Scaling a Business: best way ahead and common pitfalls to avoid

When businesses scale, it is often said that they need to become less dependent upon individuals and learn to use technology, processes, and system. Having ‘A’ players is great but it’s not enough if the business is to move to the next level because people unlike systems cannot be cloned.

Everything that is done within the business needs to be documented, and not just basic things like the visons, missions, roles and responsibility It is also how you expect your team to do things. Focus on the processes where the hard work is done and less on where you rely on people like yourself and other senior leaders in your business.

I know it is easier said than done, but systems and processes take priority over single or individual tasks. There is no extra benefit, and it can often be detrimental in your journey to scale if you are focusing on single-action tasks.

The business should be focused on leveraging systemisation and automation where possible. Keep thinking about the improvements that make actions easier, better, faster, or wherever possible, reduces the reliance on higher level skills. Do not manage personalities, instead manage processes. This can sound intuitive but rely on processes, systems, and your structure within the business to get things done rather than the individual’s talents.

Think about process and systems which can be embedded into the business and will give you the outcomes that you require. The best way to do this is to focus on how to achieve the outcome and not on the outcome itself. This is a small statement, but it has a massive impact within business.

Growing the business together

However, having said all that – scaling your business is a team sport. Growing your business comes from the team within it. We must believe that the team we have invested in will help solve problems and be the driving force for the future. We should think about what the business will look like if we as leaders weren’t around. Most of the time it is the people who matter as the core team within the business will help to scale. Businesses need a vision so that key decision makers can take the business forward in the direction of which it was planned.

Motivations to Scale

There are common mindset traits in entrepreneurs who have the motivation to scale. Typically, these entrepreneurs want to create a positive impact on society, innovation, become a dominant player in their field, and create value. An entrepreneurial growth mindset does not develop overnight but can be nurtured. Most people start a business wanting more time, money, or freedom – or a combination of all of those. However, they often find themselves with no time and maybe no money. They never switch off and often they fall out of love with their business, and it grinds them down.

When finding yourself in the weeds you cannot see the wood from the trees and find yourself questioning what on earth you got yourself into. You must make the shift from business runner to business owner. You must move away from thinking that no one can do it as well as you or without you it would be a disaster!

Stay focused

Entrepreneurs are known for chopping and changing, as well as jumping into new things. Stay focused when you have something that works for you. It is often your rigidity and sticking to what you already know that leads to greater success as opposed to stretching yourself to reduce risk.

My advice is to stay emersed in what you are doing and keep doing it until this area becomes a real super strength and foundation for growth.

As a business owner, think about the effective use of your time. We have all heard of working on your business not in your business. This is somewhat right, however, we all need microscopic attention to details and telescopic approaches to what we do. I believe that the most effective use of time comes from working on the people who are working within your business combined with focusing on areas such as recruitment, customer service, marketing, and partnership work. Simply put work on growing and protecting the business culture and developing its reputation.

It is often the case that many business owners have the right intentions and but at times either fall out of love with their business or just lose track. If you or your team can think, focus on the future, and build a business culture where everyone puts growth first, that will go a long way in helping you along your journey. My view is simple: if you as the business leader can remove common obstacles, navigate, and grab an opportunity with clarity of thought, you will be more likely to achieve your desired outcome.