5 top tips for growing your business from start up to scale up

Imagine your business in the next few years. What does it look like?

Knowing where you want to be and in within what timescale is the key to understanding how you’re going to get there. It is rare for a company to begin at the top, usually you will move from a start up before you progress to a scale up.

But taking that picture from your imagination and making it a reality may be a long and winding road – and you’ll definitely expect a couple of bumps along the way.

It is like when you invest your money. You imagine that by putting your money in something you think will be successful, then when it isn’t you might consider pulling out before it gets worse. Cryptocurrencies are like that. It is difficult to consider investing as you need to imagine the potential, before taking the risk of investment. Using tools like trading software can help measure the risk, The Crypto Genius Review will help you work out if using these tools are worth it. Planning a path of investment and planning a path to business success shares many similarities.

Here are 5 top tips to growing your business from a start up then to scale up.

End goals

When it comes to choosing your path to growth, it’s crucial to find a solution that’s in-line with your ambitions.

Now’s the time you would like to ask yourself whether you are looking to make a beautiful company that you simply can sell on, through merger or acquisition, relatively quickly to make a comfortable pot for your retirement income, or if you’re in it for the long-haul.

Bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better, however, and it’s entirely possible for your company to stay relatively small and agile, while turning an honest profit over the long-term. In fact you should always be to make all your business decisions like a small business would – no matter how large you grow.

Similarly it’s never too early to place solid systems into place. Many businesses fail because they scale up before they get off the ground meaning processes haven’t yet been cemented. As the operation scales up the cracks within the foundations become extremely obvious.

Expertise

When it involves companies at the smaller end of the size, founders tend to be highly hooked in to the merchandise or service they’re looking to supply, but might not have much in the way of business acumen.

No man (or woman) is an island and it’s vital to know your strengths and weaknesses from the outset. And if you’re an expert in your field, instead of that of business development, acknowledge this and appearance to usher in, or outsource, the required expertise.

As a business owner you want to become an expert talent spotter. Investing in the right people is vital in securing the future scale up of any organisation. Make sure you act early to secure a solid team of talented individuals who each bring something different to the business.

Similarly, it is far better to build the team you need around key job roles, rather than trying to shoehorn existing staff into positions they’re unsuited for. Two key areas to consider in this regard are sales and marketing.

While your current team could also be passionate and invested in your products and services. This does not necessarily translate to knowing the way to best articulate the advantages and demonstrate their value to potential customers.

Work on the business, not in it

A small company can afford unparalleled control to its owners, but you will have to abandon micro-management and far of your involvement in day-to-day affairs as things progress.

The keys to unlocking your businesses potential dwell finding the proper people to spur on your growth and having the religion in them to delegate. Hire slowly and fire fast.

While you would possibly struggle to deal with the burgeoning workload – putting the incorrect person in situ is like sticking a plaster a gaping wound.

Having the right people in place frees up your time to focus on broader concerns and keep working on evolving the company into the state you want it to be in.

This definitely doesn’t mean you’ll be living a life of leisure, however, and you should be prepared to put in a lot of legwork. Particularly in the earliest stages and then not be afraid of letting go of the reigns when the right people have been appointed.

Sea change, see change

Businesses that aren’t prepared to change should be prepared to stagnate. Those looking to grow need to come to terms with the fact that they can’t keep doing things the same way they’ve always done.

Branching call at to new and untested areas are often risky and therefore the majority of smaller businesses can typically make the simplest gains by that specialize in selling more to their existing customers, as well as targeting others like them.

Growth is an uphill battle, so be prepared to try and be prepared to fail. Don’t hold on to offerings, strategies, processes or maybe staff that haven’t figured out thanks to sentiment or comfort and steel yourself for a few tough choices along the way.

Some industries better lend themselves towards growth than others, so even be bound to think about market trends and historic precedents when planning for the longer term.

Even flow

Growth demands resources, the most important of which is cash. As such, it’s of paramount importance to ensure a robust cash flow, as well as a surplus for the inevitable set-backs as you scale up.

Put in place a rigorous forecast for your finances and monitor it consistently. Building your business will necessitate a strain on funds, so it’s crucial to pay constant and close attention to the fiscal health of your company.

Be cautious, but don’t be entirely risk averse. One major danger when trying to kick start your company’s growth isn’t having the ability to deal with the increasing demand.

There’s no such thing as a silver bullet when it comes to dealing with these growing pains before you can be considered a scale up. By referring to your plan, keeping your eye on the big picture and doing your due diligence, you can minimise the potential for problems and have solutions in situ to affect them once they inevitably happen.