I have never claimed that growing your business is easy or fun, in fact, it can be extremely challenging. I’ve learned from experience that the two most dangerous things you can ever do to a small business is grow your business or move your location. Both of those things sound enticing but they can have severe consequences if the timing isn’t right.

When small businesses grow too fast, they’re not always ready for the influx of business they receive. This can quickly spiral out of control and it won’t take long before they’re buried in problems they didn’t even know existed.

The main reason for this is because so many people make the mistake of equating growth with success; the more they grow, the more successful they’ll be. In a vacuum, that makes sense, but the problem is that most people ignore or simply underestimate the new responsibilities that come along with growth – they’re called growing pains for a reason!

Patience is key, but along with that, it’s important to realize that not everyone can grow a business – and not every business is ripe for growth. It’s a great feeling when you see sales numbers jump and that’s a good sign that growth may be a viable option in the future – but your focus should be on success, not growth. If you follow success, the dollars will follow.

Work smarter…and harder

If your goal is to grow your company and you feel that you’re ready to scale up, here are the three areas you need to focus on first:

• Staffing. Invest in the right people – look for those who are fast on their feet and are good critical thinkers who can handle some pressure. I always find restaurant staff is the best for understanding organized chaos and dealing with unexpected issues. Better staff can free up more of your time which allows you to focus on other areas.

• Training. Everyone needs training - even the top-level professional athletes spend much more time practicing than they do preforming. The key to great training is consistency. If all employees are trained the same way, there can be no dispute about what is right and what is wrong. Make sure your training materials are accurate, up-to-date, and taught consistently. Never assume that a new employee knows your business practices or procedures just because they have experience in your field.

• Measuring. Set your benchmarks now and keep a close eye on your progress.

Now that many of the major spring holidays are behind us, the next few month are the best time of the year to take a closer look at all aspects of your business in order to make the changes needed for a successful end to 2019.

Set your goals and expectations and focus on what is most important. To me? Close the sale and have plans to grow the relationship. Build from there and the dollars will follow.

I am here for you! Call me anytime at (941) 313-8025 if you would like to discuss or simply leave a comment below. Remember, it’s not just 'point, click, and order,' It's 'point, click, order…and grow'! You really can do it and next month you will have the order volume to get started!

Have a great week!

-Art