What Small Businesses Need More of in 2023
The new year is just around the corner so I am reflecting not only on my own small business but also thinking about what my potential and current clients need in 2023. I want to have a clear idea of where we’ve been and where we are heading. Taking the time to review my business at the end of the year helps (read my blog on the topic here) and thinking through the feedback given to me by clients gives me a good idea of what’s to come.
It’s been a wild ride for small businesses these past few years. The shutdown of the pandemic, the pivot in service models, the shift toward online, the rebuilding for some, and unexpected growth for others. It’s been a lot, needless to say.
There were many exciting changes in 2022. During this past year, I saw a lot of small businesses leaning into authenticity, storytelling, and connecting in new ways with their audience. I saw many people leave their traditional jobs to leap onto their own paths. I also witnessed a lot of established businesses work toward building something new.
I also heard owners say that they were frustrated, confused, scattered, and stuck with marketing, operations, and/or their old clunky website. Their current systems were blocking them from moving ahead even though they felt ready to do so.
Based on my reviews, conversations, and research, it’s clear that there are shifts happening with what business owners need and there are gifts that service providers can bring to help ease those pains in the new year.
Here is what small businesses need more of in 2023.
Empowerment
This is in the #1 spot because I think it’s the most important and something I am seeing often. Business owners can feel disempowered by service professionals that are telling them they need to build this or buy that in order to be successful. It is true that business owners need tools to run their businesses, but they also need to know the whys and hows of their marketing, systems, website, etc. They get stuck in a hampster wheel where they have to rely on a service provider to make any updates or moves. It doesn’t have to be this way. They deserve the education and time spent training them. They should be able to make quick changes without having to pay someone or wait for their availability. They should understand what brand strategy is or how to read analytics. They should feel comfortable on the backend of their website where they can swap something out quickly. They should know what resources are available to them that best serve them. They want transparency and boundary setting. If you are a service provider for small businesses, I implore you to look for gaps in your service model. Don’t be afraid to empower your clients! If you are a small business owner who wants to feel empowered, I urge you to work with business partners who value that and have it embedded in their service model as well.
Peace and Calm
Brands want to feel more strategic and have more peace in their process. They want to move away from the chaos and move toward calm. A crucial step in building a calm business is the creation of internal and external processes and systems. I know how quickly small businesses can come together, especially with online businesses, and these execution tools and automation get missed. When they are missed, things can feel chaotic, reactionary, and crazy.
Internal is the backend steps the business needs to take to fulfill the client experience. Larger businesses have the luxury of having these operating procedures in place and having teams who can update them as they grow. Small businesses need these steps too! I’ll ask clients what their flow is and it’s typically pretty choppy. Some steps are clear, but others like service pricing or booking steps are all over the place. Client-facing external processes and systems are the user flow a client will experience online or within the four walls of a business. Those steps tend to be focused on first, but if you are missing a clear internal process, the client will feel it too.
Helping businesses strategize on these operation steps will be beneficial for them in the long run and can bring the peaceful energy they desire. I also love to see tools used to help with this. Honeybook is my favorite at the moment because it allows for a seamless experience on my end as well as my client’s end. The benefits of having strong systems in place allow for smooth execution and customer experience.
Focus on relationships
Entrepreneurship can be a lonely experience without supportive partnerships and cohorts. As far as service partnerships go, business owners no longer want to feel like just another cog in the wheel. It’s not enough to provide a quick turnaround for a project. People want connection again. They want to feel taken care of by trustworthy partners who want what’s best for them. They also want to connect with others who are experiencing the same things they are as a business owner. Not in a networking event kind of way, but in a friendship-building way. They want to talk about all that goes into business ownership with someone who faces the same joys and struggles. They want to learn from their peers and share valuable tools that work for them. They also are looking to have deeper relationships with their customers. They want to truly know who they are serving and show up as their authentic selves to their customers.
Offline marketing tools
I come to the table with 20 years of experience in integrated marketing, including an extended focus on offline marketing. There was an idea floating around a few years back that offline marketing was dead because of the uptick in digital marketing. That was absolutely not true then and remains untrue to this day. In order to build the desired connections with customers that businesses are looking for, it’s essential that they learn about all the offline marketing tools that are available to them. Not only to learn about what is available but also why and how to use the tools and tactics that can help them. I would love to see businesses engage with their local communities in ways that help build a strong foundation and drive deeper connections.
Well-rounded online presence education and support
There seems to be a lot of confusion around digital marketing, with many a business hanging their hat on social media platforms to build their business. With there being such a huge influencer business focus these past few years it can trap other types of small businesses into thinking that they need to behave the same way online. The systems work for influencers, but they don’t typically work for everyone else. There needs to be more education about this. Around all that is available online for small businesses. If the focus is turned away from playing the algorithm game on social platforms and more toward having an integrated, strong, and consistent brand presence online through all channels (website, social media profiles, advertising, business profiles, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), analytics, etc.), businesses stand a better chance of being discovered, engaging and converting visitors.
To my small business owner friends, do these points ring true to you? If so, make sure you are seeking education from people who have experience, who will treat you well, and who will continue to be a resource for you after you complete projects. Take the steps now to create a plan that includes relationship-building, clear communication, and education.
That’s really what so much of this comes down to. Educating small businesses is a win for everyone. It’s an important part of my business and I hope it becomes a crucial element within other service providers’ businesses as well as we move into the next few years. Especially as we see more people leave the corporate world to join the entrepreneurship world. There is so much knowledge to be shared from those large business work experiences while providing needed services to small businesses.
My focus with Lit Path Co. in 2022 was to create seamless internal and external processes and flow, launch my business, and work in alignment with website design and coaching clients. In 2023, I plan to add additional education tools for my clients and focus on the points mentioned above-empowerment, providing peace and calm, relationship building, and integrated marketing.
Here’s to a new year with new shifts in how we do business and connect with each other!
