Proper documentation, time management, and automating repeatable tasks can mean the difference between boom and bust.

Keep accurate records of business finances:  Record every transaction (customer billings and vendor payments) into the proper account at least once weekly and keep an eye on the bottom line. Keep copies of all invoices, cash receipts and cash payments for bookkeeping and tax purposes. 

Set (and keep) deadlines: Stay on top of administrative tasks using project management software — this lets you set deadlines, assign tasks to employees and upload documentation to a central repository. 

Plan ahead: Plan your social media campaigns in advance using social media scheduling software. Use email marketing automation to follow up with new leads. If something can be explained in an email, you don’t need to have a meeting about it.

Agile businesses can quickly pivot in response to changing market conditions, while the slow movers struggle not to become obsolete. Lean into your data and be willing to change course. Listen to customer feedback and don’t be too wedded to your own opinions. 

If your product isn’t well-received or the market for it is too small, don’t cling to a business idea that won’t float. Be willing to change your business model or pricing strategy if your current approach isn’t working for you.

Automating repeatable tasks saves time and ensures small things don’t fall through the cracks.

Small businesses are uniquely positioned to offer a personal touch — especially if you have a small team or run the company yourself. Handwritten thank-you notes go a long way. Or, you can include a simple gift alongside the purchase or offer freebies in exchange for reviews. 

Use your customer database to make notes of personal details for each customer so you can offer a more personalized touch. For example, say you’re a jeweler who recently sold a custom engagement ring. You can send a simple wedding gift and a discount offer for a future purchase after the couple marries.

Intellectual property consists of the intangible assets — trademarks, copyrights and patents — that differentiate your e-commerce business from any other. 

For a small business, this means protecting things like designs, business ideas and trade secrets. If a competitor tries to copy your product, they can erode your market share and damage your reputation. If you decide to register a trademark or apply for a patent, it’s best to seek an attorney’s help to make sense of the legalese and avoid making minor mistakes (omissions in descriptions or drawings, missing deadlines) that can result in your request being denied.

Your website is the seat of your operations — it’s how new leads discover your company and its products.

Keep the design clean and simple — limit colors, banner ads and pop-ups. Before you build a website, put some serious thought into branding. Branding builds trust and differentiates you from your competitors. 

Use high-quality images (stock images don’t build trust) or hire a professional to take photos of all your products. Also, write thorough product descriptions — focus on product benefits, highlight key features and, where possible, tell a story.

Post unique photos of your business and your employees on social media — people prefer human faces and real, behind-the-scenes footage over stock photos or videos. 

Say you run a bakery. Find a way to bring people into the kitchen by filming your process. If you run a clothing label, create unique look books featuring your female friends as models to show a variety of body shapes and skin tones, rather than hiring models from an agency. 

If you’re an interior designer specializing in small spaces, upload videos on YouTube or start a podcast to share DIY tips for renters. Find ways to be authentic, share your expertise and tell the story of your business.

Web analytic, social media, CRM and financial analytics provide a readout on business performance.

For example, if your website is converting leads, how many potential customers are you attracting each month, whether or not people like your social media content and whether you’re spending more money than you’re bringing in. 

These are important things to know. In fact, 67% of small businesses spend more than $10k/year on analytical data. If you can’t measure something, you can’t improve it. 

If analytics intimidate you, here are a few starting points to get you going:

Use your CRM data to understand your customers:  What are their buying habits? What is the average order value? What are they likely to purchase next?

Assess the health of your website: What is the overall website bounce rate? Which product pages generate the most/least conversions? Use heat maps to understand areas where people tend to hover on your web pages. 

Determine whether social media works for you: Which posts have the most/least engagement?

Cost control is key to staying afloat — especially in the early days of running an online business. Establish a baseline to measure actual expenses against planned expenses. By looking at budget variances, you can see where your estimates are accurate and where they’re off. Look at where you went off track. What can you cut? 

Maybe you can find a different supplier, or buy video editing software from another vendor that offers usage-based pricing since you don’t use the software as much as you thought you would. Take a draconian approach to eliminate inefficiencies like redundant/duplicate processes, underutilized software or unreasonable price markups from vendors. 

Payroll is likely to be your biggest expense. Are there any low- or medium-level duties you can delegate to a qualified professional so you can take on a more strategic role in the business?

Use project management software to collaborate with others and create focused to-do lists daily. Also, stick to your original business purpose. Don’t try to be everything to everyone.

