As spring changes to summer one of the biggest things you may notice is how all of the plants that were coming to life in April and May have reached their climax. The spring flowers have bloomed, then fallen, the plant has survived and stabilizing itself for the summer. As a business owner, I appreciate this process and feel as though it relates to not only my business, but to businesses everywhere.
The first few years as a business owner are usually pretty rough, struggling to turn a profit and build a client base. Once you do have the base, the flowers fall off and you’ve become stable, knowing that you made it. In my 10 years in business I can fully assure you that this is one of the most gratifying feelings you will experience as a business owner. But now knowing your roots are firmly planted in the ground and you are stable, has it become time to grow?
Every season your business grows or changes you will feel the excitement that you felt as a new business owner. You will realize and appreciate the process of getting through the spring season without getting nipped by the frost and coming out the other side bigger and better than you were prior to growth. Before making the decision to grow, you need to answer a few important questions and set a business plan in place.
This process is similar to how you trim back your bushes each year and let them grow in the areas you want to expand.
- Plan. What is the worst thing that could happen in growing the business, whether your growth involves a new employee, expanding your office or a whole new location all-together? Having a back-up plan for the “what if” is important to planning your growth.
- Expectations. What are your expectations for the growth you have planned? Be sure to lay out short-range, mid-range, and long-range goals.
- Outcomes. You need to be optimistic. Plan for how you will handle the potential growth and what you will do to keep up with growing business. Adding a new location is not the only part of growing business, you need to have a plan on how to keep your reputation up and handle the growth.
Building your team and getting them on board is the next step. Having the right staff on board will determine the level of your success. Share your growth plans with your team so they understand your dream, and have their buy in for helping you achieve your goals.
Planning for the growth both financially and by building the right team will help to ensure your success through your next seasons of business!
About the author: Autumn Edmiston is the CEO and owner of the Edmiston Group. The Edmiston Group is a multifaceted Pittsburgh based marketing consulting firm providing senior level marketing management services to businesses and non-profit organizations on a short or long term basis. Core areas of service are business development, marketing, strategic planning and public relations. The Edmiston Group has consistently delivered and implemented real-world, proven business marketing ideas and strategies for business growth.