From Risk to Reward: Winning Strategies for Energy Suppliers

All energy suppliers want to better their business. It is probably one of the most critical aspects of your job. To retain customers, obtain new ones, and keep your staff engaged, you must begin strategizing ways to take your business to the next level. Being stagnant may be the easiest and best way to avoid trying something new and failing, but you will likely stay caught up with the rest of your competitors. Trying new things can always be risky, but the reward may prove that the plan was the best thing you could do for your business. If you are ready to take the next step to the top, check out these strategy recommendations and determine how you can apply them to your retail energy business. 

Push Through the Competition

The competition continuously growing in the retail energy industry can add extra stress to your already busy work schedule. Knowing what your competitors offer, how you can offer a better deal, and finding unique ways to stand out adds more tasks to your never-ending to-do list. However, these tasks are crucial to remain competitive in the industry. Asking yourself these questions to know your competition better and accurately understand your place in the industry can be easy. However, what you do with your findings can be challenging but can also really set your business apart. Crafting new strategies that will help you keep up and surpass your competition will help you keep recurring customers while being an attractive option for new customers. Creating a profitable strategy is up to you, but where should you start? Let’s look at four proven strategies that you can try.

Four Proven Strategies for Energy Suppliers

Every energy business is unique, so keep that in mind when reviewing these strategies. While one may work for a neighboring business, there may be better fits for yours. Understanding your business’s strengths and weaknesses can help determine which winning strategies work best for your retail energy supply business. 

Diversify and Expand Into New Segments 

Oddly, you probably receive a lot of pressure from investors to increase terminal growth rates. Plus, stakeholders are likely pushing for your business to try to combat climate change. Instead of pushing off these demands, leaning into them and finding ways your business can diversify investments into new energy segments can increase growth while keeping investors and stakeholders happy. Tapping into renewable energy, or expanding your current offerings, can be an incredible way to expand your business. As fighting climate change becomes more prevalent among the average citizen, offering an energy source that they can utilize is crucial. Otherwise, you could lose business and receive a negative reputation. Renewable energy offers a unique opportunity for your company to grow and play a part in combating climate change. 

The global commitment to climate change will also result in businesses investing in new energy segments. Implementing a strategic shift into these new markets by targeting rapidly growing ones can positively help your retail energy supply business. These new markets can even make up for decreased spending in traditional markets. 

Evolve Customer Bases

The global production of liquid fuels has shifted drastically in the last few decades. Independents have tripled their share in the last 40 years. Their business model promotes low-cost and lean operations but has proven successful. Energy supply companies should react to this news by consolidating and creating a key value proposition attractive to the audience. Operation excellence is one of the most important key value drivers and can significantly impact your business. Consolidating your efforts and simplifying your processes through technology can help you keep up with competitors. Plus, make sure you develop internal capabilities to combat the increase in cash demands from different government drivers. 

Implement Hedge Strategies to Manage Price Volatility 

When the market experiences price volatility, it can be confusing and concerning for your customers. Creating strategies to help you navigate the ever-changing market is essential for successful energy management. While volatility is never fun, it is a regular aspect of the industry, and suppliers should have a strategy in place to be successful. A hedge product can be an excellent option for customers who do not want to pay a fixed rate. By allowing your customer to lock in certain prices for a specific percentage of their energy and leave the rest open to index prices, you can give them flexibility and structure all in one. This option would be perfect for customers who use most of their energy in off-peak hours. This helps protect the price of energy during the highest time of usage. Consider implementing hedge strategies to offer a competitive plan to potential customers during a volatile market. 

Pursue Agility and Innovation 

While hype continues to grow surrounding renewable energy, it is important to remember that it is still in its infancy. Predictions and trajectories surrounding renewable energy can quickly pivot, and your business must be prepared to act accordingly. One of an energy business's best strengths is remaining agile so you can successfully pivot when needed. Remember to keep an open mind and be ready to jump on new opportunities. If your business continues to employ the same procedures repeatedly, it may get stuck in a rut. Traditional oil and gas businesses with legacy processes should especially be aware of this. While the standard routine can save you time and effort, employing new procedures or adapting existing ones can help you remain competitive and help grow your business. 

Technology has proven to be one of the most helpful tools in the retail energy business. From state-of-the-art energy management software to artificial intelligence, the energy landscape continues to find new ways to utilize technology. As energy companies continue to make technological investments, customer expectations increase. Energy companies should evaluate their current practices and plan to find technology that will create the most value. Thinking of the present and your long-term goals can help you find technology that benefits your business and its customers. When deciding if you should invest in a specific technology, remember that automating repetitive tasks, creating workplace efficiencies, and enhancing team collaboration are some of the most treasured features.  

Turn Risk into Reward

Plenty of opportunities within the market will leave you in the dust if you don't take advantage of them, or they could bring you to the top if you utilize them. As energy suppliers, it is important to know where your risks are so you can implement strategic plans to turn the risk into a reward. Creating a consistent business plan while improving your operations can help keep your current customers happy and new ones rolling in. Keeping your customers happy and profitable is possible — you just need the right strategies. Start with one of our four recommended strategies if unsure where to begin. They have been proven repeatedly as a successful way to improve your business. Keep your business’ success the priority, and happy customers will follow. 

Take Your Business To New Heights

You must take some risks to have a successful retail energy supply business that can retain new customers and bring in new ones. You may never know what strategies are best for your business, but you can miss out on vast growth and opportunities unless you try something new. Taking the first step can be the hardest part, but making efforts to expand into new segments, grow your customer base, implement hedging strategies, or invest in innovative technology, can have a long-lasting impact on your business. Want to know more about how you can increase profits and staff efficiency? Our guide, Top 7 Ways to Handle Your Energy Commissions Without Having to Spend Your Life Fielding Complaints, can give you insight into another time-consuming and frustrating part of your job. To learn more, download your free copy today!