How to grow your business: 11 key strategies

Growing a profitable company is a rewarding journey. Any business owner knows that success is amplified if you have the right support from the outset. Whether you’re looking to increase your physical footprint, expand product research, or evolve your legacy systems to incorporate AI-driven tech, you can use these 11 tips to explore how to grow your business.

Table of contents

• 1. Improve your customer experience
• 2. Build a sales funnel
• 3. Connect with your customers
• 4. Thrive on industry connections and referrals
• 5. Promote your email list
• 6. Gain recognition
• 7. Embrace new technologies
• 8. Build and maintain an online presence
• 9. Explore different markets or customer bases
• 10. Hire the right people
• 11. Track your progress
• Access the capital you need to grow with National Business Capital

1. Improve your customer experience

While your website might be a customer’s first impression of your business, your customer service will be their first point of contact, making that experience a vitally important part of your business strategy.

Customers want to feel heard, so listen actively and respond. Pay attention to online reviews – a great source of information to learn how customers perceive your business.  Set up targeted campaigns with personalized discounts for the products they purchase the most.

You can also put in the extra effort to send handwritten appreciation notes to your most loyal customers on birthdays and holidays. No matter how you do it, this thorough approach to learning about customers will offer great insight into what you can do better to improve your business and increase profit potential.

2. Build a sales funnel

A sales funnel is a marketing tool that illustrates – through a step-by-step process – where a customer is in your buying process. This process might start with a simple social media post that links to a landing page that offers the customer an opportunity to sign up for a newsletter.

Once the customer is on your email list, you can send advertisements. But, more importantly, you’ll be able to craft regular, relevant, interesting updates to nurture connections with customers. This is a proven and effective way to slowly generate a strong ROI on your email marketing and, as a result, grow your business.

3. Connect with your customers

People want to know you’re listening, so review your customers’ profiles, order histories, and buying habits. Too many businesses fail simply because they don’t listen to their audience.

Surveys are a great way to connect. Ask them questions about the following topics:

• How have their recent experiences been with your team?
• What do they think you can do better as a company?
• Which other services or new products would they like to see you offer in the future?

In addition to unsolicited online reviews, this survey feedback could lead to even more business growth and give you new insights that you never considered.

4. Thrive on industry connections and referrals

Referral programs are one of the most important factors in growing a small business. They aren’t only easy to get; they’re also generally the easiest customers to close. Because your network understands your business model, the leads they refer tend to be better customers, too.

It may even make sense to develop an affiliate program, allowing interested customers to sign up for personalized links. This way, they can refer people to your website and earn rewards in the process.

Some of your best leads might end up coming from other companies, such as other small business owners catering to similar audiences with products that don’t directly compete with yours. Set up a collaborative promotion, such as an online contest or a local event, to attract more customers than either brand would on its own. It’s a great way to expand your customer base, and it’s a win-win for both you and your industry connection.

5. Promote your email list

If you really want to know how to grow your business, it could easily start with your email list. These are people who willingly offered you their email addresses, so it’s an easy lead to take advantage of and a simple way to overcome a plateau with information you already have.

According to MarketingSherpa, 91% of the people already doing business with you want to receive promotional emails. With email marketing tools like MailChimp, this can be completely free – so don’t miss it.

6. Gain recognition

Another easy way to build small business growth is by simply letting others know that your company is good at what it does. Do that by looking into local and national business awards, and apply to any for which your company is eligible.

Getting recognized as the “best of” in a local category, voted as a top place to work, or included in a high-profile blogger’s roundup of small businesses in your niche distinguishes your business as special, piquing your audience’s curiosity.

7. Embrace new technologies

It’s 2025, and some businesses still don’t realize that efficiency drives growth and cuts costs. In fact, according to a survey by Act!, 45% of small businesses still rely on paper records.

Switching to cloud-based business apps reduces errors and enables collaboration by bringing your most important information together in one place, where it can be updated and shared in real time.

8. Build and maintain an online presence

Claim your Google My Business profile to increase brand visibility in local and mobile searches. Fill in all the details completely, including contact information and hours of operation. Add pictures of your location, your team, and anything else you think will generate interest. You can also post updates and special offers to attract interest based on limited-time deals.

Do the same with your profile on LinkedIn, as this makes it easier for other business owners to find you and reach out to network.

9. Explore different markets or customer bases

Figuring out how to grow a small business isn’t always about staying in your lane. Sometimes, you might need to get creative and think about how you can approach a different vertical – or even tap into a new customer base.

Is there a way you can reposition your product or service to attract an entirely new group of people? Maybe there are gaps in your marketing that, with just a slight tweak, could totally change your business. Get creative.

10. Hire the right people

Without the right people on board, your business has no chance in the long term. You might be able to get by with a bad hire here or there. But, eventually, a poor hiring process will catch up with you.

Your hiring managers and HR leaders should have a clear understanding of the type of people you want on board. If they don’t, you should sit down with everyone and lay out exactly what you are looking for in a team member. Without that type of clarity, your hiring process will be inconsistent at best.

11. Track your progress

What specifically is the goal for your business? Break it down even more – what is your goal today, this week, this year, and five years from now? You need to know if your effort and strategy are making a difference. Without specific, measurable goals, you’re just floating day to day without any clear destination.

If you haven’t already, be clear and upfront about KPIs with everyone in your organization. Your team needs to know the standard they’re trying to reach, so it’s up to you to communicate with your employees about this crucial information.

Access the capital you need to grow with National Business Capital

Ultimately, learning how to grow your business starts with you. If it all feels a little overwhelming, you can rely on our expert business advisors at NBC to help you develop a growth plan. When you put that plan in motion and lay out the vision to your team, you’ll start the process of bringing healthy change to your company.

We offer options for small business loans and a line of credit to help you take that first big step. Apply online using our digital application.