If you’re reading this post looking for a magical solution to help you double your business, I recommend you stop reading right now.
When you’re building a business, it’s incredibly easy to keep doing the same things the same way because they work. It’s easier than the alternatives of needing to stretch and sweat it a bit to grow your business.
But what if growing your business – even doubling your business – didn’t mean you had to do double the work? Or that you have to take on double the amount of clients? Or double your hours?
If you want to double your business, what got you here, won’t get you there.
And before you think, who is this chick to tell me this? Here’s a bit of my backstory, so you know I’m not just writing this up based on something I read on someone else’s blog.
I started my business in 2014. That year I was fresh out of the corporate world and I did pretty well right out of the gate making $60k by the end of the year. Then in 2015, I managed to more than 3x my business taking my annual revenue to over $200k.
I’m not sharing that to brag, but rather to put this into perspective so you know where I’m coming from. It’s worth noting, that my business (Foundation & Flow) at that point was nearly 100% services-based, and wasn’t relying on launches or a massive email list to help me grow. (Read more on why you may not need a big email list right here.)
Doubling your business, at least in my mind, is doable, and it’s what we focus on with our clients in our group program “Double It”. A stretch goal is a wonderful thing, but if you’re going to kill yourself trying to make it happen, that’s just not going to work.
Focusing on doubling your business lets you create a realistic, workable plan. So, let’s talk about some specific ways to double your business:
#1. Attract the Right Clients
Yes, I know, this may seem obvious, but there’s a big difference between attracting would-be clients, and attracting the right clients.
This starts with being clear with your message, story and what you stand for. As the saying goes, “your vibe attracts your tribe.” How you show up will make a big difference in what types of clients you attract and which ones you repel.
When you’ve got the right clients, you’re able to build working relationships that are healthy, productive and rewarding, which ultimately gives you room to grow. (Because the wrong clients will suck the life out of you!)
#2. Raise Your Prices
This can feel scary, but once you start doing the math, you can quickly see how even small price increases make a big difference. Say you charge by the hour right now, a $5/hour increase for all clients can quickly add up and boost your revenue without any extra work.
When you raise your prices, a few things happen. You’re able to simply bring in more revenue each month, and you can even work with fewer clients and make the same (or more) money. And when you’re not spread so thin – everyone wins as there’s more time and attention to go around.
#3. Create a Signature Service
One of the biggest traps service-based business owners fall into is not owning their worth and continuing to trade time for dollars. With a signature service, you’re able to create a service that’s more like a product and then charge a flat rate fee for it.
Guaranteed, flat rate project pricing will help you grow your business as you’re simply making more per hour. Also, you’ll be attracting clients to this service who are coming to you for what only you can offer.
#4. Increase the Total Lifetime Value of Clients
Our natural reaction to wanting to grow our business is to think that you need MORE clients. And the truth is that we can’t continuously add more and more clients as there’s a cap on our time and energy.
This is why working with fewer clients, but in a deeper, more committed way, can help you grow without a lot of extra energy.
The best way to increase the value of each client you work with is to spot opportunities for upsells or add-on services.
For example, when someone engages us for a funnel project, we always ask them if they need copy such as a sales page or emails. That can easily be an additional revenue over and above the original project scope.
#5. Work Your Referrals
Want an endless stream of clients? Work with your network and existing clients to help them do your marketing for you.
Asking for referrals and introductions can quickly fill your pipeline with the type of clients you want to be working for. But most of us shy away from asking.
As a services-based business owner, referrals can be the lifeblood of your business – serving up new clients regularly for you and helping you avoid investing significant time in outbound marketing.
#6. Surprise & Delight Your Clients
Surprising and delighting your clients from the second they sign on with you can help you grow in a big way. A happy client will refer you. A happy client will talk you up in their business groups. A happy client will stay engaged with you longer or sign on for multiple projects over time.
Surprising and delighting your clients starts with creating a simple onboarding process so they get started with you on a positive note. Get your kick off calls scheduled quickly and make it a priority to help them feel the love from the get go.
As you continue your relationship, find ways to be of service, go the extra mile and ensure your customer’s experience stands out. And this doesn’t mean you need to send them fancy gifts or anything else. Little things matter like checking in with them or asking what you can do to help when things get rough.
#7. Become the Go-To in Your Niche
If you’ve ever had the experience of being named in a sea of people who “do” the same thing as you, you know exactly how hard it can be to stand out. Which is why you don’t want to find yourself in the sea of sameness – you want to create your own category.
How? Stop trying to serve everyone. When you get really clear on exactly who you serve or the one thing you’re really good at, people quickly learn that you’re the go-to for that thing. (This is also why creating a signature service can help you grow!)
#8. Systematize Everything
The one thing that we all wish we had more of is time. When you’re growing a business, time is at a premium, so every minute you waste during the day doing something that could be systematized is impacting your ability to grow.
Even if you’re a party of one, systems will save you so much time. Start by looking at routine things you do that could be templated, documented and streamlined. Client-facing systems such as onboarding, invoicing, reporting and more, are a great place to start as you know you need to do these things regularly.
#9. Get Focused & Productive
From browsing Facebook to switching between tasks all day long to having no plan for the day – we’re masters at wasting time and calling it work.
Focus and productivity can be a huge challenge that stands in our way. And while I wish I could say I’m an expert on this, I’m not. Like all of us, I’m a work in progress!
I have managed to become more productive thanks to setting a clear list of three main priorities for the day and avoiding spending all day hopping between tasks. They are simple things, but they make a big difference and allow me to get way more done in less time.
[embed_popupally_pro popup_id=”9″]
