Building, Growing and Running Artisan Business Part 16
Business Growth Determinants
Growth doesn't happen by accident. It is the result of strategic choices, consistent execution, and building the right foundations before you need them. In this guide, we explore the key determinants of business growth—from marketing clarity to relationship-building—and how you can position your artisan business for long-term success.
Avoiding Confused Marketing — The Clarity of One
Confused marketing confuses customers.
When your marketing is unfocused, you attract the wrong people or no one at all.
Focus your marketing on one clear message, one clear audience, one clear service.
There were two tailors in Abuja.
The first tailor, Chidi, offered everything. He sewed men's clothes, women's clothes, children's clothes, traditional wear, and corporate wear. He advertised all of them on the same page. His message was confusing. Customers weren't sure what he specialized in.
The second tailor, Ifeoma, offered one clear service: women's traditional wedding attire. Every post was about wedding dresses. Every message was about helping brides look stunning. Her customers knew exactly what to expect.
Ifeoma became the go-to tailor for weddings in her area. She charged premium prices. Chidi struggled with price-sensitive customers who saw him as a generalist.
Choose Fewer Services
Many artisans try to do too much.
They offer too many services, serve too many markets, and confuse their customers and themselves.
Choose fewer:
- One specialty (at least to start)
- One target market
- One platform for marketing
- One clear message
Focus gives you depth. Depth gives you expertise. Expertise gives you authority. Authority gives you customers. Fewer services, done exceptionally well, beat many services done poorly.
Building Before You Need It
Preparing Ahead — The Strategic Advantage
The best time to build something is before you need it.
Build systems when you are not desperate. Build savings when business is good. Build relationships when you do not need anything.
In Nigeria's volatile economy, this principle separates surviving artisans from thriving ones.
Let me tell you about Mr. Adeola.
Mr. Adeola is a mechanic in Ibadan. In 2020, when the pandemic hit, many of his competitors closed down. But Mr. Adeola survived. Why?
He had built savings during the good years. He had built systems that worked even when he was stressed. He had built relationships with suppliers and customers that didn't depend on business being good.
When the crisis came, he was ready. His competitors weren't.
The Growth Foundations: Build Before You Need
Build your marketing engine before you need customers. Create content. Build your reputation. Establish your authority. When you need customers, they will already be there.
Build savings when revenue is good. You will need them when revenue is bad. In Nigeria's volatile economy, savings are survival.
Build systems before you need them. When you are busy, you will not have time to build systems. Build them when you have time. Then they will be there when you need them.
Build relationships before you need them. Cultivate relationships with customers, suppliers, and other artisans. When you need help, they will be there.
Develop skills before you need them. Learn business, finance, marketing, leadership. When your business needs these skills, you will have them.
Build your team before you need them. Train apprentices. Develop talent. When you need to scale, your team will be ready.
Build before you need. Don't wait until you're desperate to start building systems, savings, or relationships. The most successful artisans build their foundations during the good times, not the bad.
Growth Through Relationships
Customer Retention — The Foundation
Retaining customers is cheaper and more profitable than acquiring new ones.
Keep your customers happy. Serve them well. Stay in touch. They are your foundation.
Acquiring a new customer costs 5 to 7 times more than retaining an existing one. And existing customers spend more. They trust you more. They refer more. Retention is the engine of sustainable growth.
Repeat Business — The Engine
Repeat customers are the lifeblood of sustainable business.
Create services that keep customers coming back. Build relationships that make them want to stay.
Let me tell you about Mama Titi.
Mama Titi is a caterer in Port Harcourt. She doesn't spend money on advertising. She doesn't need to. Her customers come back again and again.
She sends follow-up messages after every event. She asks about feedback. She offers a small discount for repeat bookings. She remembers customers' preferences—what they liked, what they didn't.
Her repeat business is 80% of her revenue. She has built a business that doesn't need constant new customers to survive.
Relationship Engines for Growth
Referrals are the best marketing. Satisfied customers refer others. Ask for referrals. Make it easy for customers to refer you. Reward referrals.
Partnerships can accelerate growth. Partner with complementary artisans. Share customers. Share resources. Create win-win arrangements.
Trust is the foundation of all business relationships. Build trust by delivering on promises, being transparent, and serving others well.
Stress Testing Relationships
Test relationships before you need them.
Do not wait until a crisis to discover that your relationships are weak.
Invest in relationships when things are good.
- Have you called a customer just to check in, not to sell something?
- Have you helped a supplier with a problem without expecting something in return?
- Have you referred business to another artisan without asking for anything back?
- Have you sent a thank-you note to a loyal customer?
If you answered no to any of these, you're not building relationships—you're just transacting. Relationships that are tested in good times survive the bad times.
Putting It All Together: The Growth Formula
The stories and principles in this guide all point to one truth: growth is a result of strategic preparation and relationship-building.
You don't grow by accident. You grow by:
- Choosing clarity over confusion in your marketing
- Focusing on fewer services and doing them exceptionally well
- Building systems, savings, relationships, and skills before you need them
- Retaining customers and building repeat business
- Leveraging referrals and partnerships
- Building trust in every interaction
- Investing in relationships when things are good
Growth is not about luck. It is about preparation. It is about building your marketing engine before you need customers. It is about building savings before a crisis. It is about building systems before you scale. It is about building relationships before you need help.
The Bottom Line
Growth is a choice. It is a choice to focus. It is a choice to prepare. It is a choice to invest in relationships. It is a choice to build before you need.
Every day, you make decisions that either build your growth foundations or leave you vulnerable. Choose wisely. Build before you need. Invest in relationships. Focus your marketing. Do fewer things exceptionally well.
Your growth journey starts today. Start building your foundations now.