7 Moves You Can Make Right Now to Grow Your Business
You don't need more ideas. You need moves.
Most business owners I work with aren't short of ideas. They're short of momentum.
They've got a notebook full of plans, a podcast queue full of strategy, and a business that looks exactly the same as it did six months ago. That's not a knowledge problem. It's interference: the busyness, the doubt and the "I'll get to it next week" that sits between your potential and your performance.
So here are seven moves you can make right now. Not this quarter. Not when things calm down. This week. None of them cost money, most take less than an hour, and every one of them will tell you something about your business you didn't know yesterday.
The 7 moves
1. Collect all money owed to you
Cash you've earned but not collected is the cheapest growth money you'll ever find. Yet many owners avoid chasing invoices because it feels awkward.
Do it today: pull your aged debtors list. Call (don't email) everyone over 30 days. Agree a date, then confirm it in writing. If it keeps happening, tighten your payment terms or take deposits up front. If you need to reset your terms and conditions, just email me; introduce me to John please Phil. [email protected]
2. Call your accountant and ask for a meeting
Most owners only speak to their accountant at year end, when the numbers are history. Your accountant can tell you your real margins, your tax position and where cash is leaking right now. (Providing you are keeping a record of all transactions! Usually completed by a brilliant bookkeeper)
Do it today: book 45 minutes. Ask three questions: Which part of my business makes the most profit? Where am I overspending? What should I be watching monthly? Oh and whilst your there, confirm deadlines for VAT, tax, personal tax and any other sector specific regulation you may have. (Business type dependent)
3. Report where your last 10 leads came from
If you don't know where your best leads come from, you can't do more of what works. You'll end up spending on whatever feels busy. To quote an accountant I recently did a coaching session with, I don't actually ask where they heard about us...
Do it today: list your last 10 enquiries and their source: referral, Google, LinkedIn, repeat client, networking. Then note which ones actually bought. The pattern is usually obvious, and it's rarely where you've been putting your time.
4. Ask a great client why they keep picking you
Your best clients already know why you're worth paying. That's your marketing message, in their words, and you probably haven't asked for it.
Do it today: pick your favourite client and ask, "What made you choose us, and why do you keep coming back?" Write down their exact words. Use them on your website, proposals and sales calls. Do not paraphrase, yes in sales its a great way to communicate, however in this instance use their exact words!
For example; one of my clients calls me a PT for business owners... so I use PT for business owners in my comms quite often.
5. Speak to someone who has built a successful business, and ask
You're probably not the first person to face the problem in front of you. Someone a few steps ahead has already solved it.
Do it today: message one person whose business you respect. Ask for 20 minutes and one question: "If you were in my shoes, what would you do next?" Most people are flattered to be asked. Buy them coffee, buy them lunch, it is in those small moments where you can gain the motivation for taking the next positive leap!
6. Increase your daily accountability
Good intentions die in a busy week. Accountability is what turns a plan into a habit.
Do it today: write tomorrow's three non-negotiables tonight. Share them with someone, a business partner, a peer or a coach and report back on them at the end of the day. Small, daily and visible beats big and occasional.
7. Celebrate the smallest wins
Owners are brilliant at spotting what's wrong and terrible at noticing what's going right. That drains confidence, and confidence drives action. Having been an athlete and sat in some sobering changing rooms after loosing, the one thing that keeps you coming back is going again and creating another chance for yourself, that requires you to look at the positives so build off that!
Do it today: end the day by writing down one thing that went well. A paid invoice. A good call. A lead from the right place. Share wins with your team too. Momentum is built on evidence that you're moving.
How the 7 moves cover your whole business
These moves aren't random. Together they touch every part of the MSOFT model I use with founders: Marketing, Sales, Operations, Finance and Team.
Move | MSOFT area | What it fixes |
|---|---|---|
1. Collect money owed | Finance | Cash flow |
2. Meet your accountant | Finance | Visibility of profit and leaks |
3. Track your last 10 leads | Marketing | Wasted effort on the wrong channels |
4. Ask a great client why | Sales / Marketing | A message that converts |
5. Speak to a successful owner | Operations / Team | Blind spots |
6. Daily accountability | Operations | Plans that never get done |
7. Celebrate small wins | Team | Confidence and momentum (Start with yourself) |
If one of these moves feels hard, that's useful. The move you're avoiding usually points to the area of your business that needs the most attention.
Frequently asked questions
What is the quickest way to grow a small business?
Start with what you already have. Collect money you're owed, find out where your best leads come from, and ask happy clients why they chose you. Growing what already works is faster than inventing something new.
How do I find out where my leads come from?
List your last 10 enquiries, note the source of each and mark which ones became paying clients. Then ask every new enquiry "How did you hear about us?" and record it in your CRM.
How often should I meet my accountant?
At least quarterly, ideally monthly for a short numbers review. Year-end only means you're always looking backwards.
How can a business owner stay accountable?
Set three daily priorities, share them with someone, and report back. A peer, business partner or business coach makes this far easier to stick to.
Do I need a business coach to grow?
No, but most owners grow faster with one. A coach spots the interference you can't see from inside the business and keeps you doing the moves you'd otherwise put off.
Pick one move and do it today
Don't try all seven at once. Pick the one that made you wince when you read it, and do it before the end of today. Then come back for the next one tomorrow.
If you want someone in your corner while you do it, that's exactly what my 1-1 founder coaching is for: think of it as a personal trainer for your business, working across your marketing, sales, operations, finance and team.
Not sure where to start? Take the DISC personal assessment and find out how you naturally lead, sell and make decisions, and what's getting in your way.
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