The If you're a small to medium business, you know that the key to growth is keeping your business running smoothly and efficiently. But as your company grows, it can be difficult to keep up with all the moving parts, especially when trying to scale your business online. So how do you ensure that your business scales in the most effective way possible? The answer is simple: build a scalable process and stick to it! The best way to do this is through smart planning and deliberate actions. Here are ten ways for SMEs to scale their business online in 2022:
1. Build A Scalable Process And Stick To It
The most important thing you can do for your company is to build a scalable process for how things get done—and then stick to that process. If you want to scale your business, you need to have a process in place for getting the job done. This can be as simple as having a set of instructions for each task and making sure everyone is following them. It could also mean having a clear understanding of what needs to happen next so that there's no confusion when it comes time for another step in the process.
This also means having standard operating procedures (SOPs) for every task in your business, from customer service inquiries to ordering supplies. You should also have a clear idea of how long each task should take so that when something unexpected happens—like a sudden rush of orders—you'll know exactly what steps need to happen next.
2. Invest In Technology
Technology is an important part of scaling your business because it allows you to automate processes that used to take up too much time, like accounting or inventory management. If you don't have the right software on hand, you could end up losing money by spending too much time on these tasks instead of focusing on growing your company—not to mention how much more efficient they'll be once they're automated.
Take advantage of software that makes ordering easier by keeping track of customer information or automating inventory management tasks; there are plenty of options out there. The more efficient you can make the ordering process, the less time it takes for each order to go through—and the more orders you'll be able to handle at once.
3. Expand Your Customer Base
When you're starting out, it's easy to sell to the people who already know you. But as you grow, you'll want to expand your customer base—and that means reaching out to new audiences. That might mean going after different types of customers or finding ways to make it easier for potential clients to find you. The important thing is that you're always moving forward and finding new ways to reach out and engage with potential customers.
It's important to understand that your customer base isn't necessarily limited by location or demographics. As more people shop online, these limitations are being lifted; now, more than ever, people can buy from anywhere in the world with just a couple of clicks. And if you're able to adapt your business model accordingly—for example, by offering shipping options other than just ground shipping—you'll be able to reach a much wider audience than before.
4. Diversify Your Product List
There are many ways you can do this. If your company has been operating since before 2022, you may have a few products that are still selling well on eCommerce sites. You might want to consider adding those items to your existing lineup of products. Another option is to diversify into different categories entirely. For example, if you started out selling pet supplies but found success in 2021 by selling pet toys instead, then it makes sense to add more options within this subcategory so that customers will come back again and again!
By doing this, you're making sure that you have a steady stream of revenue coming in, even if one product line takes a downturn. It also gives customers more options when they're shopping with you and helps them know that they can trust you as a company because they'll see that you're committed to growth in all areas of your business.
5. Building A Better Team
The best way to scale your business is by building a team of people who can handle more responsibility and help you grow beyond anything you could have imagined on your own. This means that you should hire the right people for the job. The best way to do this is through employee referrals—you'll find that employees are more likely to refer reliable friends and family with good work ethics.
Make sure that your business has everything it needs—and more. To start, take inventory of all the things you do in your business and then delegate those tasks to people who are stronger than you at those tasks. You'll be amazed at how much more efficient your business will become—this will help with scalability when you have hundreds or thousands of orders coming in every day.
6. Simplify Your Ordering Process
Once you've got your team in place, it's time to simplify your ordering process. One of the biggest challenges faced by eCommerce businesses are scaling orders—and this is especially true when it comes to large orders because they require more time and effort than smaller ones do. Even if your business is small now, having a streamlined ordering process will make scaling much easier down the road when demand increases exponentially overnight (or even slowly over time). It's important for customers to be able to place orders with ease—this means making sure that customers can place orders easily by phone or email as well as through their website. You also want to ensure that you're not losing customers by making them fill out many forms or providing too much information upfront—they'll think twice about buying from you again if their experience is tedious and time-consuming.
7. Automate Your Workflow
One of the most important things you can do to scale your business is to automate as much of it as possible. This means using tools like Zapier, which connects your apps and lets you automate repetitive tasks, such as sending an email whenever a new order comes in or updating social media status when a sale goes through.
Automating your workflow can help you save time and money on things like payroll, accounting, and customer support. By using an automation tool, you can connect your favorite apps so that when something happens in one app (like a new order coming through), it automatically triggers a response in another (like sending out an invoice). This saves you time—and it means that if one of your employees gets sick or goes on vacation, there won't be any gaps in service because everything will just keep running smoothly as usual!
8. Outsource Non-Essential Tasks
When starting out, it's tempting to try and do everything yourself—but this can backfire if you're trying to grow your company fast enough to keep up with demand (especially if you're doing everything in-house). If there are non-essential tasks that aren't part of your core product offering, consider hiring someone else who specializes in these areas to handle those responsibilities so that your team can focus on what really matters: building relationships with customers and delivering high-quality products/services.
And when it comes to outsourcing non-essential tasks, don't just look at the price—look at quality as well! Finding someone who has experience with your industry or niche can help ensure a seamless transition when they ramp up their responsibilities within your business. It may seem counterintuitive at first glance, but outsourcing some tasks will help take away some of the burdens from yourself—and therefore allow you more time for other things.
9. Don't Neglect Social Media
Social media is really important for SMEs. You don't have to be a big brand to get noticed on social media—just make sure that when you post, you're posting quality content relevant to your niche. It is also a great way to make connections and find new clients, so try to interact with people who might be interested in what you have to offer.
Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are still hugely popular among consumers, which means that they can be an incredibly important channel for reaching new customers and maintaining existing relationships with them. Plus, if you aren't using social media, then chances are that your competitors probably are—and they might be using it better than you. So, if you're looking for a place where you can share information about your company and products, this is definitely worth exploring.
10. Foster A Culture Of Continuous Learning
If you want to succeed as an SME, then you need to be open to learning new things. The world is changing every day, and technology is evolving at an incredible rate—if you want your business to stay competitive, then it's crucial that you keep up with these changes by learning how they affect the way people live their lives today.
Sometimes it can be tempting to stay put and stop improving—but this isn't good for your business! Even if things are going well now, there's always something new out there that could help improve your processes or make them more efficient. Make sure everyone in your team understands the importance of learning new things and staying up-to-date on the latest trends in your industry or niche. This will help them be more productive when working on various projects throughout each day—and it will also help them retain their value if they ever decide to move on from your company down the road.