Starting a business and building one that can sustain itself long-term are two different things.
In the beginning, there’s a lot of excitement and passion driving your decisions. You’re often willing to do whatever it takes to make things work. You work long hours, manually manage every task, take on every client, and figure things out as you go.
Some of that is necessary, especially as you’re establishing your footing and figuring out what you want your business to become. But at some point you have to ask yourself,
Could I realistically keep running my business this way for the next five or ten years?
When I talk about building a sustainable business, I mean creating something that can support your customers, goals, finances, and you over time.
Here’s how to ensure that happens.
1. Be willing to evolve
No industry is completely stagnant. And a business that refuses to change risks being left behind if it stops meeting the needs of its customers or adapting to what’s happening around it.
There are a lot of ways this can come into play.
Business growth
If your business has grown significantly, chances are you’ll need to change how you do things. Certain processes may become clunky, or you might not be able to manage everything on your own anymore.
This is where intentional automation, use of support tools like AI, and/or hiring support can help you manage your new workload while maintaining the level of service your customers expect.
- Document recurring processes.
- Use templates where appropriate.
- Automate administrative tasks that don’t need you to be involved.
- Use AI intentionally to support your day-to-day.
- Keep your files organized.
- Hire support where you need it.
Of course, there’s a limit to what you can offload. Personal interaction still matters, and you don’t want to lose the parts of your business that make it unique. But if small, repetitive tasks are taking up big chunks of your day, ask yourself if there’s a better way to handle them.
Industry shifts
If your industry has changed and you refuse to adapt, people might look for solutions elsewhere.
As a marketer, for example, it’s my responsibility to remain up-to-date with changes in technology, social media, search, AI, and other marketing tools. If I ignored those developments, my clients would eventually have to look somewhere else for current information and support.
Marketing changes
The same goes for your own marketing. As the marketing landscape changes, it’s important to be open to implementing new tools and tactics to support your company and its growth.
That doesn’t mean chasing every trend or turning your back on what’s working for you. I still think networking, referrals, business cards, community involvement, and plenty of other “old-school” tactics can be incredibly valuable, especially for local businesses.
But if something has stopped producing results, you need to be willing to question why and try something new.
Priority changes
Sometimes, you’re the thing that has changed. Your interests, goals, capacity, or priorities might look completely different than they did when you started your business, and if you’re feeling that shift, it might be time to switch gears.
Your customers will feel if there’s a lack of passion or commitment from you. There are lots of ways you can pivot over time without completely confusing your audience or losing your entire customer base.
The bottom line?
What worked for you when you started may not work at your current size, and what works today might not work five years from now. It’s up to you to pay attention to any shifts – and to figure out appropriate ways to respond to them – without overhauling your business every month.
Quick tip: regularly ask yourself, What’s functioning well? Where are things feeling clunky or unnecessarily time-consuming? What am I still doing simply because “that’s how I’ve always done it”?
2. Build your business around the customer experience
Businesses that stand the test of time give people reasons to come back, refer others, and speak positively about their experience.
Marketing can help bring someone through the door, but what happens after that matters just as much.
- How easy are you to contact? Is the information on your website clear and current?
- How quickly do you respond to inquiries? If you sell physical products, are your delivery timelines reasonable and clearly communicated?
- What feedback are customers giving you about your product or service?
Small improvements to your customer experience can help ensure people stick around.
Quick tip: Ask happy customers to leave a review. For local businesses, your Google Business Profile is a great place to collect them. If you’re an e-commerce business, encourage customers to review individual products. These reviews provide valuable social proof for people considering working with you. Plus, they give you relevant feedback on the experience you’re creating and how you might improve it.
3. Build your network
Your network can provide an important foundation for your business.
- Local organizations and events can introduce you to potential customers.
- Other small business owners can become referral partners or collaborators.
- Mentors can give you a sounding board when you’re trying to make a decision.
That’s why I love attending local events, looking for speaking opportunities, volunteering, and creating opportunities for other business owners to connect (like through the Magnificent Marketer’s Club).
