While many people dream of attaining business success, they tend to be unprepared when they finally hit that benchmark. But while you don’t want to put the cart before the horse, you need to plan ahead to be ready to capitalize on the moment.
Scaling up can be quite difficult. But fortunately, it’s now a well-worn path that many startups have successfully navigated on their way to success. The keys are to make the right decisions while growing your team, as well as to pick the right location and build your customer base.
These simple tips will do wonders to ensure you don’t get tripped up during a stage that’s critical in setting up your company for the future.
1. Securing Talent
Thus far, you’ve made your mark in business with solid ideas and plenty of grit. Undoubtedly, others have helped you reach this stage, but now is the time when the rest of the team really matters. Scaling is something you truly cannot do alone, and you’ll need great people in key roles to continue building on the momentum you have generated so far.
But know that the biggest asset in your arsenal is your own network. If you’ve fallen short in this area in recent years, it will be tough to make up the gap overnight. Ideally, you want to start early and identify talented people well-suited to one day join your team. From there, you can plant the seed and keep them updated informally on the progress of your venture over time.
2. Selecting a Space
Location, location, location. It isn’t just a real estate mantra. Startups should always strive to be comfortable, enjoyable places to work. Working out of a nice space in a good neighborhood with worker-friendly amenities can certainly entice a new crop of already-invested employees.
When trying to attract the very best talent, you’ll be competing with the likes of Fortune 500 firms and other major players. But setting yourself apart with the right office space can be one more arrow in your quiver when it comes to targeting talent — on top of the fact that a good place to work also provides ample opportunity to be productive and your company to flourish.
3. Engaging with Customers
It’s no secret sales are the biggest — and most important — driver of any business, and some tech firms are now focusing more on growing a user base when first opening their proverbial doors. Of course, this may be a bit counterintuitive and difficult to latch onto for some companies.
But no matter your drivers and priorities in business, your user, customers or clients are the people with whom you need to engage with closely to create loyalty. The public is fickle and can move on quickly to new trends. With that in mind, you must do everything in your power to show how much you value your customers in order to keep them coming back again and again.
This means customer support should always be top of mind as you scale, with the implementation of a call contact center providing a fantastic option for most small companies. Not only will this technology ensure you provide world-class customer support, but it will also help you offload certain workflows and allow you to spend more time and energy on other logistics.
Scaling for the Long Term
In the exercise world, they say, “no pain, no gain.” The same applies to growth in the startup life. It won’t ever be easy, but focusing on the right priorities will go a long way to ensuring you’re building a foundation that will last over the long haul.
Securing the best — and right — talent will always trump everything else. In other words, nothing will ever be more important than employing good people. But you’ll also need to find a space that fits your culture and can help retain those good people. And, of course, no company can succeed without sales, so you should be constantly striving to increase satisfaction scores and the customer experience.
There will be countless other decisions to make along the way, But don’t let those distract you from the core aspects that will drive your future. Keep your eye on the prize, and, with a little luck, scaling up can be as painless as possible.
