Get All Access for $5/mo

5 Strategies to Know As You Scale Your Business Scaling a service-based company requires a comprehensive approach that goes beyond simply increasing revenue. It requires careful planning, strategic decision-making and a deep understanding of market dynamics.

By Nick Chandi Edited by Micah Zimmerman

Key Takeaways

  • By giving your brand a fresh look and message, you can keep customers interested and stand out from the crowd of competitors.

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Like every entrepreneur, you likely aspire to drive profits in your service-based company. But how do you achieve this goal? The answer lies in scaling. It's imperative to grasp the difference between growing and scaling your operations. While growing entails taking on more projects to increase revenue, scaling focuses on improving profits without a significant surge in resources. Essentially, scaling means working smarter, not just harder.

You've got to grab every chance to make more profit without burning yourself out. So, here are five practical strategies that many service providers miss out on when they're trying to make their businesses bigger and better.

Related: I Exited My Company in Just 7 Years — Here's 3 Things You Need to Do to Have a Successful Exit

1. Find your room to grow

To scale effectively, start by identifying areas within your business with untapped potential. Take a close look at what you're already doing – your processes, the services you offer, and the audience you're reaching. Look for niches where demand is high but competition is low, or explore opportunities to diversify your service offerings. For example, a digital marketing agency might expand into photography or influencer marketing to cater to evolving client needs.

Market research is key here. Talk to your clients to understand what they're looking for. Check out what your competitors are doing and monitor what's happening in the market. Once you've figured out where the opportunities are, you can start making changes to scale your business smartly.

Related: Key Financial Metrics Every Founder Should Know About

2. Listen to customer feedback

Listening to what your customers say can steer your business toward success. Make it a habit to ask for client feedback through surveys, online reviews, or direct conversations. Then, take the time to dive into that feedback to understand what your customers love, what they don't, and what new trends are emerging.

Let's look at an example: you run a software development company. You might discover a growing demand for mobile app development services by listening closely to your clients. With this knowledge, you can tailor your services to meet this demand, positioning yourself as a go-to provider in the industry.

Collecting customer feedback can also increase upselling and cross-selling success rates by 15% to 20%. Always make it a priority to listen to your customers—they just might hold the key to your business's success.

3. Simplify your business with tech & automation

Using tech and automation can make your business smoother and save time. Surprisingly, over 90% of surveyed employees reported that automation solutions actually boosted their productivity, while 85% noted significant improvements in team collaboration. Moreover, nearly 90% expressed trust in automation tools to minimize errors and speed up decision-making processes.

First, figure out which tasks you're repeating or where things get stuck. Then, explore project management tools like Monday.com or Asana. Investing in a CRM system such as Salesforce or HubSpot can centralize customer data, improve communication, and improve client relationships.

Modern payment platforms can do billing and invoicing automatically, so you don't have to. By cutting down on these routine tasks, you'll have more time to focus on improving your business.

Related: Busywork Sucks — How Automation Can Eliminate Boring Tasks for Entrepreneurs

4. Build strong networks and partnerships

In the service industry, teaming up with others can fuel your growth. Build relationships with businesses that complement yours, connect with peers in your industry, and seek out strategic partners. Attend networking events like Small Business Expo or IT industry events, join industry groups, and engage with online communities to expand your circle and discover collaboration opportunities.

If you're running a web design company, you can team up with a digital marketing agency to give clients a full package of services, using each other's strengths to get great results. By making friends and partnerships, you'll open up new opportunities and make your business even better.

Related: Turn Your Startup into a Powerhouse With These 6 Financial Growth Hacks

5. Upgrade your marketing and branding

To really stand out from the crowd, it's not enough just to have a good marketing plan—you need to keep tweaking and improving it all the time. One way to strengthen it is through SEO and content marketing; don't only focus on paid ads.

Did you know that nearly half of all clicks on search engines come from organic searches? That means people are more likely to trust the results they find naturally rather than those paid for. So, if you use SEO effectively, you can get more visitors to your website.

Crucially, your strategy must be rooted in data. By meticulously analyzing metrics such as website traffic, conversion rates, and customer engagement, you can glean invaluable insights into what initiatives are giving results and where improvements are needed.

Equally significant is the need to refresh your messaging and brand identity. As people's preferences change and the market moves around, you must ensure your brand still fits in with what your customers like. Talk to your customers, see what they think, and keep an eye on what's going on in your industry. By giving your brand a fresh look and message, you can keep customers interested and stand out from the crowd of competitors.

Nick Chandi

Entrepreneur Leadership Network® Contributor

CEO & Co-Founder of Forwardly

Nick Chandi is the CEO and Co-Founder of Forwardly, an award-winning instant payment provider for small businesses in the USA. Forwardly helps businesses get paid and pay bills faster, easier, and for up to 80% less processing fees.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Side Hustle

'Hustling Every Day': These Friends Started a Side Hustle With $2,500 Each — It 'Snowballed' to Over $500,000 and Became a Multimillion-Dollar Brand

Paris Emily Nicholson and Saskia Teje Jenkins had a 2020 brainstorm session that led to a lucrative business.

Science & Technology

5 Rule-Bending AI Hacks to Make Your Mornings More Productive and Profitable

By 2025, AI will transform productivity by streamlining workflows and cutting costs. Major companies like Microsoft, Google, and OpenAI are leading the way, advancing AI into "Phase 3," where tools act as digital assistants. Discover 5 AI hacks to boost efficiency and redefine your daily routine.

Marketing

5 Critical Mistakes to Avoid When Giving a Presentation

Are you tired of enduring dull presentations? Over the years, I have compiled a list of common presentation mistakes and how to avoid them. Here are my top five tips.

Business News

Former Steve Jobs Intern Says This Is How He Would Have Approached AI

The former intern is now the CEO of AI and data company DataStax.

Science & Technology

5 Automation Strategies Every Small Business Should Follow

It's time we make IT automation work for us: streamline processes, boost efficiency and drive growth with the right tools and strategy.