How to Grow Your Small Business in 2021

This post has been sponsored by Premera Blue Cross. All opinions are my own

Small businesses definitely took a hit in 2020. With so many things looking up, 2021 is the year to grow your small business with some simple changes that will help everyone who works with you. I love being a small business owner and I’m excited to see so much growth happen this year.

I run several small businesses, including a local produce business managed by my immediate family. There’s no denying the fact that being a small business owner in 2020 was challenging. We were lucky enough to experience quite a bit of growth in our business, but we also had some serious obstacles to overcome.

2021 is the year to grow your small business.

I’ve talked to so many small business owners recently. They are overwhelmed. They need to pivot but aren’t quite sure how to do it. They are tired, but resilient.

There are some amazing ways to grow your small business in 2021. Let’s get to work!

How to grow your small business

• Surround yourself with great people. No one can do everything on their own. You will be much more effective if you delegate tasks that can be passed off to qualified people. Leave yourself free to focus on higher-level tasks that will help take your business to the next level.

• Take care of your team. The people you work with are valuable. They can mean the difference between growth and giving up on your small business. Be sure that you are taking care of your team by providing them with the things they need to maintain a good sense of work-life balance and rewarding them for their contributions.

• Make health a priority. Healthcare can be complicated for small business owners, but it is so important to take care of your own health and make sure that your employees are protected. Premera Blue Cross makes it easy to take care of your team with affordable business solutions that work, no matter what stage of growth your business is at. Premera’s latest white paper about Post-Pandemic Business Resilience looked at some of the needs that employees feel are not being met and it is eye-opening for small business owners. Working during a pandemic can be overwhelming and employees need options that allow them to protect their health.

• Get creative and pivot. This past year absolutely threw some challenges at us. It is time to take an honest look at your business model and look at ways you may need to pivot. Can you niche down your customer base? Do you need to reach past your local community? Are you using eCommerce to its maximum potential?

• Reduce unnecessary cost. I’m always surprised when I go through my business expenses how many things I am able to eliminate. What are you paying for that is not actively helping your business grow? I make it a habit to go through my books quarterly so I can evaluate what payments can be dropped. Keeping costs low helps me to make sure I’m spending my money in ways that allows my business to grow. Premera Blue Cross understands the importance of keeping costs down for small businesses so they provide very cost-effective business solutions that can help you protect your team.

These simple adjustments can help your small business grow in 2021 and set you up for a stronger future. Being a small business owner comes with many ups and downs, but it is so rewarding when you finally begin to see forward progress. Check out Premera’s latest white paper about Post-Pandemic Business Resilience to learn how Premera Blue Cross business solutions can make a difference for you and your valued employees.

This post has been sponsored by Premera Blue Cross. All opinions are my own.