The Proven 7-Lever Plan to Double Your Small Business Profits

The Proven 7-Lever Plan to Double Your Small Business Profits

Many small business owners believe that in order to double their profits, they need to double their sales. 

That means chasing more leads, throwing more money at ads, and working twice as hard.

But what if you could double your profits without doubling your workload?

That’s the power of the 7 Levers Framework, a simple but game-changing approach developed by Pete Williams, author of Cadence: A Tale of Fast Business Growth. This framework focuses on small, incremental improvements across seven key areas of your business, each of which has a direct impact on your profitability.

The magic happens when you improve each lever by just 10%. Thanks to compounding, these small wins don’t just add up—they multiply, leading to a near 100% increase in profits.

If you’re tired of scrambling for more leads or feeling like your growth is stuck, this step-by-step approach will help you unlock more revenue, higher margins, and better customer retention: small steps that compound into big wins.

A Tale of Fast Business Growth

1. Increase Suspects: Attract More Potential Customers

The Problem:
Your business depends on people knowing you exist. Yet many small business owners rely on word-of-mouth referrals or inconsistent marketing efforts, meaning they’re invisible to a huge pool of potential buyers.

The Solution:
More suspects—potential customers who might be interested in your business—means more opportunities for revenue. To get that 10% win:

  • Be discoverable where your ideal clients are searching – This means search engine optimisation (SEO) for organic traffic and Google My Business for local visibility.
  • Use targeted digital marketing – Whether it’s Google Ads, Facebook, or LinkedIn, precise targeting can put your business in front of the right people.
  • Increase your professional and personal social media presence – Regardless of industry, your ideal prospects are active on one or more social media channels. You and your business should be too. The goal is to be top-of-mind for solutions to the problems the ideal clients are trying to solve.

Small win: If your website doesn’t bring in new leads consistently, even simple SEO improvements can increase traffic by 10%.

2. Turn Suspects into Prospects: Get Engagement

The Problem:
Many businesses attract visitors but don’t convert them into interested prospects. This could be someone browsing your website, reading your content, or following you on social media—but not taking the next step.

The Solution:
Move suspects from passive browsing to active engagement by offering a clear next step. Try:

  • Lead magnets – A free downloadable resource (checklist, guide, audit) in exchange for an email address builds your email list.
  • Interactive content – Quizzes, calculators, or assessments help prospects engage with your brand.
  • Better calls to action (CTAs) – Make it crystal clear what prospects should do next (e.g., “Book a Free Call” or “Download Your Free Guide”).

Small win: If your website has no clear way to collect emails, adding a simple lead capture form will increase conversions.

3. Improve Conversions: Turn Prospects into Paying Customers

The Problem:
Having interested prospects doesn’t mean they’ll buy. Many businesses fail to guide customers through the sales process, leading to lost revenue.

The Solution:
Actively help people make a decision:

  • Follow up with leads – Most sales don’t happen on the first interaction. A well-crafted email sequence keeps you top-of-mind.
  • Add social proof – Reviews, testimonials, and case studies reduce hesitation.
  • Simplify the sales process – If buying from you is complicated, people will go elsewhere. Make the experience frictionless.

Small win: If your business has no automated follow-up process, even a simple email reminder to abandoned leads will increase conversions.

4. Increase Average Sale Value: Get Customers to Spend More

The Problem:
Many businesses undercharge or fail to maximise each sale, meaning they leave money on the table.

The Solution:
A 10% win here is about increasing the perceived value of your offering:

  • Bundling complementary products/services – Offer package deals or add-ons that make sense.
  • Premium options – Some customers want the best—offer an upgraded version of your service.
  • Strategic price adjustments – Small price increases aligned with value can have zero pushback if communicated properly.

Small win: If your business doesn’t offer premium packages, introducing a high-ticket option can boost average transaction size.

5. Sell More Items Per Sale: Upsell & Cross-Sell

The Problem:
Customers often buy only one thing when they could be purchasing multiple.

The Solution:
Subtly encourage buyers to increase their order size:

  • Upsells: Offer a better, upgraded version at checkout (e.g., “Upgrade to VIP for just $99 more”).
  • Cross-sells: Suggest related products/services (e.g., “Customers who bought this also bought…”).
  • Bundles: Group complementary products together for a higher perceived value.

Small win: Adding a related items section on your checkout page or website can easily increase the number of items per transaction.

6. Increase Transactions Per Customer: Get Customers to Buy Again

The Problem:
Many businesses put too much focus on acquiring new customers while neglecting the ones they already have.

The Solution:
Instead of constantly chasing new leads, get existing customers to return:

  • Email marketing for re-engagement – A simple reminder, special offer, or educational content keeps customers active.
  • Loyalty programs – Reward repeat purchases with discounts or bonuses.
  • Follow-up service offerings – If you provide ongoing value, customers have more reasons to return.

Small win: If you’re not regularly following up with past clients, sending just one re-engagement email per month can increase repeat purchases.

7. Improve Profit Margins: Cut Costs & Optimise Efficiency

The Problem:
Revenue means nothing if your costs are eating into your profits. Many businesses waste money on inefficient operations.

The Solution:
Instead of cutting corners, optimise:

  • Audit unnecessary expenses – Are you paying for tools, software, or services you don’t use?
  • Negotiate better supplier rates – Even a slight cost reduction on raw materials or software can improve margins.
  • Automate repetitive tasks – Reduce labour costs and human error with smarter systems.

Small win: Just a 10% improvement in pricing or expenses can significantly impact profitability.

Final Thoughts: Small steps, big wins

The biggest mistake small business owners make? Looking for one magic solution to double their profits.

Instead, small, strategic improvements across all seven levers create massive, compounding growth.

If you want to make more money while working smarter, start by identifying which lever has the easiest 10% win for your business.

✅ Need a roadmap? Take our free Marketing Health Check to see where your biggest opportunities are.

✅ Want expert guidance? Book a strategy call to discuss how you can apply the 7 Levers Framework in your business.

🚀 The key to growth isn’t working harder—it’s working smarter.