6 Reasons Your Small Business Is Struggling (and How to Fix Them) If your small business is struggling, there are a few likely culprits. Perhaps you're not marketing effectively, you're not pricing your products or services correctly or you're not providing excellent customer service. Whatever the reason, read on to turn things around.
By Murali Nethi Edited by Micah Zimmerman
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
While it can be hard to imagine when your business just started out, you will face some challenges as it grows. You'll face new competitors, economic forces and other obstacles that can take the wind out of your sails and make you doubt whether or not your business will succeed. To ensure this doesn't happen, pay attention to these six reasons your small business might be struggling and what you can do about them. The best time to start taking care of these issues is before they become problems, but you can still work on them even if they already affect your bottom line.
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1. You're not tracking the correct data
Tracking your company's finances is one of the most important steps you can take to make intelligent business decisions. If you're not looking closely at the numbers, it's easy to miss an opportunity for growth or telltale signs that something is wrong. By following these tips, you'll be able to keep on top of what's happening with your company and react quickly when necessary:
- Stay on top of profit margins by calculating them often
- Use trends in the graphs as a warning sign.
- Analyze key performance indicators
- Track customer satisfaction scores monthly
- Keep detailed records and balances at all times
- Check credit card statements daily.
Related: 6 Reasons You're Burning Out — And How You Can Fix It
2. You're not prioritizing the right tasks
When you run a small business, it can feel like there are never enough hours in the day. But if you don't prioritize tasks correctly, your company will never run as efficiently as possible. Make sure you are correctly delegating your work and have time for everything else in your life too! Remember to take care of yourself because when you neglect yourself, your customers suffer.
Not only will you struggle, but your small business will suffer, and your customers won't be happy. Before they even purchase your product or service, they are already judging you on every aspect of how you run your company. No one wants to do business with someone who is unorganized and stressed out. And if things aren't going well for you, that's a red flag for them too!
3. You're not marketing enough
Sure, you're making money right now. But what about the future? If you don't have a plan for marketing your product or service in the coming years, it could be gone before you know it. It's not just about social media posts and ads; it's also about reaching out to new potential customers and going where they are.
So put together a marketing plan that includes social media, search engine optimization, advertising on Google Adwords, video production and other online tactics that you can use to get more people interested in your business.
Related: 10 Marketing Strategies to Fuel Your Business Growth
4. You're not selling enough
The first thing you need to do is figure out how much product you're selling. If you sell online, there are a lot of analytics tools that can help you figure this out, or your customer service team can help. If it turns out that you need to sell more, the next step is figuring out why. Is your marketing plan outdated? Do you need more traffic to your website?
If you find that you are selling less because customers don't know about your products, then make sure that people know what's in store for them by sending targeted emails and making posts on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. On the other hand, if they aren't buying because they think your prices are too high, try lowering them!
Related: 10 Growth Hacking Strategies to Triple Your Sales
5. You're not automating enough
Automating tasks is an excellent way to free up your time. If you find yourself constantly doing the same tasks repeatedly, it's time to automate them. You can even outsource these tasks to make sure they get done right. For example, if you have been pricing products every week or month by hand, try using Hana Retail's POS system, which will automatically price your products when they come in the stock and notify you when they need updating! Its powerful features and the easy-to-use interface can help you take control of your business and get it back on track. Track inventory, manage customers and process sales quickly and easily.
6. You're not scaling quickly enough
One of the most common causes for struggling small businesses is a lack of scalability. If you cannot expand your reach, you will be unable to grow and increase your revenue.
Here are a few ways you can scale quickly:
- Partner with other companies in your industry
- Take advantage of social media
- Build a network of advisors
- Attend conferences and trade shows
- Create an online business course or membership site where customers can learn more about what you offer.
The moral of the story is that several different things could be causing your business struggles. If you can't figure out what's happening, you might need to research, talk with your team or even consult a business advisor. The bottom line is that if you don't address these problems now, they will only worsen and potentially cost your company.
