Is Your Business Ready to Grow?

Be Intentional. Plan for the New Normal.  

The main thing to consider about successfully growing your Business is that it must be done with intention and purpose. Avoid approaching it reactively as a response to an increase in Customer requests with the hope that your employees can cope and keep up. If you do it wrong or reactively, without planning, you’re inviting challenges.  

Business growth, when done properly, requires planning and patience. Steady, well-planned growth will help ensure your Customers remain delighted and your team is not overwhelmed. Your Business must be ready to grow. So, get your ducks in a row, create a sustainable, solid plan, and go for it! 

A few important questions to ask yourself as you get ready to grow and create your plan: 

Do you have a clear understanding of your financial situation?
This goes deeper than just “looking at the numbers”. Are you currently profitable? And additionally, have you created the consistent tracking and reporting you need to maintain a clear vision of your financial ongoing and future situation? 

Have you documented your processes?
If you hired new team members right now, the ones that would be needed as you grow, could you provide them with playbooks outlining established processes they are expected to follow? Is there an onboarding and training plan in place? 

Do you have the technology you need to handle more Business?
As you review and document your processes, consider where automation can help. There are apps and software available to support project management, estimating, client relations, and much more. 

Is your team onboard?
It’s important to be sure every member of your team, beginning with management, is aware of, and ready to play their part in your growth plan. Ask for their suggestions and input early in your planning so you can modify your plans, taking their ideas into account, if warranted.  

Do you have a plan to get more leads?
You may be getting more inquiries than you can handle now, but to fuel future growth, you will need to provide your sales team with additional leads. This means beefing up your marketing program. Consider using a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform to automate marketing processes. Also, expand your presence on social media and grow your email marketing program. 

There are many more items to consider as you create your growth strategy. Creating and following a growth plan can seem like a daunting undertaking, but you may have some of the necessary elements already in place. The key to successful growth is to create and perfect your vision, then proceed with purpose. Above all, be patient, communicate consistently and follow your well-mapped plan.