3 Areas of Focus to Grow your Business in 2024
The business landscape is more competitive than ever, and it has become harder to grow your business. Throughout the last 25 years in the Smoky Mountain tourism industry, success has become harder to come by. Let’s change this!
Before the new millennium, Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, and Gatlinburg looked different. Since then, we’ve battled a recession, a historic wildfire, another recession, and a wave of new businesses to compete with. Now our county looks different, and the way we operate our businesses has changed too.
With decades of adversity, local small business owners are also navigating new marketing streams and hiring practices that didn’t exist in the 20th century. Technology and social media have transformed the way we advertise and conduct business. It can be overwhelming!
Can you believe a quarter of this century is almost behind us? Let’s make this the best year yet! As you plan to grow your business in 2024, we’re sharing our top 3 areas to focus on:
Marketing
Marketing Plan
The best way to maximize your marketing efforts is to build a marketing plan. A marketing plan is an organized way to spend the money you allow to attract customers. Without one, you risk overspending or underspending. Both can have disastrous results for a small business.
Marketing Budget
Whether sales are up or down, business owners always seem to cut the marketing budget. When seeking to spend less to maximize profits, the marketing budget is the first expense business owners cut. It is difficult to grow your business if you don’t have an adequate marketing budget.
Cutting the marketing budget isn’t the best move if your business isn’t seeing growth. Instead, employ focused marketing tactics. By utilizing a focused marketing strategy, you can reach your target audience and receive the greatest return on investment. From there, branch out as your budget allows.
Abbey Dovey supports our clients with sales, and she identifies the optimal services for each one. Contact Abbey to discuss your vision for 2024 and allow her to suggest the best tactics for your marketing budget.
Online Presence
Your brand’s online presence is vital. It is the number one way for new customers to find you. Whether it be social media or your website, new clients are taking to the internet to find what they need. Search engines are driving the economy, even at a local level.
Website
Outdated websites can act against you, deterring customers and sending them to a competitor’s site. Current and fresh website content is important to your search engine ranking! This is something you can do yourself, although we recommend working with a professional for the best result. Could you benefit from partnering with a local copywriter?
Our copywriter, Amy Morton, has spent her entire career in the Smoky Mountain tourism industry. She understands our unique business landscape and loves to tell our clients’ stories. Amy can write regular blog posts and optimize content for your website so new customers discover your amazing brand! Contact Amy to learn more.
Boost your website’s search engine optimization (SEO) to gain more clients. Whether you update your current site or start from scratch, a strong website is one of the most important things you can do to grow your business in 2024.
Social Media
Does your business need TikTok? Social media can make or break your brand. We shared the top social media trends for 2023, and they still apply to 2024. Your company is unique, so there isn’t a one-size solution for social media marketing. With so many new businesses in the Smoky Mountains, a solid social media presence is more important than ever. It’s one of the most effective ways to grow your business, and you can invest as little or as much into it as you desire.
Hiring a social media specialist is one of those trends that will never go away. Social media has grown into a giant, and hiring a dedicated social media specialist can give your business the upper hand against competitors.
Increasing your social media budget is another trend that won’t go away, although small businesses may not have the budget to fill a new position. If your company needs help with its social media presence, we can help! Our social media strategist, Hannah Glover, works with clients like you to grow their businesses. Contact Hannah to make a customized plan to grow your business in 2024 with social media.
Online Reviews
Sites like Yelp and TripAdvisor started the trend of online reviews. Search engines like Google gave customers another platform for sharing experiences. Then, social media provided yet another layer of reviews for the curious and potentially new client. While people are planning a trip to the Smoky Mountains, they are checking reviews for your business. What will they find?
Great online reviews can boost your business. There are many tactics for improving your brand’s online reviews. Boosting your reputation is one of the most affordable ways to grow your business. The tactics are simple, although the process can be time-consuming. Read more about getting great online reviews and craft a plan to improve your company’s online reputation.
Human Resources
Build a Great Team
Your team is the face of your brand. If you’re looking to grow your business, start by building a great team. A staff who provides customers with the best experience will produce organic and lasting growth.
Building a great team will give you a competitive edge over your rivals, but our unique market has hiring hurdles. With so many new businesses, the hiring pool is drying up into a severe drought. That pool was already limited due to a lack of affordable housing in the area. Even with improvements to the housing crisis, finding enough quality candidates is harder than ever.
The key to building a great team in this environment is to retain your best employees. Provide them with a positive and rewarding work environment to reduce turnover. How can you improve your company’s work environment?
Human Resource Management
Human resource practices are about much more than hiring and firing. Understanding the value of HR and strengthening your practices will lead to hiring better candidates, retaining them, and ultimately providing a better experience to your customers. Human resource management plays a vital role in your company’s success! Dive more in-depth here.
Your marketing campaigns and positive online presence work to get customers in your door. After that, it’s your team’s job to keep the customer coming back. Repeat business can only be achieved when customers receive products and services that meet their expectations. Even more so, exceeding those expectations will grow your business at a faster rate. Marketing and human resources are connected, and the businesses that understand this relationship will see the largest growth.
Employee Absenteeism
Employee absenteeism is a real issue, and it can counteract your other efforts for growth. From employee morale to your bottom line, your growth will suffer if your employees are missing work regularly. Why do employees miss work? The underlying issues can be stalling your growth. Correct and prevent this issue to see a big difference in your team’s morale and productivity. Overcome it with these tips.
Grow your Business in 2024 with Kellum Creek Business Solutions
Want even more ideas for growing your business? Sign up for our free Kellum University newsletter to receive training, news, information, and more delivered right to your inbox. You’ll also receive a digital copy of our latest our e-guide, “Seven Proven Ways to Attract New Clients to Your Small Business.”
If you’re struggling to grow your business, start by building a strategic business plan. This activity is an excellent way to organize your thoughts and find the necessary focus to grow your business. Also, join your local chamber of commerce, like the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce, to take advantage of education and networking opportunities. We’ll see you at those events!
We would love to be a part of that growth! Let’s make 2024 your best year yet. Kellum Creek Business Solutions is a local company in Sevierville, and our team is dedicated to helping other small businesses grow and thrive. We offer a suite of services to help grow your business. It’s time to build the business that others envy!
Our stellar staff of professionals are ready to help. We assist small businesses with human resources, public relations, and marketing. Meet our team here!
You’ve got a good thing going; we can help fill in the blanks. If you are struggling to master any of the topics in this article, contact us to schedule a free consultation. Getting started is easy! Click here.
Authored in Appalachia || Amy Morton