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Anyone who’s ever tried to scale businesses knows that it’s no easy task. There are many things to take into account – from hiring new personnel and marketing to scaling your operations in a way that doesn’t impact quality. What’s more, you also need to make sure that your customer service and sales efforts are aligned with your growth objectives. And did I mention how important it is to keep your team in sync as well?
So, how do you successfully scale your business while keeping all these considerations in mind? Is sustainable growth even possible? More importantly, how do you grow your company without sacrificing quality or growth potential?
If that’s something you’re struggling with, you better read on. In this article, I’m sharing a bunch of must-know tips on how to successfully scale businesses by tweaking and improving some of your internal processes. You’ll be one step closer to taking your business to the next level by following these tips.
Are you ready to learn how to scale your business like a pro? Let’s get right to it!
So the first thing you must do is…
Record the processes and workflows of your business.
Growing businesses often start with a great product or service, but without well-documented processes and workflows, they’ll quickly get bogged down by inefficiencies.
So, before you can do business scaling, you need to step back and map out your current processes and workflows. Doing so will help you identify any bottlenecks or areas of improvement so you can add them to your business plan later.
Having everything written down on paper (or in a digital cloud that you can access whenever you need to) will also make it a lot easier for you to entrust tasks you don’t particularly enjoy to others. Training new hires about your existing workflows would also make the onboarding process smoother and quicker.
So, if you want to maximize your team’s productivity, earn more revenue, stay in your room of genius, and grow your company sustainably at the same time, then you should go ahead and start documenting your processes. Who knows, you might even find a few areas you can double down on so you can accommodate growth even better!
Stop focusing on tools.
Tools are great, but they’re just a means to an end at the end of the day. In other words, your company won’t scale simply because you have the latest and greatest tools at your disposal.
Even worse, chasing after the latest tools can be a huge distraction. Doing so will prevent you from focusing on an effective scaling strategy.
Keep in mind that tools are nothing more than tools. Yes, they could help you save time, but only when they are wielded by the right people with the right skillset. In other words, tools are never the solution. It’s your employees who will bring more growth to your company by increasing sales, increasing revenue, and perhaps, cutting costs.
Therefore, instead of fixating on the latest tools to get the job done, concentrate on the most critical aspect of your growth – your employees. Try to understand what motivates them. Or look into their natural strengths and weaknesses. Once you have a better understanding of your team, you can then start incorporating them into your scaling strategy, into your workflows, and eventually, into your company culture.
Doing so will help you take your company to the next level while ensuring everyone’s on the same page, working towards a common goal.
Also, don’t forget to choose a project management tool that caters to all the different personalities within your company. As for my team, we use one platform called ClickUp for many of our company needs, including sales, customer relations, and project management. We love ClickUp because it’s flexible and customizable. It has the most features we need without being overloaded with bells and whistles we’ll never use.
But it doesn’t matter which tool you choose. What’s important is that you find one that works for you and your team.
Automate internal processes
As your company grows, you’ll quickly realize that specific tasks need to be done daily but don’t necessarily require your full attention.
For instance, if you’re selling products online, you’ll need to send out automated shipping confirmation emails to your customers after they’ve made a purchase.
Or, let’s say you’re in the business of lead generation. In that case, you might want to set up an automated email drip campaign so you can quickly follow up with your leads and turn them into paying customers.
The key here is to focus on automating essential tasks that don’t necessarily require your full attention. Doing so will free up your time so you can focus on more important tasks, like strategizing and scaling your business.
But you need to remember, though, that automation is just a part of the bigger equation. It still boils down to human interaction. In other words, don’t rely on automation to do all the work for you. Instead, use it as a tool to supplement your human interaction.
For example, if you’re selling products online, you should still focus on providing excellent customer service. Even if you have an automated shipping confirmation email set up, follow up with your customers to see if they’re happy with their purchase.
Also, it’s imperative not to lose your brand’s personality when you automate. In other words, make sure your automated emails still sound like they’re coming from a real person and not a robot. Or, if you’re sending automated communication with your team, don’t forget to add a personal touch. Or better yet, do things the old way—follow up with them. Have conversations with them. Use emojis when you’re chatting with them.