Naturally, you would like to expand your product line and enter new markets eventually, but if you’re still working on your go-to-market strategy and have yet to launch, don’t get distracted by pipe dreams. 

Finally, productivity experts recommend working in one-hour blocks with a 15-minute break for peak productivity.

In most industries — especially retail — businesses compete on the customer experience rather than the product. Make it easy for your customers to get in touch with a real human on social media, messaging apps, email or even by phone. 

Remember, a small business should be accessible. There is no excuse to present like a faceless corporation you can never get a hold of when the need arises. If orders take time to fill or you’re creating a custom item, keep your customers informed of the process and manage their expectations accordingly.

If customers do complain, use active listening to understand their pain points, investigate the root cause and offer a resolution that matters to them.

Great customer service increases the lifetime value of your customers and helps attract and retain new customers. In fact, 86% of consumers say a good customer experience can turn them from one-time buyers to loyal customers. Under promise and over deliver.

Manage people’s expectations. You’re a small business with limited resources and scalability. You probably can’t offer 24/7 customer support or a two-day turnaround on a custom item. What you can do, however, is resolve issues expediently, deliver a consistently great product and provide personalized support.

“Omnichannel” isn’t just a corporate buzzword for Fortune 500s that deal in big data analytic. Think about offering a seamless experience across all of your marketing channels. 

Use consistent branding across all your social media channels and ensuring your website is mobile-friendly. However, try not to spread yourself too thin. While it’s best to meet customers where they are, don’t try to be present on every channel. Focus on a few channels to create the best possible experience on each one.  

Your competitors know something you don’t and vice versa. Studying your competitors helps you define your competitive edge while finding your weaknesses relative to your rivals. Look at their tagline, unique value proposition and products or services. 

Here are some things to look out for:

Digital marketing strategy: Observe their website and social media accounts. How do they generate traffic and leads? What do they post on social media? What kind of content do they publish? 

Target audience:  Who is their target audience? Is there any overlap with your customer base?

Strengths and weaknesses:  Where do they excel? What are their shortcomings? What can you do better?

Small businesses have limited resources and can only offer a limited array of products compared to large corporations. Specialization is your best bet — especially if you are a sole proprietor offering a service —  as this enables you to better iterate a compelling value proposition and define a target market.

The best customer service is personalized, prompt and friendly. Use templates or scripts to deal with commonplace customer queries so you can respond with ease and professionalism. 

Address your customers in emails and chats that match your overall brand voice. For example, don’t be overly formal if your brand voice is chatty and easygoing.

Businesses live and die on the strength of their workforce — especially in the early stages. Find people who genuinely care about the business’s well being and aren’t just looking for a job. Some people don’t appreciate the unique spirit of working at a startup — having the opportunity to make an impact and watch the business grow — so find those who do. 

Alongside their talent and skill set, assess whether they’re passionate about their field. Did they research your startup before the interview? Do they exude passion when they talk about their prior work experience? 

Vet quality candidates by creating a form with customized questions for each job application rather than accepting generic cover letters. This also creates a barrier to entry so you aren’t flooded with resumes. Ask specific questions that pertain to the competencies and soft skills you value. 

Hiring a developer? Ask them to describe the most difficult API or software bug they’ve troubleshot. Hiring a marketer? Ask them to write 300 words on the most successful marketing campaign they’ve ever launched.

One-to-one marketing is the new standard-bearer for personalizing the customer experience. 

These are just a few current content marketing trends small business owners need to know or risk falling behind.

Also, Facebook, Linked In and Google are constantly rejiggering their algorithms, so if you run paid ads pay attention to the latest developments as this can affect ad visibility and reach. 

An entrepreneur’s most important skill is persuasion — the ability to convince people to work for them, invest in their startup and try their product. You must be able to champion a product you’re passionate about and weather the heady highs and lows of running a business. 

Never lose sight of why you went into business in the first place — perhaps you had a niggling small business idea that kept you up at night, you noticed a gap in the market or you wanted to share your expertise by offering your services to businesses or individuals who need it. 

Set realistic expectations of entrepreneurship before going into business and decide if you’re willing to persevere.

That said, don’t take everything too seriously. Running a business should be rewarding. It should be a chance to realize your passion, achieve financial independence and spend more time with your family if those things are important to you. 

It won’t seem like that in the beginning when you’re putting in 70-hour weeks to keep things afloat, but your hard work will pay off.