My recommendation to you? Nurture your relationships. Attend local events to create new connections. Volunteer. Follow up with people. Introduce yourself to other local business owners. Make sure you’re accessible to your clients and customers, and check in with them often. Deliberately curate community for yourself by joining networking groups and actively participating in them.
Don’t just show up when you need something. Make networking and supporting others an ongoing part of your business. I promise that the returns will be worth it.
4. Protect your own capacity
There will probably be seasons when you need to work longer hours to reach a particular goal, finish a major project, or get through an especially busy period.
But eventually, you have to recognize when that level of effort simply isn’t sustainable. If you continue to push too hard, chances are you’ll lead yourself to burnout.
Here are some ways to ensure you have the energy to sustain your business long-term:
- Start paying attention to the clients, projects, and daily tasks that drain your energy versus the ones you enjoy. You might not be able to remove every frustrating task, but you can eliminate unnecessary ones, automate repetitive work, delegate something outside your expertise, or change the way you deliver a service.
- Know that you don’t need to say yes to every client or project. If taking on another project means you can’t give your existing customers the time and attention they deserve, saying no (or not right now) may actually be the better business decision.
- Establish boundaries around your availability and communication. You don’t need to be accessible 24/7. Protecting your time outside of work allows you to be more present when you are working.
A growing business doesn’t automatically have to be more difficult to manage. With the right boundaries, processes, and support, you can still control how you spend your time.
5. Stay visible, even when you’re busy
Far too often I see business owners market in stages. They have a sudden influx of energy or inspiration related to an idea, or they push really hard to market a specific offer… and then disappear for months because they’re exhausted.
Neither extreme is particularly helpful. Constant promotion can overwhelm your audience, while long periods of silence can mean people might forget about you.
Instead, focus on creating a marketing plan that you can sustain over time, rather than one that’s abandoned after a few weeks.
Here are some ways to ensure that happens:
- Create a realistic marketing schedule for yourself. One useful blog or email a month is better than publishing four in one month and then nothing the following four months. Set realistic expectations for yourself – even if that means lowering the bar.
- Re-purpose good content. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel each time you want to post something. Look at what you already have and get creative with how you can re-share the same message in new ways.
- Keep your website current so people can find accurate information about your business. This is an important tool for longevity.
- Expand your idea of what marketing is. Nurturing relationships, volunteering, attending local events, networking, and speaking can all help keep your business visible.
Consistency and intention matter more than sheer volume.
6. Know your numbers
Now, I’m not a financial advisor. But having a basic understanding of your numbers is part of running a sustainable business.
- Start by getting to know the natural rhythms of your business. Are things particularly slow during the summer? Does business pick up significantly every fall? Are there certain offers that perform better at particular times of year? Looking at these patterns can help you make better decisions about when to hire support, when to promote particular services, and when you may need to set money aside to carry you through a slower period.
- You should also have a general idea of what your business needs to earn. What do you need to make each year to keep your business running? What would allow it to thrive? How does that break down monthly, and how does it compare to what you’re actually bringing in?
- Then take a look at where that income is coming from. Which services are most profitable? Where are your leads coming from? Which marketing efforts are leading to actual inquiries or sales? Which areas of your business take a huge amount of your time without giving you enough in return?
Understanding the internal ecosystem of your business can help you decide where your time, money, and energy are best spent.
Sustainability means evolution
Building a business is an ongoing process. You don’t reach an end-point where everything is perfect. Rather, the most successful businesses are those continually willing to evolve as things change.
So pay attention to what’s going on with your customers, numbers, marketing, community, industry, and capacity.
Ask yourself: What’s working? What isn’t?
Making small adjustments along the way can help prevent you from needing to make much larger corrections later.
And remember, sustainability isn’t just about money. It’s also about making sure your business continues to fit the lifestyle you want, the clients you want to serve, the work you enjoy doing, and the impact you want to make.
If your business has changed but your marketing hasn’t changed with it, it may be time to take another look at what’s working, what’s not and where the gaps are. That’s exactly the kind of thing I help business owners figure out. Book a consultation, and we’ll talk it through.
