Sarah Jordan — February 14, 2017 Follow @http://www.twitter.com/sarahmcjordanWhen it comes to improving your small business, there are a lot of ways you can give it some love and show your customers that you care. These answers may sound like what you might hear from anyone involved in a long-term relationship: provide security, communicate openly, and spend quality time on what matters most.
Being a better, more dedicated partner in your own business can lead to growth and success. And giving your customers what they want will keep them coming back for more. In the spirit of celebrating and showing gratitude for your relationships, we encourage you to take a moment to assess your relationship with your small business – and customers – as well.
Four tips to nurture your small business and show your customers you care:
- Build a safety net for support
For small businesses, making sure you have complete control over the cash coming and going from your business is the key to success. To gain a better handle on your finances and achieve steady, sustainable growth, look for ways to improve cash flow and keep it visible over time.
- Automate – so you can spend time on what matters
Many solutions exist for small businesses to accept electronic payments and automate billing. But service-based businesses, specifically, require a more diverse set of payment needs, including credit cards and electronic checks, as well as multiple payment collection points. Since service businesses are built on repeat customers, everything about an automation solution needs to be focused on the customer, facilitating great customer relationship, and making repeat business as seamless as possible.
- Give your customers an experience that keeps them coming back
Your customers are the heart of your business. And providing them with services means building a business based on trust and relationships. But, it can also mean being extremely flexible to meet customers’ needs. One way to achieve this is by offering a top-notch, mobile-friendly experience that allows customers to schedule, pay, and renew easily, while also capturing important order history, profile, registration, and appointment details. A streamlined, mobile-friendly experience gives your customers what they want and expect, every time.
Additionally, an online store that caters to service-based businesses allows you to easily connect customers from your website or social channels to your store and market your services with one-click social sharing.
- Listen and learn about your customers
Using a service Point of Sale (sPOS) customer database can help you retain the information you need to learn more about your customers and communicate to them in a way that’s tailored – not mass produced. With a complete database of your customers’ purchase information and billing all in one place, you’ll get the full picture. Look back at the history of your business to determine the lifetime value of your customers. With a complete view of the customers and services that are most beneficial to your business, you can better determine how to engage them with custom marketing messages that will grow your business.
Above all else, remember to live your life
Sometimes your business may seem like it is your life. But it’s important to take a step back and make sure that you’re not only nurturing business growth, but personal growth as well. With the right tools and technologies, it’s possible to generate new and repeat business all day, every day – so you can focus on you.
Interested in learning more about how your business can thrive? Check out this “Growing Up Your Business” guide, which includes success advice from other business owners like you.
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