Contributed article in our business series. Enjoy! – Kimberly
A successful business requires a lot of work. For your business to be well off, you must first understand what that means. Even with products and services that are popular, there is a need to innovate continuously. That is why it is important to be creative and unique and continue to do so at every stage of the venture. Secondly, as the employees are the heart of any company, the type of people that you hire will greatly affect the end-results. This, in turn, will also alter the company culture, and will thus continue to make it appealing to the right type of prospective employee. You can’t forget about a good online presence so that everyone can find you, the power of emotional marketing, financial stability, a good strategy and taking a look at what the competition is doing. After all, you always want to aim for better. Persistence and adaptability are the final two points to consider.
Unique and creative
Is your company unique in any way? Every single industry has numerous businesses that are well established, and there are new ones that pop up all the time. As a result of this, you must strive to be different. Creativity will be key throughout this process, although it may take some time until the ideas flourish and are concrete. It’s always better to come out with new products and services slowly, knowing they will work and be popular, rather than release something fast that will burn out quickly.
Good employees
Employees are the heart and soul of a good business, and must thus also be appropriately hired and treated well. What is the expertise of the people that make up your company? Do they go above and beyond their requirements? The type of relationship held between employees and the business must be equally reciprocated. After all, people will work hard for a company they believe in, and the company must trust and believe in its workforce.
Company culture
You may have good employees, but what is your company culture like? Does everyone work together on projects and communicate on a daily basis? This will not only improve workflow but also make everyone’s day more enjoyable in the process. You must always foster an environment that encourages teamwork, as this is also the way that the best and most creative ideas are formed.
An excellent leader
There must be someone appointed that acts as a leader in various stages of the business. At the top of the hierarchy will be the company owner, and someone else should lead each department. Is this individual hard-working? Inspiring? Compassionate? Strategic? This is an individual that sets up the groundwork and employees look up to them when they do their work. It is for this reason that he or she must always work to improve their management and communication skills.
A good online presence
Many people own a mobile device and spend numerous hours a day on it. Given that this is the case, what is your company’s online presence like? Including both mobile and computer-based online presence; you must be easily searchable to prospective employees. It can further attract investors, who can easily understand what your company entails because it is all available online. All in all, it is a good source for marketing your business and giving it credibility.
Emotional marketing
A business must answer a need or want in society for it to be successful. More specifically, this means that the company must target people’s emotions very well. Do you make people happy? Sad? A good way to master your company’s emotional marketing is by reading more about it from businesses that practice it all the time. One example is the advertising campaigns done by Eraser Farm, as they understand emotion is what drives decisions. If consumers feel an emotional connection to your product or service, they will engage with it and use it.
Financial stability
A company without money cannot operate properly. That is why every single business must have a financial department that overlooks money going in and out, and calculates the best steps forward to help increase profit. Understand the financial risks that may come about at different points, especially at the very beginning of a company’s lifespan.
Strategy and goals
Does your business have a set of strategies and goals that are established long-term? These must be tweaked every step of the way depending on what has and has not worked in current ventures. Success will mean something different to each company depending on what they hope to achieve, so they must first answer that question and then devise the appropriate plan to get there.
Look at the competition
Looking around at your competition can help you better your own success. What works or doesn’t work for other companies pursuing similar interests? Notice the mistakes that others have made and avoid them. It will even help you understand the market within which you operate.
Persistence
No matter what, every business will have tough periods. It will be up to you, as an entrepreneur, to persist through them, and find the light at the end of the tunnel while doing so. Many give up, but in doing so; you will also have accepted failure. Do not let this be you.
Takes risks when needed
Starting a business is often a risk, and sometimes even more risks are required. For instance, imagine you have been working on a new line of running shoes to launch on the market. However, once complete, you are not sure if they will resonate with people, and the only way you will know is if you try. That being said, you will need a backup plan after the fact should they not work out.
Ability to easily adapt
With the rapid advancements of technology in society, only companies that adapt will be successful in this day and age. Those that are not mobile friendly, on social media, or even on the world wide web, will fall far behind their competitors. Even then, businesses must continuously use the new popular tools and programs that are available on the market, in order to also properly reach their desired target market.
A successful business has many of the qualities outlined here and more. Success is a process and not a sprint, but with strategic foresight and perseverance, in addition to everything else, it is very achievable.
by 