Now Is the Moment to Rethink Your Small-Business Growth Strategy

For most of the past decade, the dominant small-business growth strategy was some version of the same thing: acquire customers as cheaply as possible through digital advertising and scale as quickly as funding allowed.

That strategy has become significantly more expensive and less effective. Digital advertising costs have risen sharply. Customer acquisition costs have increased across virtually every sector.

What is working looks quite different: depth over breadth, relationships over reach, quality over volume.

“The businesses growing strongly now have fewer customers and know them better,” said one consultant. “Higher margins, lower churn, and customers who actively recommend them.”