The ‘Adapt to Survive’ theory or in other words, ‘survival
of the fittest’ not only applies to the evolution of mankind, but also to
businesses like yours.
It suggests that a business can be pushed out of its
industry by stronger competition, or simply by not keeping up with industry
trends.
So when it comes down to it … you need to be completely honest and ask yourself
if your business is going to survive in this competitive world. ‘Surviving’ doesn’t mean having to completely alter your
business model.
Instead, it necessitates updating processes to adapt to ever changing internal
and external factors that will most definitely arise.
What might these factors be and how can you acclimatise to them?
Internal:
Ordering Options: it’s time to
take your business online in the right way. Keep your branding consistent. This
means a website that communicates your brand, where customers can
order directly from you (not a third party). This will also free up your
staff’s time on the phone to guarantee your product is always of the
highest quality.
Your Menu: create a product of the week with new, fresh ingredients that your customers
will enjoy. It's inexpensive and easy to organise. Every week you're
not running these types of promotions is another week that your customers
won’t be in contact with your brand.
Social Media:
take control of your social media accounts and actively use them to communicate
with your customers. If your customers leave you valuable feedback, respond to
it in a way that other customers would appreciate. This is a great way to boost
positive branding and gain faithful regulars. Remember social trends are always
changing, the Facebook we know today, can and will be different from the
Facebook 6-12 months from now.
External:
Your Competition: it’s important to keep tabs on what other businesses are doing. This doesn't mean just the one time when you enter the market. You need to do it weekly.
Evaluate whether you have the superior product by ordering from them, signing up to their mailing list or even becoming a fan on their Facebook page.
If you don't have the superior product you need to have a unique selling point (USP). If you don't, get one. And communicate it to your customers fast. Take your research to the next level to ensure you're always ahead of your competitors.
Changing Trends in your Industry:
every business owner must always be on top of relevant industry
trends. For example, online sales have been growing 20% - 30% each year in Australia, that is
enough evidence alone to explain why your business can’t just exist online, but must thrive online.
Utilise all aspects on the world wide web to give your business
the advantage it deserves. To get started, focus on online advertising,
creating consistent marketing promotions & getting your website mobile
optimised.
Weather: this is relevant to the old saying ‘prepare for the worst and
hope for the best.’ If you require fresh ingredients, take shortages due to the
weather conditions into account. Consider creating a menu with seasonal
ingredients to guarantee that you will always have a surplus. Even better, send
out weather appropriate promotions. It's timely and engaging and just
what your customers want.
What’s next?
Take a hard look at your business. Critically analyse what is working and what
isn’t. You've got everything to gain by conducting a little research
into your industry to find out what trends or factors are affecting it. A great
tool for this is Google Trends or simply speak to
your customers.
Staying ahead of the game will not only ensure that your business survives, but
that it thrives ahead of its competition.