Photo of Chef Darian Bryan, courtesy of The Food Network
Increasing revenue. That’s the ultimate end goal, right?
In our Business Tips series we interview successful business owners from across different industries all over WNY. From restauranteurs to shop owners to event planners and everyone in between.
One of the questions we ask them is What’s your best advice for growing a business’s revenue?. What’s surprising is how their answers, while completely different, are applicable to all businesses.
Here’s what 4 WNY business owners and entrepreneurs had to say when asked that question:
1) Rachel Stepien
Owner of The Plant Shack
“It may sound weird but, giveaways! If you have a really good giveaway and it’s not too complicated to enter – you will gain thousands of new followers and thousands more will discover who you are. Even if only 10% of those people purchase from you, that’s incredible!”
2) Rick Fickhesen
Co-founder of Buffalo Artisan Food Traders
“For small businesses you need as many sales channels as possible. If you have just a physical retail shop – try eCommerce. If you have just eCommerce – start doing events. If you’re selling at events, start product tagging and selling on social. It’s the combination of foot traffic, online sales, and events that when combined really add up for us.”
3) Syrie Roman
Owner of Social Maven and Petite Soirée
“Know your operational costs. Have a solid cash flow spreadsheet. Spend money on an accountant and develop a pricing strategy.”
4) Darian Bryan
Executive Chef and owner of The Plating Society
“My best advice for growing business revenue is that you can’t be afraid to try stuff [that’s] out of the box. When Covid-19 hit, I had to be really creative. I started doing a bunch of virtual cooking classes and brand sponsorships where I just cooked and talked about someone’s product and got paid for it. It’s going to feel uncomfortable and not normal – all that means is you’re doing something right.”
