Why Consistency Is the Key to Small Business Success 3 Aug 2018

It seems like there are thousands of case studies about how a business managed to succeed with a seemingly crazy new strategy. Hearing about these case studies may tempt you to change your business plan every time one of these strategies appears to work. However, doing so will only harm your business in the long run.

Why? Because the best way to thrive as a business is to stay consistent. This article will explain why consistency is the key to small business success.

It Helps Your Small Business Build Traction

When a semi-truck is going down a hill, it gains speed the longer it goes down the hill. But if the driver has to slow down and pull over every couple of feet to fix their mirrors, the truck will slow down and stop. When the truck has to start up again, it takes a lot of energy to get back up to the same speed it was going.

The same is true for a business or marketing strategy. If you keep using a specific channel for your business, it will gain traction. But if you stop using it or don’t use it enough, it will slow down and eventually stop. Then you’ll have to use a lot of company energy and resources to get it back to where it was before.

This isn’t to say that you can only use one channel in your business’s strategy. It’s just better to focus your efforts when you have limited resources. This gives you more resources to dedicate to each channel, making them more effective. For small businesses, it’s recommended to use around 3 to 4 channels at a time, especially when you’re implementing long-term solutions like content marketing which can take 6-12 months to see results.

It Helps You Evaluate the Progress of Your Strategy

If you are evaluating a new air filter to see if it fixes a problem in your car, you would replace the old air filter and see if it works. You wouldn’t replace five other parts and then try to figure out if the air filter worked. There are too many variables.

Likewise, if you’re trying to evaluate the success or failure of your small business strategy, it’s best to be consistent. If not, it will be confusing to try to figure out what’s working and what’s not.

Your Customers Will Appreciate Consistency

Customers expect the services and products they order from you to be consistent. If you keep changing what you offer or how you offer it, people will wonder if there was something wrong with the old way. Or they may feel upset because they liked and understood the old way. Your clients care more about the consistency of your services than about the newest business strategy.

Use Your Resources Efficiently

If you have a limited amount of resources, you may be tempted to spread those resources over as many different marketing channels as possible. You may reason that by doing so, you’re getting the best of everything. But is this true?

Not really. While more seems better that isn’t always the case. Imagine if you tried to do pushups and situps simultaneously in an effort to save time. Even if you were able to pull it off, they wouldn’t be as effective. The same is true of your company’s resources. While you may have enough to spend a small amount on every marketing channel, it will likely be more effective to concentrate on a few with a bigger budget. But how can you choose?

You can narrow the number of channels you’re using by comparing your business’s goals with your industry and target audience. That will help you determine which marketing channel is the right fit for your company and set a realistic timeline for your goals. If you’re not familiar with many of the marketing channels, this post from duct tape marketing can help.

It Allows Your Employees to Become Experts at Their Job

It usually takes 6-10 years to become an expert in your field. But that timeframe only works when you practice consistently. Otherwise, you will never get better at it.

For example, if you assign a project one month, but then decide to change it next month, your employees will never be able to implement your strategies successfully. This will make it difficult for your employees to improve their work, and it could lead to wasted potential. Your employees work most efficiently when they understand how to do their job. Therefore, staying consistent means that you are getting more benefit for every employee dollar you spend.

Success Leads to Growth

In this article, we have considered why being consistent leads to small business success by helping you build traction, evaluate your progress, and conserve resources. As your small business grows, you may need help with other things like hiring a new employee.

For tips on making smart hiring decisions, check out our ebook Supercharge Your Hiring Process. This 11-step checklist will help you examine and improve your current hiring practices. Download your free copy today!