When you think of a business growing, what comes to mind?  More than likely images of increased production, bigger profits, more sales, hired employees, rigorous marketing campaigns, and the addition of wholesale accounts all come to mind.

But, when it comes to business growth, there’s really no one size fits all approach. What works for one expanding brand may not take yours to the next level.  I think many of us creative entrepreneurs have taken a look around, seen how others have grown, and thought, ‘well, I guess those are the next steps I must take as well.’  But, chances are, they’re not.

The freelance graphic designer needs a growth strategy vastly different than the letterpress stationery studio.  The vegan cupcake baker will employ an approach contrary to that of the custom wedding dress designer.  A specialty fabric shop owner needs a strategy greatly varied from that of an artist of fine paintings.

You get the idea.

There’s no magic bullet. No mysterious formula. No single secret waiting to be revealed.

To grow a business, sustainably and successfully, we must look at the business model first and then develop a thoughtful, meaningful approach.

This means that we’ve got to take what we have programmed in our minds as to how a business “should” grow and toss it out the window. Instead, let’s carefully analyze our business – the core concept, the vision, the scalability – and ask ourselves difficult questions.

For example, we may come to realize that wholesale does not, in fact, work for our brand. It may not be the best path for exposure and expansion.  Instead, we may focus on fine-tuning our position in the niche market we’ve targeted by offering custom work (my blog article last month discusses wholesale a little more in depth).  We may see that we don’t necessarily need to make more items to make more profit.  Instead, we might need to improve upon our items and sell at a higher price point (Isa has written a fantastic post on Making Less But Selling More).  We may reconsider our marketing techniques of newsletters and blog ads (that may very well reach many folks) but instead focus on strategies that really connect with those truly interested in our brand.

All in all, we need to find what’s right and true for us, for our own brands. I think that, itself, is a large measurement of growth!

I’d really love to hear your thoughts and experiences on growing your business – difficulties you’ve faced, successes you’ve found.  There is so much to learn from hearing each other’s stories.

What have been your experiences of growing your business?

Allisa is the dreamer and designer behind the Allisa Jacobs line of handbags and accessories. She delights in the process of making- sketch to finish and has just launched a beautiful new bridal collection.  Allisa also enjoys sharing her entrepreneurial insights as a business coach, empowering others with their creative small businesses.