Business Marketing Consultant Shares Three Keys to Rapid Growth

Is This Business Marketing Consultant Crazy?

Can A Business Marketing Consultant Help You Grow Your Business by 1,000% In One Year?

To start off, no, I am not crazy when I write about a company being able to grow 1,000 percent in a single year in this economy.  So how about 6,789 percent growth in a single year?  Now you’re probably asking, “What is this guy smoking?”

It’s clear that any company growing in this economy must be deeply committed to the disciplines of marketing, sales and customer service, whether there is a business marketing consultant involved or not.  Larger companies with more available resources for marketing and sales investment stand the best chance to grow, assuming they execute well.  But even the little guys in business, for example sharp entrepreneurs just starting out, can bootstrap their way to success with the right sales and marketing disciplines in place.

One of my favorite magazines to read each month is Inc. magazine.  Every September Inc. releases the Inc. 500… and the superstar entrepreneurs who run these incredible companies.  This September’s issue is no exception as the content reveals one thing in particular.  The growth of your business is more about your philosophy as it relates to running and growing a successful business than it is the economy.  (The same can be said for personal income.  Our incomes reflect our philosophy and approach to life more so than what might be happening in the economy.)

Don’t get me wrong.  It’s ugly out there right now.  But there are still some incredible success stories that can help us “keep the faith” despite tough economic times.  And I love to read about these success stories and the people who make them happen.  It’s just flat out inspiring to know that even in this economy, some entrepreneurs can absolutely kick butt and grow their businesses.

Before I share my top three keys to growing your business 1,000 percent a year, let me give you a few of the numbers in Inc. this month.

• The number one company on the list of 500 is Ambit Energy.  They grew 20,369.4% between 2006 and 2009.
• The last company on the list, AtTask, grew 603.6% over the same time period.
• The Inc. 500 list of companies is the top tier of 5,000 companies they profiled.

So as a business marketing consultant working in the trenches with small businesses worldwide, here’s my humble take on the three keys to growing your business despite the lousy economy.

1. Focus. Every one of the Inc. 500 companies appears to be highly focused in terms of their positioning, marketing and sales development efforts.
2. Discipline. It is said that we are not born with discipline. It’s more like a tool we choose to use or not use.  All of the Inc. 500 companies appear to be extremely disciplined in terms of driving sales and providing exceptional customer service.
3. Capital. If you’re not willing to invest in your business then how do you expect to actually grow your business?  It’s clear that each of the Inc. 500 companies is making a significant investment in marketing, sales and human capital.

What are you doing that is working well to grow your business?  What kind of growth are you targeting for 2010, in percentage terms?  We always appreciate your comments, thoughts and suggestions.

Want to get inspired?  Take a few minutes and take a look at the Inc. 500 for 2010.