MSME Business Growth Techniques

When I hear business owners saying they're just using ChatGPT, I think: "You're already 12 months behind." Here’s why: In the last 13 months, I’ve used AI to: → Create 500+ viral LinkedIn posts → Build 390,000+ engaged followers → Scale my startup to $500k ARR (just 2 of us) Most business owners are still thinking about using AI. And I get it. It seems daunting. But it’s just buried under too much noise. So, while traditional teams are still stuck in the “AI-assisted” mindset Smart teams are building entire businesses with AI: 3 core AI skills they’ve mastered: 1/ Prompt Engineering Treat every prompt like a mini brief - add role, action, context and expectation. 2/ AI-Assisted Decision Making Feed information into AI and ask for 3 scenarios: best, worst, likely. 3/ Workflow Automation Automate one task you repeat 3x a week. The implementation roadmap they follow: Step 1: Task Audit • Write down every task you repeat 3x a week. Step 2: Pick 1-3 Quick Wins • Admin tasks that save 30 mins - summarise discovery calls and draft the follow up email. Step 3: Test Small. • Run a small pilot before replacing core ops. Step 4: Train Your AI • Save prompts in your brand’s tone - refine until it sounds like you. Step 5: Integrate into Workflows • Add AI where it’s invisible: CRM, Slack, Docs. Step 6: Document SOPs • Save best prompts + workflows so they can be reused. Step 7: Review & Improve • Test new tools and workflows, double down on what creates most value. We should all be thinking - how can I use this as a force multiplier for my business Start with one task you do over and over. Set up a Zapier workflow for it today. That’s how small businesses scale with AI. 📌 Want a high-res PDF of this sheet? Get it here: https://lnkd.in/gKzZUq-b ♻️ Repost to help your network grow with AI. ➕ Follow me (Will McTighe) for more like this.

10 Ways Small Businesses Can Use AI to Reduce Contractor Costs 💡 Hiring freelancers for everything can get expensive—fast. But today’s AI tools make it easier than ever for small teams to do more in-house without sacrificing quality. Here are 10 practical ways AI can help you reduce reliance on contractors and save serious money: Graphic Design: Use AI tools like Canva’s Magic Design or Adobe Firefly to create professional graphics—no designer needed. Video Editing & Voiceovers: AI video tools can help you cut, caption, and narrate marketing videos with studio-quality polish. Content Writing: Blog posts, product descriptions, and newsletters can now be written (and optimized) in minutes using AI. Customer Service: AI chatbots can handle FAQs, returns, and support tickets—freeing up your team and reducing outsourced support costs. Bookkeeping & Invoicing: Tools like QuickBooks with AI features can automate expense tracking, categorization, and reporting. Website Management: AI website builders and content tools let you update and expand your site without hiring a developer. Social Media Management: Schedule, write, and even generate visuals for your posts with AI—no agency or VA required. Email Marketing: AI can personalize subject lines, optimize send times, and even write the emails for you. SEO Optimization: Use AI to identify keywords, write meta descriptions, and improve rankings without needing a specialist. Market Research & Trend Analysis: AI can scan your industry and competitors for insights—without paying for pricey reports. Bottom line: AI lets you keep quality high while cutting costs and reclaiming control. For many small businesses, that’s a game-changer. What task are you thinking of bringing in-house with AI? #SmallBusinessTips #AIAutomation #SaveMoneyWithAI #Entrepreneurship #CostCutting #DoMoreWithLess #Bootstrapping #SmallBizTools #AIForSmallBusiness

Contrary to popular belief, having a GTM team offsite will not fix your go-to-market problem. Neither will a pipeline meeting on Wednesdays. Neither will a CMO-CRO bi-weekly coffee meeting. Neither will firing your CMO and trying to hire a unicorn marketing leader. It’s a Band-Aid. It might make it easier for people to work together. It might patch up the problem for a while that will come back to you in 3 months when you’re missing your pipeline for Q4. It’s a Band-Aid. The real solution? Redesign your GTM (aka the Factory that produces your revenue) - Starting with Financial Planning, Modeling, and Budgeting, and then working across the rest of GTM team to Sales, Marketing, Sales Dev, Ops, Post-Sale, etc. 1. Build a Unified View of GTM with Financial Data & GTM Data that measures both performance (effectiveness) and unit economics (efficiency) 2. Align the entire GTM leadership team on a core KPI stack that has *nothing* to do with attribution by department or channel 3. Categorize and evaluate GTM investment portfolio allocation by customer lifecycle stage, NOT DEPARTMENT. 4. Methodically break down compound metrics to isolate the biggest issues / risks / opportunities by customer lifecycle stage 5. Build and align on cross-functional initiatives to solve the biggest issues in your Revenue Factory 6. Monitor and evaluate impact against the core KPI stack that has nothing to do with attribution by department or channel. #finance #gtm #b2b #sales #marketing p.s. Just to drive home the message - you should be able to *clearly* understand how your GTM is performing and isolate the biggest issues/opportunities without ever discussing or using attribution by channel or department 🙂

𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐌𝐄? As someone who's navigated the ups and downs of running and advising small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), I know that identifying and managing financial risks is crucial for your business's health and growth. Let's delve into some key strategies: Understand Your Cash Flow: Keep a close eye on your cash flow. Surprisingly, 82% of SME failures are due to poor cash flow management. Regular Financial Audits: Conducting regular audits can help identify potential risks early. Remember, prevention is better than cure. Diversify Revenue Streams: Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Diversification can reduce dependency on a single source of income, which is vital as market trends shift. Stay Informed on Market Trends: Keeping up with market trends is essential. This knowledge can help you anticipate and prepare for potential financial downturns. Invest in Good Insurance: Insurance can be a lifesaver in mitigating unforeseen risks. Consider different types of insurance to cover various aspects of your business. Create a Risk Management Plan: Have a solid plan in place. Only 50% of SMEs have a risk management plan, yet those who do are 28% more likely to experience growth. As we navigate the ever-changing business landscape, remember that managing financial risk is not just about avoiding pitfalls; it's about empowering your business to thrive in uncertainty. Looking forward to your insights and strategies on this! ________________________________ Check out my website and podcast. Link in the comments. #FinancialRiskManagement #SMEGrowth #Facts #BusinessStrategies #EconomicResilience #Entrepreneurship

SMBs are facing a critical challenge: how to maximize efficiency, connectivity, and communication without massive resources. The answer? Strategic AI implementation. Many small business owners tell me they're intimidated by AI. But the truth is you don't need to overhaul your entire operation overnight. The most successful AI adoptions I've seen follow these six straightforward steps: 1️⃣ Identify Immediate Needs: Look for quick wins where AI can make an immediate impact. Customer response automation is often the perfect starting point because it delivers instant value while freeing your team for higher-value work. 2️⃣ Choose User-Friendly Tools: The best AI solutions integrate seamlessly with your existing technology stack. Don't force your team to learn entirely new systems. Find tools that enhance what you're already using. 3️⃣ Start Small, Scale Gradually: Begin with focused implementations in 1-2 key areas. This builds confidence, demonstrates value, and creates organizational momentum before expanding. 4️⃣ Measure and Adjust Continuously: Set clear KPIs from the start. Monitor performance religiously and be ready to refine your AI configurations to optimize results. 5️⃣ Invest in Team Education: The most overlooked success factor? Proper training. When your team understands both the "how" and "why" behind AI tools, adoption rates soar. 6️⃣ Look Beyond Automation: While efficiency gains are valuable, the real competitive advantage comes from AI-driven insights. Let the technology reveal patterns in your business processes and customer behaviors that inform better strategic decisions. The bottom line: AI adoption doesn't require disruption. The most effective approaches complement your existing workflows, enabling incremental improvements that compound over time. What's been your experience implementing AI in your business? I'd love to hear what's working (or not) for you in the comments below. #SmallBusiness #AI #BusinessStrategy #DigitalTransformation

