Expansion is a process that takes much time and consideration, but has the potential to be the kickstart a company needs to boost sales. For quite some time, the internet has made it possible for companies to expand their brand in order to reach different locales, easily and efficiently, without actually needing to be physically present in those areas.
The ultimate reason a business would want to expand to new areas is to increase sales. With increased sales, however, comes new responsibilities. Additional needs that hadn’t been encountered before can prove to be challenges to newer companies. Catering to a new clientele–with whom the business may not be familiar–can be a daunting task for any small business.
Location
Before anything, a company first needs to target the new areas they want to expand to. It’s important not to overreach; risking a logistical quagmire can end up costing more money than it’s worth. Depending on whether the business offers a product or a service, it will need to temper its dreams of grandeur and a national presence. Think about expanding to the next town, or county, before going to the next state or province. Even just a few new customers can make the difference between scaling back and expanding even further.
Employees
Hiring new employees to manage communications and sales in the new areas is key. Current employees will be overwhelmed with the additional workload of having to cover new ground. Assigning the new employees to deal with certain aspects of the logistical plan will make everyone’s lives easier. This ensures that no part of the plan goes unaccounted for.
If your business is moving to an area where multiple languages are spoken, this needs to be accounted for, as well. Hire someone from that area to act as a representative of your company, while incorporating additional tasks to help with the expansion process.
Virtual Presence
Setting-up a local phone number in the new areas will impress potential customers, and impart a sense of locality that is appealing to small, close-knit communities. The added-bonus of patronizing a local business–a part of the community–is of considerable considerable interest to local citizens, as it is a way of investing in their community.
Using a local phone number creates a relationship between the business and the client of trust by basing it on what they have in common. Setting-up a local number in the area is easy, but managing that number can be even easier. Have calls routed from the local number to your existing phone number, making management as basic as possible.
Engaging people with social media and answering their queries is a good way to establish a relationship with potential customers, and it’s an even better way to create a positive reputation in the new area. Explain to them what your business does and who you are.
An ad tells them what your business can do, but a blog personifies the company, opening avenues for future communication that weren’t there before. Consider that someone calling a toll-free number knows that they want a product. The key is to reach out to those that don’t know that they what they want, and to convince them that they do.
