The best and worst thing that can happen to your business is huge, sudden growth. You’ll be on cloud nine when your business shoots skywards. Yet, at the same time, you’ll be scared of this new step. More worryingly, you might find yourself with thousands of orders you can’t fill. Or requests you can’t handle. This is the scariest part of sudden growth. The trick is to embrace it and find a way. After all, this is what you always wanted! In this post, we’ll show you how to cope with a rapidly growing business. Ready? Let’s take a look.
Fulfilling immediate orders – First things first, you’ve got to fulfil the outstanding orders. If you’ve had a sudden rush of orders, this can seem overwhelming. Unfortunately, there’s no easy solution here. The solution is to knuckle down and don’t rest until it’s done! Ask your employees to work overtime and even rope in your friends.
Automation and storage – That sudden rush won’t be the first time you get an order like that. Now’s the time to set yourself up for the future. You may need to expand to larger storage premises. Perhaps now’s the time to start looking at warehouse options. Remember, you’ll also have to consider warehouse heating, security and equipment. You can then improve efficiency by automating your services. Automate your fulfillment process and your business operations.
However, this also applies to the office systems as well. When your company expands, you may want to look into software that can help you store a large amount of data. Hiring a tech provider like ENOW could assist with identity management (for example, active directory reporting), is one way to go about it. Identity management and Active Directory ensure the structural arrangement of authenticated information.
Outsource – As your business grows, you don’t need to keep so much in the house. You need to free up your finances and work power for driving the company forward. Outsource your web design, developers, and even your customer service. Within your office, you need a laser focus on the task at hand. Free up your employees to use this growth spurt as a ladder and push forward. You’ll also save valuable money for your startup.
Bring in the best – With a huge surge in orders or attention, maybe it’s time to scale up the workforce. There are a few options here. You can increase numbers on the ground. That means investing in more employees in the office. You can start to build a management team. This brings in the essential knowledge from the top down. This may help restructure the company and give it more focus. Your final option is to bring in a scale up specialist. They’ll help you adapt to your growing business in the right way.
Get out of the trenches – Finally, you need to make a big change. As a small business, you’ve probably been involved in all the little things. You’ve been down on the ground making sure the business works from the bottom up. Now’s the time to take a step out and focus on the future. You need to be the captain, the CEO and drive forward. Your job now is to give the company direction. Meet with investors, dictate the future and grow your business. Are you up for the challenge?
A big, sudden growth is an exciting and scary time for a business owner. When it happens, be prepared and get ready to take your company to the next level!