The goal here is to find a balance between automation and human interaction. Because at the end of the day, your customers and team members are still people, and they still crave that human interaction, no matter how much technology advances.
These things may not sound a lot, but they’ll go a long way in ensuring that your brand’s personality stays intact, even as you scale your business. And yes, rapid growth comes to those brands living and embracing their personalities even with all the challenges of growth.
Don’t treat your business like a baby.
I understand. As a business owner, your business is like a baby to you. After all, you brought it to life and nurtured it. And yes, it can be super easy to get caught up in the idea that nobody should touch your baby but you. But that’s actually a very dangerous mindset to have, especially if you’re trying to scale your business.
The reason why is because when you treat your business like a baby, you tend to micromanage everything. You want to be in control of every single aspect of the business, from the big-picture strategy down to the smallest details.
But the truth is that you can’t be in control of everything, especially as your business grows. There will come a time when you need to assign tasks and responsibilities to other people. And if you’re still treating your business like a baby, then you’re not going to be able to do that.
So as early as now, let go of the thought that your business is a baby. Treat it like a business. Because at the end of the day, that’s what it is. It’s an entity that needs to grow, and you’re not going to be able to do that if you’re still clinging to the idea that it’s your baby.
Once you finally let go of that thought, you can work towards creating systems that support growth and allow you to delegate tasks and responsibilities. That way, you won’t have to do everything yourself anymore. You’re able to focus on the more essential aspects of the business, like thinking of ways to reach new customers and potential partners or focusing on long-term success and growth.
Implement the SOAR Framework in your business model
Sustainable growth starts with a sustainable business model that can be replicated over and over again. And one of the best ways to ensure that your business model is sustainable is by implementing the SOAR framework.
For starters, SOAR stands for:
S – Systematize:
First, you need to have systems that will allow you to monitor your progress so you know which initiatives are working and which ones aren’t. This will also allow you to replicate your successes across different channels and touchpoints and avoid making the same mistakes over and over again.
O – Optimize :
Then, you need to optimize your systems and processes so that they’re as efficient as possible – whether or not you’re already working with a team.
A – Automate:
After that, you can start automating repetitive tasks and responsibilities that require very little to no human interaction.
R – Research:
Next is to do research. Just be on the lookout for new ways how you can make your workflows much more efficient for your team.
And lastly, repeat. It’s essential to review and revise your systems constantly and optimize them whenever necessary. You should also be on the lookout for ways to improve at all times so you can scale!
SOAR is a simple yet powerful framework that will help you scale your business effectively without losing sight of what matters most.
BONUS TIP: Don’t scale on your own.
I know that as a business owner, you’re probably used to doing everything yourself.
Scaling a business is far from easy, but knowing when and who to delegate is the key.
I have seen so many entrepreneurs end up burning themselves out because they try to do everything on their own.
So my advice is: don’t do it all alone—delegate tasks and responsibilities to other people. Take your leadership skills to the next level by learning how to effectively manage and motivate your team.
For sure, there are plenty of talented individuals out there who would love to help you lead your business to success. All you need to do is find them and allow them to do so!
You can’t (and shouldn’t) be expected to do everything yourself. And once you realize that, scaling your business will become so much easier!
Conclusion
Business growth is an exciting yet challenging journey. It’s not just about how many customers you have or how much more money you’re able to generate, but also about how well you can manage and lead your team.
I hope the tips I’ve shared in this article have given you an idea of how to scale your business effectively and achieve success. Remember to focus on the things that matter most, and always be on the lookout for new opportunities to improve!
If you’re interested in learning more about scaling a business and all other topics related to efficiently running small businesses, check out my Youtube channel! I post weekly videos on hot entrepreneurial topics like time management, digital marketing, and more!
Also, if you enjoyed this article, please feel free to share it with others who might need it! Most entrepreneurs don’t realize how important it is to have a solid scaling plan, so I’d be happy to help anybody struggling with that!
