When growing a plant from seed, you can't afford to miss a step. You have to plant it at the right depth, in the right soil and give it the right amount of water and sun. Do everything right, and it will grow and flourish. It fails, and it will too.

Yours BUsINEss it is no different. It takes time, attention and knowledge to help it expand on whatever criteria you think is important. This could be the number of employees, annual sales, profit margins, customer satisfaction, page rankings in search engines, media coverage and more. Whatever size you choose, you'll need to take good care of it.

If your goal is to grow your business, determine what will get you there and pursue it. Making shortcuts it might be okay for a minute, but not for sustainable growth in the long term. Here are three steps you should not skip.

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1. Find out who you are up against

Analyzing your competition is a step no business can skip. The fact is, who your competition is and how they are doing is a moving target. Brands must constantly engage in upping their game if they want to grow.

Currently, content is the tool that most companies use to rise in the search results, to which it is linked sUccess. But throwing out content and hoping something sticks isn't effective. You need to determine where your content strategies are falling short and determine how to fill those gaps. You can start by manually analyzing your competitors' content and comparing it to yours. Please take a look at their blog, social media accounts, internal linking strategy and more to help identify any gaps.

However, not everyone has the time to spend scrolling through each competitor's website to find out why it is achieving higher SERPs. Using tools like MarketMuse Competitive Content Analysis feature saves time and money. Plus, it provides insight into where your competition stands out and where your brand can overcome it.

This technology can examine all of a competitor's website content in a minute and rank the power by site, page or topic. It takes seconds to see where you can take advantage of your competitor's content gaps to make your strategy shine. It's time well spent.

Related: Gen Z doesn't care about your charts – They care about authenticity

2. Create a brand worthy of engagement

Businesses used to grow if they sold quality products and services. These attributes would appeal to new customers and help them hang on to old ones. But customers – and employees – are now looking for much more when making decisions. To grow, your brand must address these complexities.

Your company should embrace such core values ​​as transparency, authenticity and social responsibility. You have to put people before profits and incorporate a worldview into your mission, even if you're small. Lip service is not enough. Your brand must demonstrate its commitment to these values ​​openly, day in and day out.

In a world where technology plays an ever-increasing role in everyday life, customers expect companies to use it create more personal relationships with them. Mass market appeals are fleeting and generational differences have widened. You will need to address each demographic with content, messages and values ​​that specifically resonate with each of them.

Growing your business means building a bigger tent and inviting more people inside. There, you need to prove to them why you're worth their time and money instead of your competition. Keeping loyal customers while attracting others is why you'll need bigger and bigger tents. But that's the point.

Related: Do you want to grow your business? Here's why you need strategic partnerships to succeed.

3. Use partnerships to your advantage.

It can feel like your business is struggling to succeed on its own. And it will be if you're not creating strategic partnerships that can help you get ahead of your competition. Entering these mutually beneficial relationship it's a step you can't miss. And to avoid a mistake, partner with those who share your core values.

Energy drinks and video cameras may look different. But Red Bull and GoPro co-branding strategy it's a winner for two companies that consider themselves sellers of lifestyles as much as products. The partnership opens doors to new customers for both.

Explore your supply chain for collaboration opportunities that can make it more reliable and efficient and save you money. This is the logic behind the long association between McDonald's and Coca-Cola. You may only use one shipping vendor or packaging supplier exclusively for your brand.

Look at your accounts payable and assess the potential for formalizing partnerships with those you do business with. Marketing, packaging and transportation, bulk products, raw materials and technology are some areas ripe for it. COOPERATION. Once you find them, don't let them wither on the vine. You may need to make some adjustments from time to time to make sure you're both reaping the rewards. If you are not, find another partner who will.

Related: Most Business Partnerships Fail – 5 Hacks to Make Sure Yours Stays Intact

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It is rare for a business to reach a certain size and deliberately stop growing. Stagnation is a precedent for contraction. If growth is what you want for your brand, climb the ladder. Just make sure you don't miss one on the way up.