Two Things Every Small Business Should Do to Thrive
Atomicon 2025: My Takeaways (Part 2 of 2)
In part one of this blog series, I shared some of my key takeaways from Atomicon 2025; one of Europe’s leading Sales & Marketing conferences for Founders and Small Businesses. I’m following through on my promise to bring you the perfect pairing that Every Small Business Should Do to Thrive.
I believe they’re transformative for any small business founder.
Both are ideas that deeply resonate with how I work from standout talks at Atomicon 25 by: @AccountantShe and Geoff Ramm.
Their messages were simple, but powerful:
Build your business with franchise model thinking
Overdeliver with consistent customer excellence
These are strategies you can put into practice right now whether you’re leading a small team or running lean as a founder with or without support around you.
1. Think with a Franchise Mindset (Even if You Never Want One)
The idea of franchise model thinking has stuck with me.
A franchise doesn’t succeed because of one charismatic founder who carries the business in their head. It succeeds because it has systems. The model works anywhere, with different people and teams, because the processes are repeatable, reliable, and tested.
As the business grows, you must grow your leadership, your systems and your teams. You can’t stay doing everything yourself. Outsourcing is a great option for small businesses that might not be ready to hire internally yet.
As an OBM, I can’t emphasise this enough: too many businesses are running on the founder’s energy and memory. It’s a recipe for burnout and bottlenecks.
My takeaway: you don’t need to build a McDonald’s or Starbucks empire to benefit from franchise thinking. Instead, you can start today by documenting and standardising your business processes.
One thing you can do today: Pick one recurring task and write down the steps in a simple checklist.
One thing you can do this week: Identify 3–5 key processes (think: client onboarding, invoicing, social media scheduling) and put them into a repeatable format.
One thing you can do every week: Review and refine your systems. A small improvement every week compounds into massive growth.
This is how you free yourself from being “the doer” and step fully into being the leader of your business.
2. Overdeliver With Consistent Customer Excellence
Geoff Ramm’s keynote is a game-changer: don’t just deliver for your clients: overdeliver.
Overdelivery isn’t about working yourself into exhaustion or doing more for less. It means creating standout, memorable experiences that your clients will want to consistently talk about.
Think about the last time you received exceptional service: maybe a handwritten thank you note, or a company that fixed a problem before you even noticed it. That kind of attention builds loyalty, referrals, and a reputation money can’t buy.
My takeaway: your clients should know what to expect every time they work with you. Consistency builds trust. Thoughtful touches build delight. There is always room for improvement.
One thing you can do today: Look at your client journey and find one small way to surprise and delight.
One thing you can do this week: Create one standard for client excellence (e.g., every email answered within 24 hours, or every meeting followed up with clear notes).
One thing you can do every week: Ask yourself: “If this were my last week with this client, how would I leave them feeling?” Then act on it.
Pulling It All Together
These two takeaways: a franchise model mindset and repeatable customer excellence are the perfect pairing.
One is about building strong systems that keep your business running smoothly. The other is about adding that personal touch and care that makes clients stay with you and become your brand ambassadors. Together, they create a business that runs smoothly and feels personal.
And this is exactly where I step in as an Online Business Manager. My role is to help founders move from scrambling to keep up into leading with clarity. I set up the systems that keep your business running like a franchise, and I ensure client experience doesn’t just meet expectations - it exceeds them.
Atomicon reminded me that growth doesn’t come from doing more. It comes from doing better consistently and working smart, not harder.
Ready to scale your business with structure and excellence?
Book a call with me today, and let’s talk about how an OBM can help you build systems that run smoothly and deliver standout client experiences every single time.
isabelle@izzwhizzva.co.uk
Online Business Management and Virtual Assistant Support for Purpose Led Founders and Legal Practitioners
