How to develop new revenue streams for your business

One area of focus that all businesses share regardless of their size or industry is revenue and profits. When thinking about increasing revenue, building upon existing business models should not be the only focus; instead, businesses can develop new revenue streams to boost business growth and improve their overall sales value.

In highly competitive markets, and especially in the aftermath of Covid-19, many businesses are modifying or even temporarily shutting down their operations. In such demanding circumstances, if you develop new revenue streams, you can help restore lost income, boost growth, and provide a competitive advantage.

Since most businesses start in niche markets to prospectively dominate them, they focus on understanding their niche customers and the solutions that satisfy their needs. However, business growth often requires a step beyond fine-tuning your existing capabilities as it could be achieved through expansion outside your current scope.

In the twenty-first century, there are countless opportunities for a company to diversify its offerings and develop new revenue streams. We have listed some of the possibilities that businesses can use to increase their revenue streams.

Leverage technology

In today’s rapidly advancing world, new technologies are being developed and made available every day. They not only reshape the way businesses operate and innovate, but they have revolutionized industries several times over.

One crucial way in which businesses leverage technology is by creating seamless experiences for their digital consumers. To achieve this, many companies employ tailor-made solutions for API integration or the use of application programming interfaces. In fact, modern-day digital companies generate vast chunks of their revenue through the use of APIs, as APIs became pivotal in the digital business landscape due to the explosion of cloud-based apps and products.

Fix the inefficiencies within your processes

Almost every business loses time, money, or customers to inefficient processes. If you’re looking to increase your revenue or add new revenue streams, then it’s the right time to streamline or automate your business processes so you can cut costs and boost efficiency. 

The same goes for streamlining communication courses throughout the company. You can employ modern-day tools like electronic signatures to instantly sign contracts and documents and automate tasks that would otherwise have to be achieved with the physical presence of individuals.  

The best way to fix inefficiencies is to look at available data to identify possible lags and errors that you can approach strategically. Fixing inefficiencies can help you perform better within your existing business model, which will require less effort than creating a new one, but will also help you optimize your capacity for future expansions.

If you are not hitting your sales projections, you might want to look at how you can improve your service to better cater to your customers. Re-engaging or retaining your customers requires efficient and dedicated service, so before trying to expand your customer base, think about how you can create the most value for your current consumers.

Develop new offerings

One of the strongest assets that a company can have is its customer base. It is, therefore, an essential piece of your revenue puzzle.

Companies often get stuck in thinking that they know their customers inside out. And while you might have built your business around serving your customer’s needs, you are most probably only solving a small piece of the challenges and decisions in your customer’s experience. 

To develop new revenue streams, businesses should look at their existing products and think about how to create product or service extensions. Collecting customer feedback or researching industry pain points can help you gain a better understanding of what your customers need, or what would create more value for them. Offering new or improved products can also increase your customer base by allowing you to tap into audience segments that you hadn’t previously targeted.

Innovate within the industry

To successfully compete with industry players and leaders, you must have intricate knowledge of your industry and its inner workings. Innovation requires you to consider how introducing a new product to the market can both create value for the industry and enhance the end customer’s experience.

The most effective technique for this kind of analysis is a top-down approach. First, you should look at the industry’s biggest challenges, the companies currently delivering the best value, and how they are doing it. These insights will give you an idea of the state of the industry and how companies are currently approaching the market.

Secondly, you should think from the perspective of the end-consumer, since you will design your products to serve their needs. Consider their interests and lifestyle – how and why they interact with the product and how the industry can deliver the best value to them.

Final words

Creating new revenue streams places your company in a better position to survive or compete in volatile, crowded, and unpredictable markets. Luckily, businesses in the twenty-first century have numerous opportunities for additional streams and ways of increasing their cash flow.

There are different approaches to adding new revenue streams, and you will likely focus on ones that allow your company to stay true to its mission, values, and customers. However, some of the methods that any companies can consider employing include:

• Leveraging technology;
• Fixing inefficiencies within your processes;
• Developing new offerings;
• Innovating within the industry.