Are you a small business owner looking to secure long-term success?  It's no secret that the world of entrepreneurship can be tough, and you’ll face many challenges and obstacles along the way. However, with the right strategies in place, you can set your business up for sustained growth and profitability.  In this article, GAP Consulting explores how you can ensure the longevity of your small business.

​Having a clear vision of what you want your business to achieve is essential for success.  Make sure you have a plan that outlines how you will reach your goals and objectives.  This plan should include short- and long-term strategies, as well as ways to measure progress along the way.

​Working with a business consultant can greatly increase your chances of long-term business success. A consultant can provide an outside perspective on your business, pinpoint areas of improvement, and create a customized plan to help reach your goals.  They have experience and knowledge in various industries and can offer valuable insights and strategies to increase efficiency and profitability.  By partnering with a consultant like GAP Consulting, you can take proactive steps towards achieving long-term success for your business.

​Marketing is important for any business, but it becomes even more essential when you’re running a small business.  Revisiting your marketing plan on a regular basis keeps it relevant and up-to-date with current trends and customer needs.  It’s also important to make sure that your marketing efforts are reaching the right people so that you can maximize ROI (return on investment).

​Are you looking to build better relationships with your customers by getting a deeper understanding of who they are and what they really need?  Utilizing a CDP - customer data platform - is the key.  A CDP allows businesses to perform analysis on data across different sources, such as web, mobile and email interactions.  This provides organizations of all sizes with actionable insights about their customers.

Through advanced analytics and machine learning capabilities, businesses are now able to better understand customer behavior, preferences, and current trends and patterns, which can all be used to optimize product recommendations and provide a more personalized customer experience.

​Automation and AI processes offer businesses transformative solutions for long-term success.  With automated systems, businesses can increase productivity, reduce errors, and streamline operations.  AI, on the other hand, allows for personalized customer experiences and data-driven decision making.
 
Take a look at software that implements these technologies together, so that businesses can achieve sustainable growth and remain competitive in a rapidly advancing digital landscape. Embracing automation and AI is not a choice but a necessity to thrive in today's economy.

​Customer service is one of the most important aspects of running a successful small business. Make sure that you prioritize customer service by providing prompt responses to inquiries, addressing complaints quickly and efficiently, and offering quality products and services at competitive prices.  Doing so will create loyal customers who will come back again and again.

​Cash flow management is critical for any small business because if cash flow runs dry then operations may grind to a halt.  Make sure your expenses are tracked closely each month so that bills are paid on time.  Use invoicing software, negotiate better payment terms with vendors, and take advantage of supplier discounts.  Lastly, look into additional funding, if needed.  All these will help ensure that your cash flow remains stable over time.
 
A great way to stay on top of your cash flow is by using accounting software.  This keeps track of income and expenses and saves you time in filing taxes.  A reliable accounting platform could save you hours upon hours and significantly reduce human error in bookkeeping.

​With proper planning and execution of the strategies outlined above, small business owners such as yourself will be able to secure long-term success.  Proper cash flow management will further ensure that your small business remains profitable and sustainable over time.  Now you’re well on your way to achieving substantial growth and success. 

Below we have a guest post on the ins and outs of starting a home business.  The article is both helpful and informative.  It was provided by Ivy Crawford of CreativeHomeBiz.com.  Enjoy!

Is It The Right Time to Start a Home Business?

You may have been mulling over a home-business idea for a while.  Home-based businesses are convenient and cheap to start.  They could also make you a lot of money.  Still, they are a major time, money, and work investment, meaning you don’t want to make mistakes. Are you truly ready to begin? Or should you postpone your plan of action?
GAP Consulting answers your questions on whether the time is right to start your own home business:

Do You Have the Right Idea?
Your business idea needs to be solid – the success and failure of your business hinges on it. Penpoin offers some hallmarks of a solid idea: it’s profitable, innovative, solves a problem, has a USP, has substantial demand, and will stand the test of time.

