Four Ideas to Take Your Business to the Next Level from http://dsef.orgAsk any successful small business owner what he or she envisioned when first launching the business. Most of them will tell you that this vision is what helps them to keep moving forward and take their business to the next level. In today’s post, we offer four things you can do to grow your business and achieve your vision.

1. Do what you truly love and find ways to make money from it.  If you aren’t doing something you’re passionate about, it will be very difficult to succeed long term. It’s important to tap into your interests. Ask yourself what drives you, what you care about, and what you’d like to spend every day doing with your time. For example, after spending years as a full-time parent, Jean decides to break back into the work force by using her experience as a competitive dancer to teach dance to local children. She starts out with a small clientele, but through word of mouth, eventually grows enough to purchase her own space and send her students to competitions. Nothing can motivate you more to succeed than doing something you truly enjoy.

2. Find and team up with great people to help you grow your business. When expanding her dance studio, Jean didn’t do it alone. She contacted people from her circle of dance friends from her youth, some of whom were also making a living in the arts. She picked their brains, asked for advice, and even recruited some to come work with her. Use your expertise in conjunction with your passion to identify smart, hard-working people with whom you surround yourself. Your network is essential to the success of your business.

3. Use and leverage your failures to improve. Each business endeavor is sure to come with its fair share of challenges. Instead of letting yourself get bogged down in the disappointment and stress of it all, use these experiences to learn and grow. What went wrong? How did it happen? Could it have been prevented? How could you improve for next time? The better able you are to turn your weaknesses into strengths, the more likely you are to find success and make your vision a reality.

4. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel. Instead, personalize and make it better. It can take a lot of time to come up with strategies that are truly original and, most of the time, there is no need. Put your own spin on existing ideas to improve them and attract others to your business. Part of the reason Jean’s dance studio was so successful was because she personalized her services. It’s easy to find jazz and acrobatics classes for toddlers, but very few places teach tap to such young children. Since that is Jean’s specialty, she promoted that particular class more than the others, gave them a special mid-year recital, and was able to beat her competitors for those students. Identify what you bring to the table, and commit to it. You’ll be amazed at the results.

Remember to keep in mind your vision for the business, and know your strengths to help you get to the next level. Be passionate, ask for help, and learn from your mistakes.

What else would you add to our list? Please share with us in the comments below!