Running a business having a single brick & mortar location is easier when it is compared to those with multiple locations. There is no doubt that having a presence in two, three, or even more locations is good for any company to generate high revenue, build trust, improve brand recognition, and much more but to achieve that, one has to make a lot of efforts and strategize ways to manage every location effectively. One of the fears of such businesses is that if clients are not satisfied with your product or service even on one location, then it might affect your brand in all locations.
But you need not worry as managing your business effectively will avoid any such problems and you will be able to create a reputable brand in all locations where you serve. If you have your business’s presence in more than one location then you must consider these factors seriously to make sure its success everywhere.
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Unleash the power of local directories
One of the most important things that you must consider doing is to list your business in the local directories of each location. It will be of great help for your brand to get recognized and improve reputation. Listing your business’s name in local directories have certain benefits:
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Strengthens online presence
It is seen that businesses that are present in these directories have higher chances of being found by people. This directly points towards high SERP ranking, which means that when someone will search for a service or product you provide, it is likely that your site will appear higher than those who have not listed their name in these directories.
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Boosts SEO
Local directories are really helpful not only for people but also for the businesses having their name listed there. They tend to add additional links on their websites that help in improving the SEO. These links help people find the relevant business they are looking for in an easy manner. Having a link provided by a business directory is seen as a positive sign by search engine bots thus, it will result in better search engine ranking of your website.
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Importance of reviews
The reputation of a business depends upon how its customers see it and what they think about it. Customers have the power to review businesses based on their experience and make or break them. Thus, if you do everything right and get positive reviews from clients on these directories, the reputation of your brand or business will automatically improve and you’ll be able to mark your strong presence on all business locations you are serving people.
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Brand awareness
As directories increase the chances of appearing on search results and getting noticed by the audience, it also results in improved brand awareness. Every time when people will search for the products or services that you provide, your brand will appear in front of them and that is a positive sign of making people aware of your brand.
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Organization is the key
Another important point other than local business directories is to organize the working procedure in all locations and manage it accordingly. First and the foremost thing that you can consider doing is the standardization of the working protocol. Creating a systematic and linear way of working on all locations will make things easier for you and you will be able to effectively monitor & manage all operations.
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The command should be in the right hands
Doesn’t matter whether you are a sole owner or a partner in the business you are running, it is not feasible for you to manage all the business locations especially when they are more than two. In such a scenario, it is necessary to have location-based business heads or managers who will report you periodically. One thing must be considered while hiring or selecting a manager is to make sure that he/she is right for the position and is capable enough to handle all the given operations effectively. This could be done by analyzing experience and relevant qualifications.
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Keep an eye
Being an owner, it is your responsibility to see how business should run and especially when you have a physical location, it becomes important to make sure that employees are interacting in a professional manner with the customers because they are the god for you. So, you must personally regularly visit all the business locations and check how the entire process is being carried out. Only you can understand well what flaws are there and where improvement is required.
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Gathering is necessary
Gathering here doesn’t mean meetings, what we mean by saying this is organizing or hosting parties for your employees. They are the ones holding your business on all locations and ensuring its effectiveness. Thus, it is important for you to keep them happy and appreciate the efforts they are making. Doing this will encourage employees to work dedicatedly for your company and do as best as they can. This will show your good gesture towards your staff and the benefits of doing this could be seen in your goals.
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Communication is must
Regular communication with managers & team leaders of all locations is necessary to keep check of work progress. This will also be helpful in maintaining a good relationship and streamlining the process of clearing any doubts as earliest as possible. During communication, you can ask about any difficulties faced and strategize ways to find their solution. Effective communication can do wonders for your business thus focus on staying in touch with your employees.
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Weekly reports are necessary
Ask the team leads or managers of all locations to give weekly reports. This is necessary to stay on track and see how far you are from your goal. Weekly reports will show the progress of your business on each location and you can rectify any faults if found. These reports will also serve as a record of your brand and you can use them for strategizing your future goals to get success.
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Improvement is must
Managing a business on multiple locations is not easy but it could be hassle-free if done adopting a structured approach. Improvement is always the key in this changing world and one has to stay aware of current trends of the market. Thus, being a business owner, it is your duty to conduct training sessions for your employees on a regular basis and make sure that every employee is equipped with the necessary education required to work. Plus, not only training is necessary but it is also important to make sure that they understood what has been taught during the training session.
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Social media is really helpful
It doesn’t matter whether you have a single business location or multiple, social media is always the king. For businesses with multiple locations, social media can help it run along. What you can do is create location-based social media accounts and manage them individually by providing exciting offers and answering the queries of your clients. This will be the best strategy to connect with more audience and gain their loyalty. Along with creating social media accounts, running a digital marketing campaign mentioning all locations will also be of great help.
These are the best strategies especially for businesses having multiple locations to run effectively. Considering them will also ensure your business’s growth, employee retention, and achievement of long-term goals.
The Bottom Line
Running a business is not an easy task, it requires a lot of effort, resources, planning, and right execution. There are many businesses across the globe that have a presence in more than one location and this means their reputation is at stake on a large scale. To maintain their brand’s reputation, it is important to ensure uniformity in their product’s or service’s quality and customer satisfaction on all locations. The above-mentioned strategies will play an important role in maintaining the reputation of your business both online & offline and will help you effectively manage all the operations on all the locations.