Your business needs you, even after you’re all set up with a website and booking system. It is so important to continue to nurture your business… both practically and energetically.

Anytime my work slows down more than I’d like, I ‘spend some time with my business’ and my leads and projects magically pick right up again. I can’t tell you exactly how it works but I can tell you that it works.

Spending time with your business can be as simple as sitting down to review your financial targets and last quarter’s income; or doing a little copy editing on your web pages; gathering together testimonials you haven’t published yet; or even just re-reading your previous blog posts to get those concepts flowing in your awareness.

For me, this always helps, and feels like magic.

But even more powerful than ‘puttering’ or re-reading my blog is when I actually devote some time to things that are highly likely to move the needle.

It can be difficult to know where to focus your energy to grow your business. There are so many opinions and shiny things out there! So, where is your precious energy best spent as we move into 2024?

Let’s take a look.

4 Ways to Grow Your Business in 2024

1. Build a Network of Strong Authentic Relationships

Local and in-person networking stands out for its ability to create meaningful, in-depth connections that are often based on trust and shared interests.

And you can network globally in this way too, as long as you treat each of your distant contacts as if they are a friend you regularly meet up with for coffee.

Building authentic relationships can be a powerful complement to your overall marketing strategy, especially for counsellors, group practices, therapists, healers, and service-based businesses that rely on personal relationships and trust. So, start by attending industry events, engaging in meaningful conversations on social media, and prioritizing one-on-one interactions. Your network can be a powerful catalyst for business growth.

2. Provide Genuine Value in a World Full of AI Knockoffs

On August 10th, 2023 a book recounting “the story of the 2023 Maui fire” was published and available for sale on Amazon. The description stated that the book covers the timeframe of August 8th to 11th, despite the book itself being listed on Amazon on August 10th. It quicky gathered a heap of scathing 1-star reviews and so many complaints that it was promptly removed from the bookseller giant.

In a landscape increasingly saturated with disappointing AI products, your human authenticity becomes a rare gem. You understand nuance and sarcasm, and you can bring sensitivity to the conversation. Focus on providing real, tangible value to your clients. Humanize your business by allowing your own unique qualities to be seen. Whether it’s personalized service, empathetic understanding, or a bespoke approach, emphasize what makes your business authentically YOU.

4. Invest in Automation

I say “invest” because this does require some careful and thoughtful setup time. But once that is complete your future self will thank you! This past July was a very slow month for Physis Publishing. Instead of worrying about it I focused on upleveling my whole framework, system, and client experience, and that’s been paying off fabulously ever since. (July is notoriously slow for many, so this year I’ll take my own #3 advice and book holidays instead!)

So, think about the emails that you seem to be writing or responding to a little too often. The scheduling back and forth that could be solved with a booking platform. How about contracts, agreements, or proposals? Chasing after payments?

Anything you do repeatedly should either (i) be automated, or (ii) be templatized. This will make a world of difference in the time you spend, particularly on administrative tasks.

Many of my systems and communications are automated in Dubsado, a platform that handles all my proposals, contracts, billing, scheduling, and emailing. If you’d like to try it out with a 20% discount you’re welcome to use my affiliate code: physisdiscount

Now, before you worry about losing that human touch we’ve been talking about, let me reassure you – excellent automations have lots of personalization, and you can build in as many manual touchpoints as you need to.

Imagine having more time to brainstorm new ideas, connect with clients (not to mention friends and family) on a deeper level; or simply take a breath without feeling like you’re drowning in admin work. That’s the beauty of automations and systems: more space for you to focus on the heart and soul of your business.