Growing Pains Will Come and Go
Posted by Tisha Tolar on October 21, 2009
When you first start a business, there are a lot of questions that need to be answered and unfortunately in some cases, the only way you find answers is by living through the experience. There are many issues that will arise, especially during the first year as you continue to learn the ropes and occasionally walk a few high wires. It can be overwhelming but if you are staying on top of things, you can certainly reap the benefits.
How can you continue to grow and survive the changes? Here are a few tips to help shed some light on what to do for you and your business:
Stop and Look
When you are so wrapped up in the business and still looking ahead at where to go, you can sometimes get too absorbed in your world that you forget to take a step back and see what is really going on. Take a day to sit with your thoughts and the realities of how your business is operating. Make notes alongside your original business plan about what projections were correct and which were off the mark. Start listing ideas to better the way you are doing business. Address the issues that may have been coming to light and take a serious look at all feedback you have been getting from clients and customers. Revise your business plan outline to include what you have learned.
Be Proactive
Not that any business will ever be completely smooth sailing, but all too often, business owners will not react until it’s already too late and the problem has been on-going. To prevent a lot of frustration, you should be vigilant about remaining proactive with regard to business operation. If there are some issues that seem to pop up more often than not, find a way to make changes that will before the problem resurfaces again instead of just fixing the problem over and over. If you notice you are starting to fall behind in your accounting because you have no time, start looking into hiring an accountant or outsourcing the work to a professional.
Outsourcing As a Resource
Speaking of outsourcing work, it is really important the you think about the amount of your workload. As a business owner, you likely have your hand in everything. It is your obligation to realize that you only have two hands and 24 hours in a day. If the workload is growing steadily, start investigating your hiring or outsourcing options before it is too late. There are many places online where freelancers of all backgrounds advertise their services. Get ahead before you get behind. Being late with client deadlines or customer orders will make your business look bad. Having an arsenal all ready to go during the chaotic times will certainly help ease your mind and make the transition to a bigger and better business a much easier one.
Be Ready to Relinquish Some Control
Being a sole business owner requires that you put your heart, soul, money, and your time into the business. For the start-up phase, you have likely been at the helm of all aspects of your company. In fact, some people get so used to being in the driver’s seat, they will have a hard time letting go of some of the control even if it is in their best interest. Prepare yourself for growth by relinquishing a little bit of control here and there to people you trust. While it is smart to stay involved with every day operations, it is also an intelligent business owner that knows when to divvy up some of the responsibilities to others in the best interest of the company.
Growing pains are a positive sign that things are going in the right direction for your business. As an owner, it is important to remain on top of things and prepare your business and yourself for these changes. Growth is a positive experience and should be something you look forward to and plan for at all times. The growing pains of a business will come and go and come back again so always keep the big picture in mind for the future.
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