Pretty much every entrepreneur to ever live shared the same focus when they first started out, and that was getting the launch absolutely spot on. That was all they cared about. It was the whole launch and learn philosophy, treading water, doggy-paddling and bluffing their way through it in a bid to survive. It makes sense. That’s the first part of the marathon.
But what happens when you do survive and you suddenly feel the time is right to thrive? You know, when all the hard work you put in and all those late nights you endured start to pay off, what then?
Licensed Image from Shutterstock – By Sira Anamwong
That’s when scaling your growing startup becomes the next focus, and here is how you can nail your scaling like an absolute pro:
Have A Vision You Can Unite Under
Going from a one-person to show to the employer of people is a pretty huge leap to take. It is a maze of responsibility and the pressure can see you start to lose focus, which is where a building a vision comes into play. A huge proponent of scaling your business is scaling your team, and so you need to have a vision that potential employees can get excited about and get on board with. But it isn’t just that, it is about having a vision for the company you want to create so that you don’t waste your time on something you don’t even like.
Make Sure You Can Handle Growth
Most businesses (read: all businesses) rely on technology these days. It is one of the pillars on which everything else sits and the reason why you need to ensure this core function is able to handle any growth. A great way to do this is to go with outsourced IT support. If you don’t and your scaling strategies come to fruition, your business may not be able to handle the sudden influx and that could spell reputational disaster. If your scaling is going to be a success then you have to capitalize on these moments, and that starts with getting the foundations in place.
Licensed Photo from Shutterstock – By PureSolution
Know Who your Buyers Are
The decision to scale is a big one to make. It is a critical period in a business’ life, which is why you need to focus on who is buying from your business. These customers are the biggest clues as to where your success is coming from and in which direction your business needs to head in order to successfully scale. Don’t keep this information to yourself, though. Share it with your employees so that they make decisions based on what is best for your business. So, if you have to do one thing before you start trying to scale, make sure it is knuckling down to try and understand your clients more; what their challenges are, what their industry is doing and how you make their lives easier.
Also Read
This is by no means an extensive list. But it is a start and that is what you need to scale – you need to get the ball rolling, which is half the battle. But, so long as you have the fundamentals in place, learning as you go is no bad thing.
