No business is an island unto itself. Indeed, no matter how small or self-sufficient a company is, business owners can always find ways to leverage outside resources to improve performance. The good news is, it’s never been easier to find specialized products and services that can assist in business development. On that note, ambitious entrepreneurs can use any of these three techniques to build a better, more productive enterprise:
Freelance Assistance
We live in the era of the side hustle. Many professionals prefer the freedom and autonomy a freelance career promises as opposed to the more structured, traditional nine-to-five setup. This is actually great news for growing businesses as well. Rather than having to hire full-time employees that aren’t truly needed on a full-time basis, or contracting a web development company at a premium rate, entrepreneurs can reach out to talented freelancers on an as-needed basis. Copywriters, website designers, and SEO experts are all available on many trustworthy freelance platforms. If you’ve been hesitant to bring in a freelancer in the past, now might be the time to reconsider.
Industry-Specific Financing
Securing a business loan from the bank is a more difficult process than most inexperienced professionals realize. What’s more, you’ll be hard-pressed to find any bank that will give an SBA loan to a startup. However, that doesn’t mean business owners can’t get a loan when they most need it. In fact, there are a number of alternative lenders that will gladly provide companies with the capital they need to complete projects or expand their operation. Additionally, many of these lenders offer custom loans designed for specific industries. Note, though, that alternative lenders typically charge higher interest rates than banks –– so only apply for loans that you can confidently pay back!
Niche Products
In the past, massive corporations produced cookie-cutter solutions that smaller businesses were more or less forced to utilize. Now though, many startups exist solely to cater to the needs of other businesses. This means that there are more niche products designed with specific uses in mind than ever before. It doesn’t matter if you’re looking for a POS system designed for pharmacies or high-pressure homogenizers for cannabis products –– if you need it, rest assured that someone is selling.
The Bottom Line
Complacency is the enemy of business success. And business owners need to realize that the way they’ve been doing things might not be the best way to run their company. Simply opening your mind to the possibilities specialized products and services provide, though, can give your business a massive advantage over competitors who are still stuck in the 20th century.
