your Small Business

If you were feeling a push while reading this, do yourself a favor and just take that next step. Whatever it is, make the decision and move forward. You will feel overwhelmed as you try to figure it out, but as you break it down, it’ll start to become more clear. Your overwhelm will turn into excitement and then you’ll feel absolutely proud of yourself. It is one of the best feelings in the world!

From these 5 staggering ways to improve your small business decide what your next step is. Then, write down the actionable items you need to do to reach your goal. Creating this checklist will help you know exactly what you need to do to meet your goal and give you a vision of where you need to go. I have tons more advice for you on growing a successful business, so I hope you’ll follow me on Instagram @iammichellegifford! You can also subscribe to my YouTube channel HERE. I hope to chat with you soon!