SCALING your business in 6 steps

Websters Dictionary defines SCALING is “to grow or expand in a proportional and usually profitable way”

1. Commit to grow-if you ever want to grow, get prepared NOW to grow!

If you have aspirations to grow, you will need a PLAN to grow. Gradual and intentional steps so you don’t feel overwhelmed or become reactionary. Knee jerk reactions are made suddenly and quite literally without much thought, that’s why they are reactionary. Intentional and heads-up business play is when you see the play unfolding or taking place as you make the move. 

2. Build a Diverse and Cross-trained team 

Effective scaling happens when you recruit and bring on team members who have a diverse skill set that complement the business model and enhance a collaborative team atmosphere. When a team is cross-trained (skilled or experienced in a variety of areas), vs specialized, it increases the flexibility in decision making, resources allocation, and responsibility assignment. There is a time and place for specialized and diverse experts, but when you are scaling, flexible and cross-trained is most effective.   

3. Build collaborative and community-minded relationships 

Building trusted working relationships with subcontractors, vendors, industry partners, and complementary businesses is effective scaling. When a business steps into new levels of sales or workloads, sometimes there are challenges with their ability to fulfill the order, complete the sale, or honour their commitment. 

Genuine and trusted working relationships outside the business can support a business when it grows.  A collaborative and community mindset can help a scaling business satisfy growing consumer needs all the while building community.  

4. Create systems and administrative processes that are consistent and repeatable. 

Constant flexibility and improvisation create confusion and wastes time. Being intentional about creating repeatable steps that can be learnt, trained, and executed with excellence, reduces time and waste. In order to grow, owners need to plan for their exit strategy or worst case scenario. If I am not here, will the task be completed as if I were here and with the same level of care and excellence? When I take my “hands-off” the business, does it still operate as if I had my hands on the wheel?  If you always need to be on the front line of the operations, who is leading and driving the vision of the business. When you create consistency, you make room for repeatable execution and for you to vision and plan for growth. 

5. Know what you do well and grow from that solid foundation.

Like a sailor to North star, focus on your market excellence or individualism as you expand and grow. Whatever your North Star is, it should flow through your expansion and growth and always be front and center in your team why and how.  Strategize and execute from a place of solid understanding and confidant strength.

6. Talk about your North Star and WHY the market needs it!

You might have a great idea or business model, but if others can’t understand it or know WHY they need it, you could have shelves of products collecting dust. Drop the elitist mentality and go to where your customers are and educate them about the benefits and features of your North Star. Explain and educate. Show and share it off. Speak using words your market understands and if you’ve been building relationships PRIOR to this step, the market will believe and trust you when you tell them they need your North Star.