Growing a small business usually doesn’t take a big idea. It takes doing the boring stuff that brings in money, in the right order.
The 10 moves below are sorted from cheapest to most expensive. Start at the top. Most owners skip straight to paid ads and wonder where the money went.
10 ways to grow a small business (cheapest first)
1. Figure out where your money actually comes from
Before you grow anything, look at last quarter. Which customers, products or services brought in the most profit, not just the most sales? Which ones ate your time and paid peanuts?
You’ll almost always find a small group of customers worth more than everyone else combined. Do more of that. Quietly drop the rest.
If your books are a shoebox of receipts, fix that first. These tools for entrepreneurs start with free accounting that makes this easy.
2. Raise your prices
This is the fastest growth there is, and it costs $0. If you’re booked solid or nobody has ever pushed back on your price, you’re too cheap.
Raise prices on new customers first. Give existing ones a heads up and a date. Some will leave. The ones who stay pay for the ones who left, with less work.
3. Get found on Google for free
If you serve a local area, your Google Business Profile is the best free marketing you’ll ever get. It shows up when people search for what you do nearby.
Google Business Profile
Free local listing
- What it is
- Your business listing on Google Search and Maps.
- What it does for you
- Shows your hours, photos, phone number and reviews to nearby searchers, and lets them call or get directions in one tap.
- What it costs
- Free. Google says creating a profile and listing your business costs nothing.
- The catch
- You have to keep it updated. Wrong hours lose customers fast.
Worth it? Yes for any business with local customers. Do it today.
4. Ask every customer for a review
Reviews are what make a stranger pick you over the guy down the street. Ask everyone, right after the job is done, with a direct link so it takes 30 seconds.
One thing to know: Google’s review rules ban offering discounts, freebies or cash for reviews, and they also ban only asking the customers you know are happy. Ask everyone the same way and let the reviews land where they land.
5. Sell more to people who already buy
Getting a new customer costs way more than selling again to an old one. Follow up after every job. Offer the next service. Set up a simple rebooking reminder.
A loyalty perk works too: every fifth visit discounted, or a small credit for repeat orders. Keep it simple enough that you can track it on a spreadsheet.
6. Turn customers into a referral program
Happy customers already talk about you. Give them a reason to do it on purpose: a credit or a discount on their next order for every friend who buys.
Unlike reviews, rewarding referrals is fair game. You’re paying for a new customer, not an opinion.
7. Team up with businesses that serve the same people
A wedding photographer and a florist want the same customers. So do a dog groomer and a pet sitter. Swap referrals, share a booth at a local event, or bundle your services.
It costs a coffee and a conversation. Pick partners whose customers you’d actually want.
8. Sell online
If customers can’t buy from you at 11 p.m. on their phone, you’re leaving money on the table. How you do it depends on what you sell.
Shopify
If you sell products
- What it is
- An online store builder with checkout and payments built in.
- What it does for you
- Puts your products online so people can order any time, and syncs with your in-person sales if you want.
- What it costs
- Basic is $39 a month, or $29 a month paid yearly. Shopify’s page shows 3 days free, then $1 a month for 3 months. Online card rates start at 2.9% + 30 cents.
- The catch
- Paid themes and apps add up, and using a different payment processor costs an extra 2% per sale.
Worth it? Yes if you sell physical or digital products and want orders while you sleep.
Bluehost
If you sell a service
- What it is
- Web hosting with WordPress set up for you.
- What it does for you
- Gets you a real site where people can read about your services, see your work and book or call.
- What it costs
- Starter is $3.99 a month on a 36 month term, then $9.99 a month at renewal. Free domain the first year.
- The catch
- You pay three years up front for that price, and building the site is on you.
Worth it? Only if you’ll keep the site current. A dead site with old prices hurts more than no site.
9. Hand off the work you hate
Your time is the bottleneck. If you’re doing your own bookkeeping, social posts and scheduling at night, that’s time you’re not selling.
Start small: a freelancer for a few hours a week on Upwork (on its free Basic plan, Upwork adds up to 7.99% to what you pay), or invoicing software that chases late payers for you. Here’s how the invoicing apps compare.
Hire someone part time only when the work is steady and you know exactly what they’ll do.
10. Then, and only then, spend on growth
Paid ads, a bigger team, a storefront. These can work, but they magnify whatever you’ve already got. If your reviews are thin and your prices are too low, ads just burn money faster.
Thinking about moving out of the garage? Read these tips before renting your first office so a lease doesn’t eat the growth you just earned.
What not to do
Don’t take on debt to grow something that isn’t profitable yet. Skip chasing every new social platform. Don’t discount so hard that your best customers learn to wait for sales.
And don’t try all 10 at once. Pick two from the top of the list, give them a month, and check your numbers.
FAQ
What’s the fastest way to grow a small business?
Raise your prices and sell more to the customers you already have. Both cost nothing and show up in your bank account right away.
How can I grow my business with no money?
Claim your free Google Business Profile, ask every customer for a review, start a referral perk and partner with businesses that serve the same people. None of that needs a budget.
Can I give customers a discount for leaving a review?
Not on Google. Its rules ban offering payment, discounts or free stuff in exchange for reviews. Rewarding referrals that bring in a paying customer is a different thing.
When should I hire my first employee?
When the work is steady and you can list exactly what they’ll do every week. Until then, use freelancers for the tasks you hate.
Next step
Starting from scratch instead? Read how to start a startup with no money, or browse all the business advice.
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