How to accelerate your SME's growth through a recession

By Big Presence

22 Feb 2023

In the world of business, it's easy to get caught up in the excitement of closing big deals and increasing the number of clients you have. After all, these are important metrics for measuring success. However, it's important to remember that revenue acceleration - the speed at which your business can make money - is just as crucial.

In fact, it may be the key to growth, even in a recession.

SMEs, or small and medium-sized enterprises, are particularly susceptible to economic downturns. When money is tight, clients may be more hesitant to spend, and larger businesses may be better equipped to weather the storm. However, if an SME can accelerate its revenue, it may be able to stay afloat and even thrive despite external challenges.

So, why is revenue acceleration so important? Firstly, it allows businesses to quickly reinvest profits into further growth. This means that as revenue increases, businesses can expand their offerings, hire more staff, and invest in marketing and other initiatives that will continue to drive growth. In contrast, if revenue growth is slow, businesses may struggle to make these investments and could end up stagnating.

Secondly, revenue acceleration can help businesses stay ahead of their competition. When a business is able to quickly generate revenue, it can be more agile and responsive to changes in the market. For example, it may be able to pivot its offerings to better meet customer needs or invest in emerging technologies that will give it a competitive edge.

Unfortunately, many organisations don't spend enough time focusing on revenue acceleration. Instead, they may get bogged down in administrative tasks or overly focused on closing large deals. This can make it challenging for them to increase revenue quickly, and may leave them vulnerable to economic downturns or competitive pressures.

So, how can businesses focus on revenue acceleration? Firstly, they can look for ways to streamline their processes and eliminate bottlenecks. For example, implementing automation tools can help to reduce the time and effort required for administrative tasks. Secondly, businesses can focus on building relationships with their customers to drive repeat business and increase the lifetime value of each customer. This means offering exceptional customer service, personalised marketing campaigns, and other initiatives that will keep customers engaged and coming back for more.

I've enclosed below my top 5 x areas that even just improving by 10% will make a huge difference to the speed in which you can generate revenue.

Tips for Accelerating Revenue Performance

  • CRM: A well-managed customer relationship management (CRM) system can help businesses build and maintain strong relationships with their customers, leading to repeat business and increased revenue.
  • Sales Processes: Streamlining sales processes, including lead qualification, proposal development and closing deals, can significantly reduce the time and effort required to generate revenue.
  • Lead Generation: A consistent and targeted lead generation strategy can ensure that sales teams are equipped with high-quality leads, increasing the likelihood of closing deals and generating revenue.
  • Sales Resources: Providing sales teams with the right resources, such as effective training, marketing collateral and tools to automate and streamline processes, can increase productivity and efficiency, leading to faster revenue generation.
  • Target Audience: By clearly defining the target audience, businesses can develop tailored marketing campaigns and sales approaches that resonate with potential customers, increasing the likelihood of converting leads into revenue.

In conclusion, revenue acceleration is just as important as other metrics for measuring business success. For SMEs, it can be the key to growth and survival, particularly in challenging economic times.

By focusing on streamlining processes, focusing on the areas that will make a difference to the speed in which revenue ca be created and building strong customer relationships, businesses can increase revenue quickly and stay ahead of the competition.

To find out more about how you can generate faster in your business, join us for our Linkedin Live on the 10th of March where myself and matt Simmons will be running through our top strategies to speed up your revenue performance.

Click here for details

Latest news

1

£90m-backed regeneration plans submitted for Central Drive Artist's impression of Central Drive

£90m-backed regeneration plans submitted for Central Drive

19 Jun 2026

2

Manufacturers boost growth with digital investment Daleside Fabrication

Manufacturers boost growth with digital investment

19 Jun 2026

3

Planning ahead is key for attracting funding Funding Summit

Planning ahead is key for attracting funding

18 Jun 2026

4

Science in Sport secures £30m-plus backing for growth plans Sir Chris Hoy, chairman of SiS Elite Performance Advisory Panel

Science in Sport secures £30m-plus backing for growth plans

18 Jun 2026

5

BAE Systems commits €50m to European defence start-ups bae-systems-samlesbury.jpg

BAE Systems commits €50m to European defence start-ups

16 Jun 2026

Background image for hub sign up block

LBV Hub

Leverage Lancashire Business View platforms

Post your news
Post your events
Post your offers
Build your network
Improve your SEO
Gain coverage in the magazine
Sign-up
Events
LBV129 July/August Magazine Networking Event
Nov/Dec Networking Event
Networking
16 Jul 2026

LBV129 July/August Magazine Networking Event

Brysdales, Britannia Buildings Drumhead Road, Chorley, PR6 7BX

16:00 - 18:00

LBV130 September/October Magazine Networking Event
Jan/Feb Networking Event - Entrance
Networking
17 Sep 2026

LBV130 September/October Magazine Networking Event

The Beehive Blackburn, Shadsworth Business Park, BB1 2Q

08:30 - 10:30

LBV131 November/December Magazine Networking Event
Jan/ Feb Networking Event - Talking
Networking
19 Nov 2026

LBV131 November/December Magazine Networking Event

Lancashire

08:30 - 10:30

The Bay Business Club
Logo.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Networking
22 Jun 2026

The Bay Business Club

Morecambe Football Club, Morecambe, LA4 4TB

17:00 - 19:00

Preston Freelancer Meet-Up: June
June Freelancer Square.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
24 Jun 2026

Preston Freelancer Meet-Up: June

Society1 Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

10:00 - 12:00

How to manage grievances…with confidence
Logo.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
24 Jun 2026

How to manage grievances…with confidence

The Longlands Hotel, Carnforth, LA6 1JH

08:00 - 10:00

Cyber Crime Awareness Event
Logo.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
24 Jun 2026

Cyber Crime Awareness Event

Morecambe Golf Club, Morecambe, LA4 6AJ

13:00 - 16:00

How can smarter employee benefits reduce costs and improve staff retention?
Screenshot 2026-05-20 100211.png.png
LBV Hub Roundtables
25 Jun 2026

How can smarter employee benefits reduce costs and improve staff retention?

Forbes Solicitors , Preston, PR5 6AW

08:30 - 10:00

NO Rackets Required - The Ultimate Padel Party
Crowdfunder.png.png
LBV Hub Social
26 Jun 2026

NO Rackets Required - The Ultimate Padel Party

Pendle Padel Club, Nelson, BB9 5SR

16:00 - 00:00

How hackers target SMEs - and how to protect your business
Lancashire_gamesdesign_Feb26-2120.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
02 Jul 2026

How hackers target SMEs - and how to protect your business

Engineering Innovation Centre, Preston, PR1 2XS

09:30 - 11:30

The AI Lab: Marketing Multiplier
Event post 03.07.png.png
LBV Hub Seminars
03 Jul 2026

The AI Lab: Marketing Multiplier

Door4, Burnley Wharf, Manchester Road, Burnley, BB11 1JG

09:00 - 11:30

Clubhouse Business Network sponsored by Orca Finance - July 2026
padel-networkpng.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
09 Jul 2026 - 09 Jul 2026

Clubhouse Business Network sponsored by Orca Finance - July 2026

Clubhouse, Blackburn, BB1 3NT

14:00 - 16:00

Advertise with us

Reaching 50,000 members, our print, digital and event platforms offer a fantastic way to raise your business profile and help you grow.

Find out more LBV124 Online Graphic
Subscribe now

Weekly news bulletin