Many of the world’s biggest enterprises started small until they expanded and reached the scale they are at today. Running a small business is complex, and it’s challenging to enjoy consistent profits, especially in the first couple of years.

If you end up on the more successful side of the spectrum, you can probably observe the telltale signs when your business is ready to grow and expand. More people might come to your business than you could realistically handle. People might ask you for products or services you don’t offer yet.

Some businesses stay small, even with these signs of success. But, if you feel you are ready to expand, here are seven strategies that might help you out.

1. Build a Solid Staff

Expanding your business involves a lot of work, and you need an excellent team to help you through the process. Before moving into an expansion strategy, make sure you have a capable team ready to take on the additional responsibilities and challenges your business will face.

Delegating tasks to a capable team will also free up some of your time, helping you perform well and focus on your company’s growth.

2. Focus on Existing Customers

It’s always important to get new customers coming. But, to sustain success, it’s vital to maintain the patronage of existing customers. A good customer retention strategy will keep past or existing customers and bring in new ones.

You can do this by improving or maintaining the quality of your product or service and implementing customer loyalty programs to sweeten the deal.

3. Improve Customer Experience

How your customers view your business is critical to your success. If your customers consistently enjoy your products and services, expect more customers and financial stability. However, once they have a negative experience, your business could take a significant hit.

Word of mouth is powerful, making customer experience a relevant area to focus on. It involves various elements — sales, marketing, customer service, product development, etc. — that make up the customer’s overall experience and dictate their perception of your business.

4. Know Your Structural Growth Options

Business expansion will often require a change in your business structure. It’s essential to look into your options to see what your business would look like as it grows.

To account for bigger markets and increasing customer demand, you might want to look into franchise vs corporate arrangements. Your decision will probably depend on the level of control you wish to have over each of your brand’s branches.

Do extensive research and consult fellow entrepreneurs about possible models you could adapt for expansion.

5. Diversify Your Products/Services

Once you reach a particular threshold of success, your current offering of products and services might not cut it, especially if you plan to expand your business. Your customers might ask whether you have anything else to offer.

A good response would be to add new products or services to your current repertoire. Conduct market research and ask people what they want to see.

Be mindful of your expenses, however. Diverse product lines come with more opportunities for sales, but they also include additional costs. Take care to balance your expansion and make careful investments.

6. Expand Your Market Reach

Expanding your business means you need more customers. You need to expand your market reach by making your product or service available to more people. Below are some ways to do this:

• Open new branches
• Target new demographics through marketing
• Give free trials
• Market your products in new ways

7. Build a Network

Networking is one of the main keys to success in any industry. You can start building a community as early as your business’s first stages. This network can be as diverse as you need it to be. It can be made up of customers, community leaders, fellow business owners, and industry professionals.

A diverse community would help a lot in your journey to expansion, as they can offer valuable advice that would aid the growth of your business.

Learn as You Go

Growth and success can come in many ways. Your idea of success can differ from someone in a different industry or someone with different values and priorities. Expanding your business is a journey. Pay attention to the strategies you choose to employ and stick with what helps you thrive.