4 Crucial Mistakes to Avoid as Your Small Business Grows

As an entrepreneur or small business owner, you're probably used to a very slim margin for error. Without the deep pockets and seemingly endless resources that more established companies have, we need to plan ahead, adapt easily, and be deliberate in the decisions we make. Because not doing so can lead to costly mistakes that hinder the growth we seek.

In fact, maintaining a "small business" mindset ultimately helps businesses realize their full potential and grow beyond all expectations while staying true to their origins and their purpose. Here are four common mistakes entrepreneurs make when trying to grow their business.

1. Don't let your customer relationships suffer.

I try to shop at my local independent grocery store when I can. Although the selection may not be as plentiful as the supermarket around the corner, I know the names of all the cashiers and vice versa, and they have items ordered especially for me at my request.

These connections to the small business community aren't exclusive to physical businesses! Imagine you have purchased a monthly coffee subscription and each month a fresh one pound bag of coffee arrives at your doorstep. Receiving a personalized email explaining why that particular variety was chosen for you based on previous preferences you communicated makes the experience much more special than buying a random bag of coffee from the grocery store.

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People love small businesses because of their personal touch. So if you're a small business owner looking to scale your operations or offerings, be sure to make meaningful customer interactions a top priority, regardless of where or how you provide customer service. .

2. Don't spread yourself too thin.

I remember when I started my first company I felt like I was always being pulled in a million different directions: should I move on to creating content today marketing, fulfilling orders, contacting local media or innovative? These questions plague small business owners – especially the thousands of businesses that are comprised entirely of one to two employees.

One ​​potential solution is to invest in automation. With only 24 hours a day, the value found in automating processes such as order fulfillment or email marketing can outweigh the costs of these tools. Seemingly every multinational is in a race to see how much of their business they can automate, and as a result many of the machine learning and artificial intelligence innovations they have accomplished have trickled down and become available for small businesses.

For example, collecting data about your customers has never been easier. The hard part is acting on it! Constant Contact research shows that one in five small businesses do not use automation, AI or machine learning of any kind. Don't let your business remain a minority, stuck in a bygone era. Consider the tools and programs at your disposal to help you unpack consumer data and inform business decisions, and ultimately save you time trying to make those decisions on your own.

3. Don't try to grow your business without a plan.

I remember when someone first told me that I should "expect the unexpected" as a small business owner, I rolled my eyes so much! As I started to spend more time growing my businesses, I realized why it was so popular: Preparing your small business for the challenges of its journey will make it stronger in the long run, even if you can feel like you're sacrificing profit.

A solid business plan will balance prioritizing innovation and growth while moving forward at a healthy and sustainable pace. Regardless of how ready a small business owner may be to expand their business or go public and sell the business within a month of profits in the green, putting the Successful scale of a business cannot be artificially accelerated. Growth is a process and must be taken day by day.