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Growing Your Business

The 5 Steps to Grow Your Business

Build your business with our five growth steps. Each step includes guides, tools, templates and resources to help you successfully grow your business on your terms.

Grow Your Existing Base

Increase sales the easiest way.

It’s easier to get more out of your existing customer base than finding new customers. They already do business with you, and are familiar with your products and services. Often it’s easier than you think.

  • Identify customers that have the most potential
  • Make use of your customer data to predict needs
  • Focus on cross-selling and up-selling additional products & services
  • Offer new, convenient ways to buy
  • Build a loyalty program to increase frequency of purchasing

Learn the 5 steps that can lead to significant increase in profit

Five ways to increase profits calculator

Determine whether you can grow successfully at your current capacity

Seven Steps Growth Checklist
Additional Resources

Add a New Base

Look for brand new customers.

Determine the characteristics of your best customers and then find more of them. It could be new customers in your current market, or similar customers in new markets. Identify the best way to connect with them and develop a plan.

  • Leverage business apps to gain insights on your best customers and marketing channels that work
  • Build your business profile to promote your reputation and attract new customers
  • Leverage your existing customer base to spread word of mouth to create new work
  • Identify any strategic alliances or partnerships that could expand your customer base
  • Look to find customers in new markets – exporting to another country may be an option
  • Create a marketing plan to drive awareness and generate new leads

Grow your business by finding new customers

Six Ways to Find New Customers

Learn how to save if doing business internationally

How to Reduce the Impact of FX Changes
Additional Resources

Add New Products and Services

Uncovering the next big thing.

Successful businesses tend to find new products and services to offer customers, or new ways of delivering to the market. It could be complementary to what you already do, or totally new, and it doesn’t have to be the next billion dollar business. It could just be the next big thing in your industry or down your street.

  • Be customer centric by asking what is in it for the customer
  • Search, ask, listen and uncover ideas that you could apply in your business
  • Test the market with a trial or pilot
  • Determine if importing could uncover new opportunities

Learn how to boost capacity to meet the demands of growth.

How to Build and Improve Capability

Work out the different cost of buying vs leasing new equipment.

Buy or lease calculator
Additional Resources

Diversify

Looking past your current business.

If you think your business could benefit from other opportunities you are seeing in the market, then consider diversifying away from your core business. Find a new revenue stream with potential that complements your current operation for now, but could take over in years to come.

  • Investigate importing or representing other businesses in your industry
  • Explore franchising to grow your business
  • Identify new ways to sell, for example setting up a separate online business
  • Buy other businesses such as suppliers or competitors

Learn six easy steps how to grow by diversifying your business

Six Tactics to Diversify Your Business

Plan your business growth!

Growth Business Plan Template
Additional Resources

Be More Efficient

Boost your operating effectiveness.

You can grow internally by creating better margins, being faster at delivery, or having better systems and processes. Ultimately you’ll grow by being better than the competition.

  • Simplify invoicing and accounting by using integrated online software
  • Ensure staff have the right skills and expertise to maximize productivity
  • Use technology to improve delivery and communications
  • Focus on core competencies and eliminate waste
  • Track the flow of customers, products and sales to detect where improvements can be made
  • Review equipment and production efficiencies and update where necessary

Learn how to enhance business efficiency.

Eight Ways to Enhance Business Efficiency

Use the SWOT analysis tool to make better decisions regarding the future growth of your business.

Growth SWOT Template
Additional Resources

Get the Support You Need to Grow Your Business With Confidence

Your RBC Business Advisor will work with you to:

  • Understand your growth vision and business goals
  • Help you complete a sound business plan
  • Set up the right financial products and solutions to help you get where you want to be

Ready to Get Started?

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