Running a service-based business can be so much fun, but it can also seem harder to scale. Many service providers when first starting out get the impression that because you’re offering a service, that means it’s impossible to scale.

However, scaling a service-based business is absolutely doable! There are 5 methods of scaling and growing your service business, which is what we’re going to dive into in this blog post!

1. Refine Your Systems & Automation

If you haven’t worked on streamlining your business through systems and automation, that is most definitely the thing we would recommend starting with first. You must have sustainable systems in place before you can begin to really focus on scaling or even hiring out/delegating tasks to someone else!

project management

You should have a project management system in place to help you streamline your tasks and everyday processes. There are tons of options out there, like Trello, Asana, ClickUp, and AirTable. If you don’t plan on trying to start growing a team just yet and still operate as a one-person show, something like Trello or ClickUp may be a best fit. They’re simple and easy-to-navigate, perfect for an independent entrepreneur. If you do plan on growing a team really soon, we’d recommend going ahead and getting set up with a tool like Asana or AirTable.

automation

Anywhere that you can simplify your processes through automation, do so! This can be super simple things like creating keyboard shortcuts for things you type often (like your email address, website URL, etc.), creating email auto-responders for when you’re out of the office, even scheduling your social media content to auto-post. You can also automate your client onboarding and offboarding processes by using CRMs like Dubsado or Honeybook. This will allow you to automate inquiry emails, automatically send forms, auto-collect payments, and different admin tasks like that within your client processes to take more time off of your plate.

2. Raise Your Prices

Have you thought about raising your prices lately? That’s one of the best things that comes with running your own business and setting your prices– You can raise them at any time! In reality, so many service providers are underpaid. Once you sign on clients at your lower, more beginner or intermediate rates, you feel guilty or too nervous to especially raise your prices for your current clients. Believe it or not, there will always be a client out there willing to pay you more for your services! Remember, you’re an expert in your craft and deserve to be paid as such.

3. Develop a One-to-Many Offer

As a lone service provider, you may often wish that you were able to take on more one-to-one clients than your current capacity allows. Putting your knowledge into a one-to-many offer could be a great next step to scale your service-based business! This could be a course, membership, digital offer, or other low-priced offer.

Don’t think that you have to go big or go home by developing a full course experience. Many service providers start by simply creating a low-priced offer that can serve as a quick-fix for a certain problem. For example, someone who writes email copy may create email templates for business owners wanting to uplevel their email marketing but can’t afford your one-to-one services. This would also serve as a great way to prime cold audiences into the idea of hiring you for your direct services!

4. Hire a Subcontractor

Subcontractors are basically hiring your own independent contractor to work under you on your client work. Think of it as an extra pair of hands to help you work with clients, allowing you to expand the amount of clients you can take on at a time. Subcontractors are usually paid at slightly lower rates because the client isn’t technically theirs; they’re just helping you complete the client deliverables. For example, a Social Media Manager could subcontract a graphic designer to help them create graphics for their clients’ social media posts. A sales page designer could subcontract a copywriter to write the copy for a client’s sales page. Subcontractors can be hired for one-off projects, or you could work with them longterm, so they offer tons of flexibility for service providers!

5. Grow a Team

Why not go all out and grow a whole team? Growing a team gives you the opportunity to do so many things in your service-based business. You could double or even triple your income, expand certain areas of your business where you may have fallen short before (for example, marketing is a big piece where many service providers fall behind simply for lack of time), focus on doing just the tasks that you actually love doing in your business, and free up more of your time to be able to dedicate to your personal life.

We help our Building Your Team Intensive students build and grow a sustainable, efficient, and powerful team for their creative businesses. We teach them how to shift their mindset to that of a leader, how to prepare their business for a team, how to create SOPs, where to find talent, hiring and interviewing, how to manage a team, and so much more!

If you’d like very hands-on help with starting a team, we definitely encourage you to apply! From there, we’ll chat to make sure the Intensive is the right next step for your business before you even invest a dime. Be sure to reach out to us on Instagram @theabundancegroup if you have any questions!