"Your GTM Isn’t a Strategy—It’s a System" a $7M CEO asked me: "what’s the best go-to-market strategy for our stage of growth?" my response? "you don’t need a strategy. you need a system." most companies treat gtm like a series of disconnected tactics— 📌 launch a new outbound sequence 📌 tweak paid ads to drive pipeline 📌 invest in brand, content, or demand gen but the best b2b companies don’t run tactics. they run GTM systems. GTM is not a one-time initiative—it’s an operating system. if your growth is dependent on heroic sales reps or one-off marketing plays, you don’t have a system—you have a patchwork of tactics. if your sales and marketing teams operate in silos, you don’t have a system—you have a misalignment problem. if you’re adding pipeline but not improving efficiency, you don’t have a system—you have a leaky funnel. when GTM is a system, it runs on predictable inputs and scalable outputs. what does a gtm system look like? 1️⃣ predictable demand generation → how do we consistently create pipeline? ✅ content, brand, paid, outbound all work together (not separately) ✅ marketing & sales agree on icp, lead quality, and follow-up timing ✅ metrics track revenue impact, not just MQLa 🚀 example: Snowflake → multi-channel demand engine that created urgency around data cloud migration. Gong → blended inbound, outbound, and category creation to dominate sales tech. 2️⃣ seamless pipeline conversion → how do we ensure pipeline turns into revenue? ✅ sales process is mapped to buyer journey (not internal quotas) ✅ deal velocity, conversion rates, and forecast accuracy are measured weekly ✅ marketing doesn’t just generate leads—it owns pipeline acceleration 🚀 example: HubSpot → inbound marketing aligned with a structured sales handoff for faster close rates. Stripe → self-serve and sales-led motions work together to maximize growth. 3️⃣ revenue retention & expansion → how do we grow customers beyond their first purchase? ✅ net revenue retention (nrr) > new arr focus ✅ cs and sales align on customer expansion playbooks ✅ partnerships, integrations, and upsells create ongoing growth 🚀 example: Datadog → started with monitoring, expanded into full observability & security. Shopify → moved from a website builder into a full commerce ecosystem with payments, banking, and financing. final thoughts 📌 if your gtm motion isn’t predictable, scalable, and repeatable, you don’t have a system—you have tactics. 📌 if your teams operate in silos, you don’t have a system—you have friction. 📌 if you can’t measure efficiency, you don’t have a system—you have guesswork. GTM isn’t about launching a strategy. it’s about building a system. so i’ll ask you: is your gtm running on tactics, or are you building a system? let’s discuss 👇 love, sangram p.s. follow Sangram Vajre to learn how to fix your broken GTM with GTM O.S. #gotomarket #gtm #growth #b2b #sales #marketing

🚀 Attention small ad agencies and Indies🚀 The Ad Age Small Agency Conference is next week and that got me thinking about a few stellar marketing athletes like Oliver McAteer and Tom Morrissy and Stephen Larkin and Jason Mitchell and Steve Boehler (the GOAT) who all excel at promoting their shops. I dug into their vault of gold (what they did in the market) and boiled it down to 10 tips inspired by their actions. Let the tips flowwwww...... 😎 1. Craft compelling thought leadership content. Regularly publish insightful articles on industry trends and best practices. Then blog it, email or share on LinkedIn. Your unique perspective establishes your agency as an authority. 2. Showcase client success stories creatively. Create detailed case studies highlighting your impact on client businesses. Then surface them as LinkedIn posts (storytelling here, don’t bore me) to demonstrate your expertise and results-driven approach. 3. Engage in industry events strategically. Wow - mingle with humans. Yes, it’s not that hard. Speak at conferences and do webinars or go on podcasts to share your knowledge. Share key takeaways and insights from these events on LinkedIn to expand your network and visibility. 4. Embrace video content. Words take a long time and they’re not always exciting. Produce short, engaging videos showcasing your agency's culture, creative process, and behind-the-scenes glimpses. Share these on LinkedIn, TikTok or Insta to humanize your brand and attract potential clients and talent. 5. Partner (and party) with industry influencers. Collaborate on joint (party) content creation or guest blogging opportunities. Cross-promote these collaborations on LinkedIn to tap into new audiences and add credibility to your brand. 6. Implement a targeted PR strategy. Targeted folks - spend less, target more. Know your audience. Develop personas. Then get talking to them and industry journalists and publications. Offer expert commentary on industry news and trends to secure media mentions and build credibility beyond your immediate network. 7. Optimize your LinkedIn company page. Whoah boy - I’ve seen some bad ones. It’s your front grill. Get it right. 8. Host events. Use your space (if you have it). Organize webinars online, and do workshops on topics relevant to your target clients. Promote these events on LinkedIn to showcase your expertise and generate quality leads. 9. Leverage employee advocacy effectively. Say - hey, we are in it together. Time for you to start promoting the shop. 10. Enter awards (Like the Ad Age Small Business Conference Awards). Get your best work out there. Consistency is key. Commit to it - Most fizzle and fail. Is this crap? Tell me. Otherwise, I’d love to hear about your biggest challenge in marketing your agency. #AgencyGrowth  #AdAgencyMarketing  #Smallagencies #SoulpurposeAdvisory

𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭-𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐭, 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭! 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭? Finding PMF is just the beginning. The next challenge? Building a Go-To-Market strategy that scales. Without a clear plan, growth stalls, sales cycles drag, and customers hesitate. Here’s how to structure your GTM strategy for sustainable, repeatable success: 1️⃣ Define Your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) Not all customers are the right fit. Who gets the most value? Who buys with urgency? Who renews? Focus there. 2️⃣ Craft a Clear Value Proposition Customers don’t buy features—they buy outcomes. How does your product solve their problem better than anyone else? 3️⃣ Choose the Right Sales Strategy Enterprise Sales (direct sales teams for big deals) Inside Sales (scalable for mid-market & SMBs) Product-Led Growth (PLG) (free trials/self-serve adoption) Channel & Partnerships (MGAs, resellers, other core platforms providers) 4️⃣ Align Sales & Marketing Your marketing attracts the right customers. Your sales team converts them. Misalignment = wasted leads and missed revenue. 5️⃣ KPI’s - Track, Optimize, and Iterate GTM is NOT “set it and forget it.” Refine what works. Drop what doesn’t. What’s your biggest GTM challenge right now? Let’s discuss in the comments! #GoToMarket #SalesStrategy #InsurTech #Growth #Founders

$100,000 wasted on marketing that didn't work. That's what Chris told me before we rebuilt their go-to-market strategy. For five years, his company had been stuck in the "everything for everyone" trap. Every project was custom. Margins were terrible. The team was overwhelmed. "It felt like we were wading upstream," Chris said. "Taking one slow, painful step at a time, fighting against the current." Sound familiar? In 4 months, everything changed: → Gross margins jumped from under 50% to over 60% → Hired 2 additional engineers with improved cash flow → Built an independent sales engine beyond referrals → Crystal clear positioning that converts prospects We didn't start with tactics. We started with foundations. → Month 1: Deep customer interviews to identify their best-fit segment → Month 2: Messaging overhaul using actual buyer language → Month 3: Channel strategy based on how customers actually buy → Month 4+: Execution through local SEO, trade shows, partnerships The breakthrough came when Chris stopped trying to serve everyone and focused on a specific customer type: independent manufacturing companies in the Midwest needing ongoing software support. "Now, instead of bubbling over my words, throwing everything at them to see what sticks, I'm crystal clear on exactly what we do," Chris explained. "Without question, partnering with Garrett has been one of the best business decisions we've ever made." Want the full breakdown? I'm publishing it in tomorrow's newsletter—complete process, deliverables, and what moved the needle. Subscribe using the link under my name to get it in your inbox. If your revenue feels stuck and your marketing sounds like noise, don't chase more tactics. Fix your GTM foundations first.

This financial strategy saved me thousands. And it can do the same for you. As a business coach working with CEOs, founders, and business owners, I’ve seen one common mistake: They focus on revenue… but ignore cash flow. I did the same. Until I learned this strategy: Cash Flow Allocation. Here’s how it works: 1. Pay Yourself First Sounds counterintuitive, right? But setting aside a fixed percentage of income for yourself creates discipline. It ensures you’re not just building a business but also building wealth. 2. Allocate for Growth I dedicated a portion to reinvest in my business. Not on fancy tools but on systems that drive efficiency and scale. Think automation, marketing funnels, and team training. 3. Emergency Fund Every business faces downturns. I created a 6-month emergency fund. This safety net gave me the confidence to take calculated risks… Without the fear of losing everything. 4. Debt Reduction High-interest debt is a silent profit killer. I used this strategy to eliminate debts faster. Freeing up cash for growth and security. 5. Reinvest Wisely Not every dollar needs to be spent. I reinvested in assets that appreciated over time. Think real estate, stocks, or even upskilling. The result? I saved thousands, scaled my business, and created financial security. This strategy isn’t just about saving money. It’s about building a business that funds your life goals. Want to implement this in your business? Let’s chat in the comment.