Unleashing Growth Opportunities in Challenging Environments
By Mark Heath
Launching the Office Power Growth Summit
As the business landscape evolves, challenges ebb and flow, opportunities fade and emerge anew, growth can sometimes feel like an abstract concept, something that companies in other industries experience. However, without searching far, there are dealers not only finding but also exploiting growth opportunities in multiple ways and locations.
Sometimes, when discussing growth, paradoxically, it may remind people of the challenging times of the past few years rather than eliciting optimism. I don’t want to understate the hardship this industry has faced, but I do believe it’s time we dust off our ambition, recognise our strengths, and pursue growth. It starts with an industry-wide conversation, and Office Power wants to facilitate it. We are inspired by our dealer partners every day, knowing what they are capable of, and we want to share our belief in this industry’s potential as widely as possible.
Based on our data, I can confidently say that we have Office Power Dealers experiencing real growth, whilst some are only single digits, a strong number are in double digit growth. I know there are dealers not using our software who are also achieving similar results. The question is, how? What sets them apart?
Therefore, I am excited to announce that Office Power is planning a series of growth summits across the UK with the sole purpose of exploring and addressing these growth-related questions.
We will start in Manchester 27th September, Leicester 10th October, London 17th October, and finally, our exclusive Dealer Partner event in November. We are gathering dealers and industry leaders together to delve into key topics surrounding finding growth, then organising for all delegates to enjoy some important networking time to keep the conversation going.
You can sign up here.
Starting the Conversation
It has been almost 12 months since I joined Office Power, but I have been a dealer for over 30 years. My family has been in this business even longer, and I must admit to having learned a few tips and tricks along the way. To kick off the conversation, I will share some pillars for growth that combine my own experience with that of Office Power.
Build a Solid Base
Establishing a steady and reliable stream of business is crucial. Think of it as building a “base foundation” of regular customers that allows for ongoing, quality interaction. This foundation of loyal customers provides stability and sets the stage for growth in any environment.
Much of the world lives and conducts business in a low-emotion, high-volume expectation. Recognising this paradigm shift is crucial for dealers looking to stay ahead. That doesn’t mean your e-commerce site is something you should have just for the sake of it; it means truly embracing the digital landscape and adapting your business strengths around it. Those who do this gain greater efficiency, scalability, enhanced customer experience, and ultimately position their businesses for growth.
Principles Never Go Out of Fashion
We know that hard work will always be a key principle of success; your business wasn’t built by accident. But other principles, such as identifying customer needs through gap analysis and ensuring an excellent customer experience with a solid sell-through strategy, are just as valid now as they were 10 years ago.
Yes, the days can pass by in a blink when you’ve been building great customer relationships. However, every day, you should find time to reflect on your business and its growth strategy. It will pay you back tenfold. Forget that, and these principles are at your peril.
Expand Your Base
Building upon a solid customer base makes it easier to introduce new offers, initiatives, and product ranges. By leveraging the strength of your existing customer relationships, you can strategically expand your portfolio, capturing new market segments while maintaining customer loyalty.
The same goes for following market trends. Stability in your base makes you more agile to adapt. For example, the return to the office is at a tipping point, with the finance industry bringing staff back to the office. Dealers need to get ready for this and facilitate an office environment people want to be in. Obviously, this has to be done within reason. Straying too far from core competencies or target audiences can be more trouble than it’s worth. However, it becomes easier to do when you have a solid base and your business principles are sound.
Play to Your Strengths
Offering great everyday value and an unrivalled experience is paramount. Office managers value a business supplies partner that understands their needs and consistently delivers value. Establishing effective pricing tools and strategies, while leveraging strengths that larger market players can’t compete with, can help dealers strike the right balance, creating both customer satisfaction and long-term loyalty.
Join an Office Power Growth Summit
The Office Power Growth Summit is designed to address these strategies head-on while exploring additional growth strategies not yet mentioned (this list isn’t final). The summits provide a platform for industry professionals to come together, share insights, and learn from experienced leaders in the field. By participating in this summit, dealers can gain valuable knowledge, practical tips, and inspiration to overcome obstacles and drive their businesses forward.
This is a unique opportunity to connect with like-minded professionals, gain valuable insights, and explore growth strategies in a supportive and collaborative environment and of course, this wouldn’t be an Office Power event without some networking.
The Office Power team is passionate about helping dealers achieve their growth goals. Join us for an event that will leave you feeling inspired, empowered, and equipped with the tools and strategies necessary to thrive in today’s challenging business landscape.
Spaces are limited, so if you’re interested in joining, sign-up here.
