5 Real-Life Business Growth Plan Examples for Small Business Owners

5 Real-Life Business Growth Plan Examples for Small Business Owners

Small business owners often dream of scaling their business operations, but it can be challenging to materialize that dream without a clear growth plan in place. A well-planned business growth strategy is essential for any small business hoping to make a long-lasting impact.

Here are five real-life business growth plan examples for small business owners to learn from and apply to their own businesses:

Case Study 1: The Lip Bar

Melissa Butler founded The Lip Bar, an all-natural lipstick brand, in her kitchen in 2012. From a small business in a cramped apartment in Detroit to a nationally recognized cosmetics brand, Melissa’s growth strategy was rooted in influencer marketing and strategic collaborations.

The Lip Bar started by sending free samples to beauty influencers on social media platforms. This approach paid off, and the cosmetics brand landed its first-ever retail partnership with Target in 2015.

Since then, The Lip Bar has continued to grow and evolve by forging partnerships with likeminded brands and investing in the company’s digital marketing strategies, resulting in steady but impressive growth.

Case Study 2: The Farmer’s Dog

Brett Podolsky, Jonathan Regev, and Jordana Schrager founded The Farmer’s Dog, a healthy, fresh pet food subscription-based service, in 2014. Their growth strategy involved perfecting their product and expanding their sales channels.

The trio extensively researched the pet food industry, experimenting with various recipes until they found a healthy blend that could rival traditional dog food. They then focused on getting their product in front of as many potential customers as possible. This included leveraging influencers and social media campaigns that featured their furry customers.

Now, The Farmer’s Dog offers its products in both the US and Canada, has raised over $50 million in investment, and continues to experience growth.

Case Study 3: Love Wellness

Lo Bosworth created Love Wellness, an all-natural wellness brand, to empower women to care for their bodies from the inside out. Her growth strategy centered on providing solutions and products that solved specific issues her customers were having.

To achieve this, Bosworth listened to her customers’ feedback and created targeted solutions to solve their problems, such as bloating or acne. Love Wellness’s content marketing strategy also played a significant role in its growth, with its blog featuring free health advice and natural lifestyle tips.

With an impressive suite of products, Love Wellness has since expanded into new markets and become a household name in wellness.

Case Study 4: Canva

Melanie Perkins, Cliff Obrecht, and Cam Adams created Canva, an easy-to-use design tool, in 2012. Their growth strategy involved focusing on the user experience and democratizing the design world.

Canva offers a convenient, free platform for people to create professional-looking designs with minimal design experience. The team invested in making the platform user-friendly and accessible to everyone, from web designers to small business owners.

Today, the Canva platform has over 30 million active users and has been valued at over $15 billion.

Case Study 5: Away

Steph Korey and Jen Rubio created Away, a modern travel brand that offers high-quality luggage and travel accessories, in 2015. Their growth strategy was focused on building a brand that solved the travel pain points of their customers.

Away’s direct-to-consumer model allowed them to offer luxury luggage at more affordable prices. The company also leveraged social media, influencer marketing, and creative content to drive brand awareness.

As a result, Away is now valued at over $1 billion, with their products sold in retail stores worldwide.

Conclusion

These are just a few examples of successful growth strategies adopted by small businesses. A solid growth plan is necessary for small businesses to scale and maximize their impact. By leveraging the right strategies and constantly experimenting with new approaches, small business owners can achieve the same level of success as the brands mentioned above.