4 Areas of Business You Should be Investing In
Though you may be able to start a business with little to no capital, the only way to keep it running is to invest in its development. As the saying goes, “you get out of it what you put in”, if you want to have a successful business, you must be willing to invest in quality products, services, and processes. This often requires a clear understanding of which areas of your business will yield the highest return on investment.
There are phases of running a business where cash isn’t readily available to invest in growth and development. During those times, companies looking at both offline and online business financing options from banks and online lenders to tide them over. Financial resources like small business loans, credit cards, and lines of credit, essentially provide organizations with the upfront cash they need. While the amount you can borrow will depend upon your personal and business financial background and ability to repay what’s borrowed. When approved many take the funds and invest in areas of business that include:
Marketing
Marketing is an area of business that should be continually invested in. Essentially, marketing is the ability to advertise your products and services to your target audience. Effective marketing helps to build credibility, it separates you from the competition, it helps businesses to gain and retain customers and provides a platform for companies of all sizes to build a deeper connection with their audiences.
Without marketing, gaining new customers or even expanding your brand’s reach is impossible. With marketing trends constantly changing it is recommended that you invest around 20% of your resources into marketing and monitor closely for necessary changes and new trends.
Accounting
More than half of all businesses fail within their first year of establishment. Though there are a lot of reasons that they aren’t successful, one of the main culprits is money and financial management. Not being able to secure the funds to operate a business and properly report and track that money could result in serious issues.
Without proper accounting entrepreneurs aren’t able to make informed financial or purchasing decisions, accurately forecast revenue, report finances to the IRS, properly pay staff, afford overhead costs, or consider expansion. Whether you invest in high-tech accounting software, hire someone in-house, or work with a freelance accountant, this is another area of business that should be invested in regularly.
Staffing
In the beginning stages of running a business, many entrepreneurs take on a bulk of the responsibilities as a means of saving money. Though this may prove beneficial at the beginning of the business, as roles expand and the business evolves, the need to have assistance at least on occasion is necessary. When funds are available to invest, hiring staff or assistance should be at the top of the list.
There are various ways to hire help no matter what your budget is. For those who have the capital to spend on in-house staff, setting up a systematic hiring process is ideal to get the team you need. For those who have less money to spend but still need help, hiring temporary staff or working with freelance contractors is an option that can save you money. Since you’ll only be paying for the time you needed their services it’s a lot less expensive than paying employer taxes, benefits, salaries and hiring someone full-time.
Customer Service
At the end of the day, the only way your business is successful is if you have customers willing and ready to purchase your products or services. If you’re not investing in quality customer service, you run the risk of losing your customers to the competition. Customers need to know that you value their business and are not simply trying to get a quick buck out of them. From improving software and customer experiences to training staff on how to engage and interact with customers, there are a lot of ways you can invest your company’s money that will ultimately generate a return.
No matter how successful your business may be at the moment, if you’re not continually looking for ways to grow and develop it, it will eventually fall by the wayside. Once you’ve found a way to secure funding for your business, make sure that you use those dollars wisely. Investing in marketing, accounting, staffing, and customer service are all surefire ways to ensure that your company continues to succeed.
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