The Thomas Blog

12 Tips For Growing Your CNC Machining Business

Starting a new business can be a challenging endeavor, especially for entrepreneurs entering a crowded market with large, well-established competitors already in place. As the manufacturing industry experiences shifts in how it operates, how can CNC machining businesses secure contracts and grow within the industry despite today's challenging obstacles?

Here are some tips and suggestions for small CNC machine shops to continue growing their businesses.

How To Expand Your Manufacturing Business Into New Markets

American manufacturing is on the upswing. Hiring activity is  at historic highs; reshoring is bringing production back to the U.S., and buyers are spending more on new suppliers than they have in recent years.

Business owners continue to be cautious with investments and costs, with good reason. Even as manufacturing and the economy as a whole make gains, the memory of tougher times looms. Fortunately, today's digital marketing landscape allows you to take substantial steps to grow your business and expand into new markets.

Using Digital Marketing To Win Business From Fortune 1000 Companies

Landing a contract with a major buyer can have a significant impact on your business. However, large buying organizations like Fortune 1000s tend to do things differently from smaller businesses that have more flexibility in approaching new partnerships.

According to DemandGen, 67% of B2B buyers rely more on digital content to research and make purchasing decisions than they did a year ago. So if you want to drive real new business results and get in front of major companies, it's necessary to have a strong online presence that addresses the major concerns and qualifications these companies are looking for when considering new suppliers.

For Industrial Companies: How Much Should You Spend On Marketing?

Even though the manufacturing industry has had a long dominance in the U.S. economy, it’s still relatively a newcomer when it comes to all things industrial marketing.

Instead of word-of-mouth referrals and newspaper advertisements, digital platforms have become the most effective way to drive new business with a more expansive reach and more effective ways to highlight a company’s value proposition. Marketers and business owners utilize pay-per-click, content creation, email blasts, and many other tactics to their advantage, but to some, these methods can feel overwhelming. With so much opportunity comes tough decisions on how to direct your time, energy, and money.

How To Sell Industrial Products In A B2C World

The online product sourcing landscape has changed. B2B consumers are no longer satisfied with data buried in catalogs and PDFs.

Like their B2C online experience, consumers expect a dynamic, user-friendly experience filled with compelling data. This movement drives companies to invest in digitized catalogs and create a complete digital customer experience for online prospects.

How can B2B businesses, manufacturers, and industrial companies shift their current online strategies or elevate their existing lead generation efforts to sell their industrial products effectively?

Why Public Relations Matters To Manufacturers

As companies in the industrial sector look for ways to win new customers and keep loyal customers, they need to find ways to stay top of mind in a competitive landscape. From producing videos, creating valuable guides, to being everywhere your buyers are —  a recognizable brand in addition to those marketing tactics can put you in a position to win more business.

Public relations (PR) can help manufacturers boost their brand awareness and drive credibility and sales. Let's outline how you can get started.

How To Become A Defense Supplier

Did you know that the Department of Defense (DoD) spends more than 60 percent of the federal procurement budget eligible for small businesses? In the 2017 fiscal year, DoD awarded more than $60 billion in prime contracts to small businesses.

From anonymized sourcing activity across Thomasnet.com, Thomas Industrial Data shows the Aerospace & Defense Industry is a rapidly evolving field. Continued military spending growth is a sign for suppliers to secure ongoing business and tap into new market opportunities — but today, businesses continue to shift in their sourcing as they pivot to help the country combat COVID-19. Read on to learn how you can become a part of the solution.

How To Become A Top Manufacturing Supplier

Most of us know that supplying a quality product or service on time, and at a fair price, is critical to achieving customer satisfaction. But what if you're not the only one that can do this for your customer?

Become your customer's first choice for their next order and rank as a top supplier with these tips.

How To Grow Your Steel And Metals Manufacturing Business

Recently, “steel” was one of the most sourced products on the Thomasnet.com platform. Sheet metal and metal stamping facilities are rising and contributing to the growth of this market. But it also comes as no surprise when steel and metals represent an important supply source to the aerospace, aviation, and medical industries — timely to today’s global pandemic of COVID-19.

So how can steel and metal manufacturing businesses continue the momentum of their business growth? First, make sure you have a clear business plan. Some manufacturers try to grow their manufacturing business by doing everything possible. Choose business goals that are realistic and document them so you can see your milestones and track your growth along the way. You may overwhelm yourself and your employees if you don’t have a clear plan first.