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Running a business is like assembling a jigsaw. You decide what you’re going to create and then begin to build it, with each individual piece helping to contribute to a successful whole.
However, not all “pieces” are created equally. The business jigsaw is uneven; some pieces are far larger and more important than the others. Amongst these bigger pieces, there is one that stands above all: a piece so significant, that if it’s missing, there’s absolutely no way that the business can achieve its whole picture: you don’t have enough customers.
Establishing the reason for a lack of customers
You’ve been studying the books and the truth is clear: your business simply isn’t drawing enough customers to thrive. Upon this discovery, your first goal is to try and understand why this is the case. There are two overarching reasons most companies experience this problem:
- Lack of awareness – most commonly experienced by relatively young companies, a lack of awareness simply means that your business is not particularly prolific or well-known; your company has relatively few social media followers, there’s no press coverage, it receives low website impressions, no discussions on forums – essentially, you’re under the radar.
- Problems with the business – the business is visible and fairly well-known within its niche, but has developed a negative reputation, has numerous poor online reviews, or has received multiple complaints from concerned customers in the past.
There are other, more niche, business-specific reasons a company might experience a lack of customers but, for the most part, the majority of issues will fall under one of the above two umbrellas.
Determining the solutions to these problems
- If lack of awareness is the issue, then the solutions are actually relatively straightforward: it’s time to go on a promotional blitz and get your name out there. You may find it beneficial to work with a Google advertising agency who know how to help your business become more visible in an ever more crowded space and ensure that you can capture the attention of potential customers, create a buzz, and (eventually) help to build a strong customer base.
- Alternatively, if there are problems with the business, then your role is to be head troubleshooter. Look through customer complaints or read negative reviews to identify the core issues, then work backward to establish systems and processes that can rectify these issues. When your reparative measures are in place, you may also want to consider rebranding or relaunching your business; this helps to signify the start of a fresh era in your company’s history and draw customers back to the business.
Using bigger brands for recognition
Starting your own business is very risky, and when you’re not getting enough customers, recognition can start to seem like a problem. Taking up franchising opportunities might be a good way for you to turn things around. You don’t have total control over the business, but you’re getting a foot-in on how you should run your own business. Franchising opportunities can be great for getting experience, and you have a much more secure chance at running a successful business.
Improve Customer Service
One way to attract new customers is to offer a higher standard of service to the customers you already have. When your customers enjoy the customer service you offer, they’ll be far more likely to refer new customers to you. People value customer service so this can have a huge impact.
Customer service does not only mean customer facing practices, it also means customer experience which can be more or less affected by the quality of your place of business. Services such as commercial window cleaning, hospital wall protection, and professional floor waxing, will influence the reputation of your brand.
It might be a good idea to hire new people and attract better talent. That way, the improvements in service will be passed on to your customers. You can learn more about finding and holding onto the best employees by following the link provided.
To conclude
Business can often seem incredibly complicated, a 10,000 piece jigsaw that you’re trying to complete blindfolded. However, solving the biggest business problem of all, a lack of customers can actually be very simple: find the reason, then take action to resolve it. If you experience this issue in the future, then we hope choosing the relevant course of action as described above can help to solve the issue and set your business on the right path to a bright future.