Are Market Conditions Supportive?
Local market conditions should allow your product or service to gain traction.  Look for market trends, customer expectations, competitor activity, the state of the economy, government regulations, and other factors.  Doing thorough market research will work in your favor.

Where is the Money Going to Come From?
You need seed money to conceptualize your product or service.  Furthermore, experts recommend that you have enough to keep your business running for three to six months (even if you don’t turn a profit immediately).  The Small Business Association explains that you will need a concrete funding strategy, whether that’s borrowing, applying for grants, or using your savings.

How are You Going to Make Money?
Besides funding, you also need an appropriate business model or monetization strategy.  This would be something that matches your idea to the market and doesn’t overshoot your budget.  It also includes concrete short-term, mid-term, and long-term goals that make your business profitable.  Gist offers advice on choosing a model.  Writing a business plan is highly recommended.

Have You Read Up on Taxation?
Businesses in the US are heavily taxed.  You will need to comply or be hit with fines.  You can reduce some of the taxation burdens by operating under an LLC structure.  For instance, LLCs are only taxed on their share of the profits, making it an ideal option if you want to pay less without sacrificing legal protection.  States have their own rules around LLC formation, so look into how to start an LLC in California and be sure to check the requirements before moving ahead.  You can register your LLC yourself for free, hire a lawyer (expensive), or use a formation service (cheaper). 

Are You Ready to Make Marketing Your Forte?
Marketing is everything in business – even an average idea with above-average marketing can be successful.  You will need to get good at marketing.  Digital marketing is essential, but you can’t neglect more traditional marketing methods either.
For instance, a business card leaves a lasting impression, is more visible than email, and gives stakeholders something tangible to remember you by.  You can even use free online templates to design personalized business cards yourself.  It’s as easy as adding images or text, setting a font, and choosing a nice color scheme.
If you would like some help getting your marketing campaigns started, then contact GAP Consulting to set up a consultation.

Take the Leap
​Keep in mind that conditions may never be perfect, so don’t wait for that.  Some of the most successful companies in the world started during a recession.  Arguably, more than anything else, your persistence and willingness to learn will see you through and make your business successful.  Sometimes good enough is enough.  
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Image via Unsplash

Been getting a lot of email and other marketing lately that tell of the coming "slap" by Google that will penalize your site for ranking if it isn't mobile friendly?  Well, if you are a client of ours at GAP Consulting, breathe a little easier - because we build you a mobile site when we create your main one.  Your mobile site is set up to receive and transfer the important information and images to small hand-held devices, so you are good to go!  

Not sure if your current site is mobile friendly?  Take your cell and try to pull it up!  It should load quickly and be in a format that is easy to read on your phone or tablet/notebook.  If it isn't, then you might want to do something about it.

Give us a call or hit up our contact page and we can test it for you.  Maybe it's time for you to upgrade to a GAP Consulting site and get 2 for 1!

I saw this article, and thought I'd pass it along.  -Gregg

Loyal customers can be a company's biggest advocates, so it pays to undertake special efforts to understand and accommodate the people who buy your product or service, writes customer-loyalty consultant and author Chip Bell.  Bell recommends encouraging customer feedback, ensuring quality and safety, inviting your customers to participate in meaningful ways, and occasionally surprising your most loyal customers with special perks.  ENTREPRENEUR ONLINE

GAP Consulting has become a partnering broker with YEXT, the premier local directory listing and management service on the internet!  We are happy to now extend these services to our clients to better establish their consistent and complete internet presence for their potential customers.
Call or email us and ask how these comprehensive services can help you get more clients!

I came across this article and graphic...and found it to be very descriptive and useful.  Check it out! - Gregg

Welcome to the new GAP Consulting website!  I hope you like the new format, it's a simpler and cleaner design.

Thanks to all our clients for your continued support and referrals!  

- Gregg Ponath, Founder of GAP Consulting