2022’s started much the same as 2021, with a healthy amount of uncertainty. Even in this business climate, there are still opportunities to grow your business. Here are 5 tips to consider to help grow your business this year.
1. Take Advantage of the “New”
Even as we’ve ebbed back to some sense of normalcy this year, there’s plenty of changes in the business landscape that has pushed businesses to offer new services and new products in new ways. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce in their list of 2022 strategies says that businesses must be aware of scarcities within the supply chain and get ahead of manufacturing and transportation challenges by working collaboratively with their suppliers.” Keeping in touch with your suppliers, and keeping an eye on your suppliers industry’s struggles, can help you prepare for all scenarios. This proactive measure will help ease the pain we’re all feeling with supply chains, and that we will likely feel still to varying degrees in 2022.
2. Social Media is Dead; Long Live Social Media
Facebook embraces Meta but should your business still embrace Facebook? Should you embrace Tik Tok? Whatever your choice ultimately is, consider 2022 as the time to really focus on which platforms are working for you and what content is working on which platforms. As Facebook and Instagram continue to mimic Tik Tok, video has become more important than ever across these platforms. So if you’re not embracing video regardless of which social media you’re focusing on, do so now. Likewise one recommendation for businesses that is too often understated is to NOT join every social platform but to instead plan a more cohesive strategy to really knock it out of the park with one or two key platforms. Businesses, and small businesses in particular, often overstretch their time trying to be everywhere at once, which can be unsustainable. Focusing on a couple platforms more intently can therefore be a more effective winning strategy.
3. SEO Is More Local Than Ever
Google rolls out updates to their search a few times a year, to the occasional angst of some business owners and their SEO experts. While Google’s recommendation is always some degree of “quality, relevant content wins search results”, what’s more and more true is that local searches are increasingly important. So if you’re a business with a physical address 1) make sure you have a Google My Business listing, 2) make sure it’s up-to-date, and 3) diversify your business listings, including Yelp if relevant and other industry networks or listings.
4. Refresh Your Signage
Many companies have taken the time to reinvest in their own business facilities this past year, and that trend should continue with signage. Studies show that either a refresh of outdated signage, or where possible new signage altogether, can help increase profits by drawing more customers in. While profits and sales are often first and foremost on a business owners mind, other benefits that studies have found include increased employee hires and in one case study the addition of an electronic LED sign helped boost goodwill in the community when they started including PSAs and helpful tips on weather conditions.
5. Cashless World
In the Better Business Bureau’s Top Trends for Small Businesses in 2022 article, they note the world is more cashless now than ever, and that this is a trend that will continue. Like many of 2020 and 2021’s trends, including increased flexibility with remote work, this was already growing slowly with time, but now thanks to the pandemic the BBB cites studies highlighting a significant jump to cashless modes of payments for increased safety. Whatever your preference may be as a business owner with regards to cash, card, Venmo, etc., you need to be prepared for these changes so as to not be caught off-guard and inadvertently limit payments from customers to your business.