According to recent research, only 50% of small businesses survive the first five years. That’s how tough it is for small businesses to hang on in there. So, if you feel like your small business is failing, you won’t be the first and you won’t be the last. The good news is, there are some adjustments you can make in your business to ensure you give it the best chance at success. Take a look at these tips.

Good Leadership

A ship is nothing without its captain. As the leader of your business, it’s your job to set the example for everyone else. It often means hard work and long hours, but no business has seen success without a little blood, sweat and tears. As the manager of your business, you’ll be responsible for decision making, the guidance of your staff and knowing where the business has to go next. There’s a lot resting on your shoulders, so you certainly can’t be work shy. If you’re struggling to provide a good example, it may be time to get an example for yourself. Even leaders need mentoring from time to time, so don’t be afraid to learn and strengthen your position.

Beat Your Competitors

Every business will have a competitor and every business should always strive to beat their competitors. It won’t matter if you can offer something that customers want if your competitor is doing it bigger and better than you. As a small business, you need to stand out from the crowd and catch the eye of potential customers. What are your competitors doing differently to you? How can you set yourself apart from the rest? Think about your business brand and what you want it to stand for. What will customers think about as soon as they see your logo? Think unique!

Use the Right Tools

You wouldn’t believe how many small businesses are trying to keep up with competitors by using yesterday’s tools. It’s like trying to use only traditional marketing to compete with digital marketing. It’s never going to work. To do the job properly, you need the correct tools. It could be anything from using a laptop finder to provide your staff with the best laptops for the job or using a website developer to ensure your website is always working at top speed and providing your customers with a convenient browsing experience. Having the right tools at your disposal will mean you’re able to come up with an excellent marketing plan for your business and you’re able to implement it easily.

Get to Know Your Customers

Your business can never survive without your customers, so if you’re able to turn a one-time customer into a life-long customer, you’re on the road to success. But, how do you do that? The best way to do that is to find out as much as you can about your customers. Firstly, you need to get their attention – find out whether Adwords or SEO is the best option for you. Get their feedback, collect simple data, like age, location, gender and anything else relevant. When a customer receives personalized correspondence, it’s makes them feel special and valued. They’ll return to your business solely for the feeling of appreciation. However, it’s gone far and beyond personalizing an email. As a small business that wants to survive, you need to treat your customers like royalty. Pull out the red carpet so they keep coming back.

Set Goals

One of the simplest reasons that small businesses fail is because they don’t set out goals for the future. If there’s nothing to work towards, why work at all? A business without an aim is far more likely to fail than one with a plan. Even if you change your course half way through achieving something, at least you’re moving forward. Do your research, look at other businesses in your industry and figure out what is viable for your business in the next twelve months. Set your goals and strive to reach them.

Get Financial Help

For many first-time business owners, the finances are something they’ve never encountered before. If you want to survive passed your first year, it’s wise to get some financial advice from a professional. What can you spend without going broke? How much will you need to invest in the business to reach your goals? How will taxes affect you and your business? They’re often questions that need to be asked and the business should prepare based on their answers. Having a financial advisor that you can call upon when you need to will ensure you don’t make any big mistakes.