Apart from maybe finding the one and bring a child into this world, nothing in this life feels sweeter than biting the bullet, leaping into the unknown, launching your own retail brand and getting it to a point where surviving has been swapped out to thriving thanks to a queue of customers bursting through your doors on a regular basis.
The problem is, you’re in unfamiliar territory and you’ve found yourself having to adjust your mindset. Instead of having your survival head on, you’re now faced with the totally new question of, “what now?” which is basically an ambiguous way of asking the universe how you can push things further and take your business to the next level.
That’s where we have some good news because you’re in the right place. Below we’re going to explore all the various ways you can expand your retail brand and start riding the good time wave all the way into Successville.
Add Another Location, Man
With so many amazing brands pushing for a bigger slice of the online pie, one of the biggest, most terrifying and possibly most lucrative ways you can grow is by opening a store in another location. Not only will this widen your brand presence in the real-world and wrap a net around more customers, it will push more people into your online offering too. Just make sure you launch strategy right.
Perfect Process, Terrific Tech
Nothing is going to bring your business down faster than not having the right processes in place, which is why you need to make sure this core part of your business is absolutely watertight. That means using a payment processor that will help you expand, in which this BlueSnap review should answer the few questions you have.
Another thing to focus on is using the same software and hardware to run your stores, which won’t just make your business much more manageable, it will help you train new employees too.
Whatever processes you currently use, scrutinize them, analyse them and make sure they will cope with expansion because you don’t want to be caught with your pants down when it’s too late and miss out on converting that new business.
Look At Other Sales Channels
The internet world has given retailers an entirely new universe to explore, it’s just about knowing what is out there so that you can make the best decision. First and foremost, you need to give your customers the ability to buy from your website directly. Trust us, ecommerce will boost your revenue in ways you never thought possible.
But don’t stop there. Open your store on as many online marketplaces as you can – Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Shopify etc. – as well as exploring social media platforms too, which are fast becoming the place to sell. Another thing you might want to consider is having your own app. You may think you are too small for this right now, but it is the future, so get ahead of the curve.