Josh Kohlbach is CEO and founder of Rymera Web Co, the makers of Wholesale Suite.
Do you want to learn how to start scaling your startup? If so, you’re in the right place!
By now, you probably know that scaling your startup is an exciting but challenging phase in your journey. It’s the moment when your business is showing signs of growing, so you have to do everything you can to make sure you’re prepared for what’s to come.
Most people, myself included, see this as a ‘make-or-break’ moment. You need to seize the opportunity and make meaningful changes to what you’ve built so you can continue to grow your customer base, brand, and sales.
The thing is, this is often easier said than done. That’s why today, I’m going to share a few actionable and effective strategies that will help you take your startup to the next level.
Let’s dive in!
Look for Opportunities to Automate.
One of the best ways to prepare your company for rapid growth is to find tasks that can be automated.
I firmly believe automation needs to be a cornerstone strategy for every business leader or marketer who is interested in growing their brand. That’s because it saves time and allows you and your team to focus your energy on other, more important tasks, like marketing, planning, and product development.
The first thing you should do to get started is identify repetitive tasks in your startup, such as invoicing, social media marketing, and even some instances of customer support. Next, you’ll need to do a little research and find tools that focus on the specific automation workflows you need.
There are a ton of options out there to choose from, so take your time, read reviews, and make sure you pick the right tool for the job.
For me, there’s no question that investing in automation will give you the time and space you need to start scaling up your startup.
Hire with Intention.
As your business grows, you’ll need additional skills and bandwidth to keep up with all the changes. However, hiring recklessly can lead to a bloated, inefficient team, which will do way more harm than good.
So, be sure to expand your team intentionally by focusing on the roles that are essential and will drive growth.
You’ll want to focus on finding people who fit your culture, have specific skills to offer, and are just as eager to see the company grow as you are. Finding these types of people will ensure that every new hire contributes to your plan to scale rather than just maintaining the status quo.
Before you start hiring, it’s important to assess your current team’s strengths and weaknesses. Identify gaps that are holding you back from scaling, such as marketing, sales, or product development, and consider how many specialists you’ll need in those areas.
For example, if you’re struggling with customer acquisition, you could probably benefit from a growth marketer. The key thing to remember is you need to ease into this process so you don’t overhire.
Scale Your Customer Acquisition Strategy.
Scaling your startup means, you guessed it, you need a steady flow of new customers. Relying on word-of-mouth or inconsistent marketing campaigns won’t cut it. You need an acquisition strategy that is both scalable and repeatable so your customer base grows right alongside your business.
My advice is to start analyzing your current customer acquisition channels, like social media, paid ads, SEO, and content marketing. Figure out what’s working, what isn’t, and where you have room to grow.
Focus your time and resources on the channels that have proven to be the most cost-effective, and start thinking about how you can scale those efforts. For example, if your YouTube Shorts are drawing in traffic and customers, consider expanding to Instagram, TikTok, or both.
I also suggest tracking metrics like Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) and Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) so you can make sure your new strategies are delivering a positive return on investment.
In my experience, the peace of mind you get from this strategy makes it a must-have for businesses across all industries.
Focus on Customer Retention.
So, we know that acquiring new customers is crucial for long-term growth, but I would argue that retaining existing customers is just as important, perhaps even more important.
Think of it this way: if you’re losing people just as quickly as you’re gaining them, then you’re not really scaling up; you’re just staying in place.
That’s not even to speak of the benefits that come with retaining customers.
For one thing, repeat customers are more cost-effective and tend to spend more than first-time shoppers. They are also more likely to tell others about their experience and share valuable feedback that you can use to improve products, content, and more as you scale your business, which translates to more happy customers.
And happy customers tend to spend more time on your site and refer people who’ve never heard of your business. Basically, the cycle repeats, and you’ll start to build a group of loyal customers who come back time and time again.
My best advice here is to work on a retention strategy that uses a mix of personalized outreach, customer loyalty programs, and unbeatable customer service.
Final Thoughts
Scaling your startup doesn’t happen overnight, but by focusing on the strategies I’ve outlined today, you can begin making significant strides toward reaching your goals.
Take things one step at a time, and always analyze your on-site data and customer feedback. This information will help you determine what’s working and what you can do to turn your startup into a business that people will love for years to come.