Are you ready to take your small business to the next level? Boosting your profits is no easy task. Owning a small business means you most likely have a lot on your plate. From handling employees, juggling finances, and interacting with customers, you may not have time to put things on hold and try something new. But, if you want to increase your revenue, taking the time to invest in the following tips will surely double the numbers in your bank account!
1. Staying up to date with the software
If you’re old-school, you may keep all of your records, finances, bills, and receipts on file as paper copies. But, we’re in the 21st Century now, which means technology is taking care of menial tasks like these. We get it — change is hard, and you don’t want to succumb to confusing or difficult-to-use tech systems. However, if you take the time to learn new software, you’ll be able to launch your startup and increase your profits in no time. To get you started, here’s a list of helpful software for any small business:
- If you run a small HVAC company, we highly recommend investing in Housecall Pro’s plumbing business accounting software to receive payments on time, schedule appointments and manage your employees.
- Whether you own a cute floral store or retro barber shop, you want your employees showing up on time, every day. Use Homebase to send automated texts to your employees to remind them of upcoming shifts.
- Do you own a small financial firm or marketing company? Juggling your clients can be difficult and projects can get lost in the fray. Join Asana, an online calendar and project management system. This handy website allows employees to view all of their tasks on hand, so no customer goes unnoticed
2. Using social media as a marketing tool
If your business isn’t on social media, you’re missing out BIG time. Social media has changed the game of marketing. It’s free and easy to use and lets small businesses connect and interact with a larger audience of consumers. If you’re ready to increase your sales, check out these must have social media tools to attract more customers:
- Hootsuite: This app allows you to schedule social media posts for multiple platforms, such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter
- Planoly: To create a better Instagram layout, use this tool to curate your posts and get a visual representation of what your Instagram “grid” will look like
- Snapseed: A picture is worth a thousand words. Tell your story through visually appealing images with this photo editing app
3. Create a website for your business
You don’t need to be a tech wizard or computer programmer to create your own website. Those geniuses made it easy for you to design and publish your own website! With sites like Weebly and WordPress, the codes are already in place. What do you need to do? It’s simple! Get started by picking through hundreds of website layouts, widgets, and more to create an appealing page for your customers to search for your products and services.
To create an effective website, you need to make sure it’s visually appealing and mobile-friendly. Users don’t want to navigate through a website that takes forever to load and has difficult-to-read text. To boost your website traffic, integrating plugins and add-ons will give users a friendly experience. Additionally, adding widgets to incorporate your social media platforms onto your website will increase traffic and eventually profits!
4. Hire the right people
This goes without saying, but hiring the right people for your small business will set your company apart from the rest. Think about your own experiences in shops and stores you’ve visited. Were the receptionists or cashiers friendly? Or were they cold and unhelpful? How did this impact your experience? Hiring the right staff will allow you to grow your brand and reputation as a customer-friendly store.
To find someone who fits your company’s values and mission, post job openings that clearly articulate the job description and what you’re looking for. Posting on job hiring sites will allow more applicants to view the posting, giving you a larger number of applicants to choose from.
Another tip— you should always screen your employees and perform a thorough background check to ensure you hire the perfect employee. Sure, one applicant may seem like the perfect addition to your team. But, if you’re hiring for a financial position and they have a poor credit score, how do you think that will impact your company?
Wrapping Up
Boosting profits in your small business isn’t as difficult as it seems. In today’s world, you have so many tools (often free!) to choose from to grow your business. From using software that streamlines business operations to using social media to market to a larger audience, you will be on your way to boosting profits faster than you can say “money!”
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