For most people who are going into business, it’s a very common misconception that the biggest challenge lies in the beginning. “Getting things off the ground”, as it were, remains the number one concern for those about to build a new business enterprise. It may come as a surprise then, that this is comparatively the easy part.
Of course, getting started is hard work, but the real challenge lies in the long term growth of any brand that you build. Having a good idea and being able to execute it is one thing, but how do you grow stronger and more powerful? So many businesses fail especially because they simply get ahead of themselves and rush into decisions – ultimately leading to a crash and burn. Rome wasn’t built in a day, after all.
So, what exactly are the best ways to ensure long term growth, instead of being a flash in the pan? Here are 3 exceptional pieces of advice that, if you take notice of, should really help you along your way. Courtesy of leading UK Spraybooth Services company, AGM Services. Enjoy!
1 Never hire someone whose role you don’t understand
The biggest and most costly mistake of all time – hiring blindly. Perhaps you need an expert to give you a foot up in SEO (search engine optimisation) and it’s a bit technical for your knowledge. This is just one of many, many examples, of course, but it’s a common one. If you hire someone to do a job and it’s clear you have no idea what they are doing, how will they? How will you mentor them or measure their success? This is in layman’s terms a trap, as you have no idea whether or not you have a valuable member of the team. The solution? Get your hands dirty and learn a little about the tasks in hand. Ask people you trust how they did it, and if you do take someone on, make sure you know exactly what for.
2 Grow, but slowly
As the saying goes, “you stop growing, you start dying” – as philosophical as it may be, it couldn’t apply more to business success. You have to be constantly moving and evolving, aiming for the next step, and trying things out along the way. However, it’s absolutely vital that you do this at a pace you can manage. As exciting as it can be to get a nice first-year turnover, you are never as safe as you think you are. So before you make huge plans on expanding the team and investing in things because you can suddenly (seemingly) afford to, wait it out for a while longer. Slow and steady wins the race. The sheer amount of startups which rise and fall within the first year of trading should tell you that it’s a very, very common mistake. It’s only one that is easily avoidable, once you are aware of it. A little patience can and will go a long way.
3 Embrace mentorship
This may seem like a fairly obvious thing to develop in a growing business – but it’s not always as easy to achieve in practice as in theory. Employees that get along and develop a professional harmony is one thing, and that is by no means an insignificant advantage. But developing mentor relationships where the less skilled can come in and be supported in house, that is priceless to any business. In-house promotions over external recruitment – not only cost-efficient but more meaningful for you all as a company. You want long term employees that are striving to develop, with the more advanced ones willing to help and train those following behind. This approach, of course, takes time – more time than quickly recruiting and forcing a quick expansion. Let things blossom in-house – it will pay off in the long run.
- AGM Services operate across the UK with engineers specialising in spray booth maintenance, parts breakdown, servicing and repair. Established in 1993 in Heywood, Greater Manchester.
