Stage 3 Company (20-34 employees) Knowing when to delegate responsibility and authority is difficult for the owner of a growing business. The question that looms in your mind is: What if they (employees) mess up? There is a difference between being a control freak and knowing how to delegate with […]
Operations
Stage 2 – Follow these rules of the road as you ramp up for growth
Stage 2 Company (11-19 employees) You are stranded on a deserted island and you only have 30 seconds left on your cell phone battery – could your second-in-command back at your office tell you in those 30 seconds how well your company is running? If you had your company focused […]
Stage 1 – Non-negotiable rule: Embrace chaos
Stage 1 Company (1-10 employees) Chaos often rules at a Stage 1 company (1-10 employees). For some business owners, this can be energetic. For others, it is disconcerting. But owners of a Stage 1 company should worry less about managing the chaos and instead worry about managing expectations of employees. […]
Stage 1 – Non-negotiable rule: Hire for fit
Stage 1 Companies (1-10 employees) Whether you are looking to hire your ‘first’ employee or your tenth employee, as a Stage 1 company (1-10 employees), it is all about ‘fit” – how well the individual can work with you and the rest of your team. When you are starting to […]
Stage 1- Non-negotiable rule: Focus on your money makers
One of the biggest challenges of a Stage 1 company (1-10 employees) is getting focused. Not only on what crisis to take on for the day or week, but what product or services they should offer. Getting focused on product offerings requires a business owner to rewire their thinking on […]
Stage 1 – Non-negotiable rule: Track and preserve cash
As a Stage 1 Company (1-10 employees), one of the greatest challenges is generating, tracking and preserving cash. Cash is King is the mantra for successful companies. Many business owners recognize early on that simply ‘making money’ isn’t enough. You have to keep enough of it to reinvest in your […]
Stage 7 – Even if you don’t think it’s broke, shake things up
Stage 7 Company (161-500 employees) What a view. From where you sit, as the CEO of an organization with 161 – 500 employees, you have the right to be proud. Few business owners get to sit back and simply bask in the pleasure of being successful. If you are like […]
Stage 6 – Compete from strength by developing a strategic perspective
Stage 6 Company (96-160 employees) There’s a rhythm now. Patterns of behavior are established. Processes are in place. The morning walk through your company has an air of familiarity that feels good, feels comfortable. Your confidence in your staff is strong. If you’ve captured the imagination of your managers, they […]
Stage 5 – Alignment, integration: This growth stage is all about synergy
Stage 5 Company (58-95 employees) As a Stage 5 company, you have 58 – 95 employees. The company is beginning to align itself: sales and marketing understands and is involved with product development; and customer service is tied into every aspect of your operation. As the CEO, you are operating […]
Stage 4 – Complexity level increasing: Focus on experienced managers
Stage 4 Company (35-57 employees) This isn’t the time to think about saving money by hiring inexperienced managers. Once your company reaches Stage 4 (35 – 57 employees), you are in need of managers who ‘have been there, done that’. As CEO, you now are spending about 70% of your […]