Grow Up Already!

This is not for the faint of heart. This is not necessarily for the person just starting their business for the very first time. Instead this is for the person who feels like they are in the same place with their business today as they were when they started eons ago. This applies most directly to the business owner who is working a job while trying to grow their business, but it is truly for anyone who finds him or herself in a stagnant place. If growth has eluded you, this one's for you.

Simply put, stop making excuses and make a change. It's time to grow up. Take a hard look at what you are doing and how you are doing it and make some grown-up decisions.

1. Be honest. If you tell no one else the truth of the matter, tell yourself. Write it down. Talk it out. Mime it if you must, but the truth shall set you free. Ask yourself: What do I REALLY want this business to do for me and/or my family? What can I live with and live without? What do I hate about running a business? What do I love? Am I really an entrepreneur or did I fall in love with making my hobby a side business? Do I just need a break? The sooner you are honest with yourself, the sooner you can begin to do an about face and go in the direction you want to go.

2. Ask and you shall receive. I have a friend who recently lamented about the lack of growth in her business. She told me all the reasons why she could not approach the stores she wanted her product to be in. She told me about all the thinking and planning she was doing. She told me all the events going on in her life. She told me she still really wanted her business to grow. She's been telling me this for years. My advice to her? You won't grow if you don't go. If there is something you need, ask for it. And not just one person but let it be known to everyone that you are looking for something in particular. Now I'm not saying to beg and make a nuisance of yourself, but how can anyone help you if you don't tell them the problem? My friend admitted she didn't want to go to the stores alone. "That's all," I asked. "I'll go with you!" Now she wishes she had told me that earlier. She had only told one small set of people and allowed their lack of helpful responses to set the tone for her slow pace. You have a network. Use it.

3. Cast a wide net. You want growth in your business but how much? If you take one fishing pole and fish in one spot, you may catch one fish at a time and that may be what you want. But if you cast a net over a broad territory, you may catch many fish and a variety at that. Sure you created a business plan and carefully listed your target market, but think creatively about ways your business can be utilized by the most unlikely of customers and pitch to them. Send samples. Write press releases. Visit potential customers or places where your customers will be. Don't be afraid to take a risk and try something others in your industry have not. Also, don't be afraid to challenge the big fish in the pond. People are always looking for something new and that could be you.

4. Delegate. If you have been honest with yourself, you may find that you are stagnant because you hate doing a particular aspect of your business. Just because you own the business does not mean you will be good at every aspect of it or even like it. I hate numbers. My business partner loves them. She does not think she is creative. I am creating all the time. We know our talents and we stick to them. And where we are both lacking, we have sought out people we know and trust first, then we branch out to new people as we network. While I do not advocate turning things over with blind trust, I do believe you can't be afraid to seek help. Decide what you need someone else to do and think of it like you are going to hire an employee. Better yet, hire an employee or contractor. Consider who you can work with and how much you are willing to entrust to them. Are you a micromanager or can you assign the job and basically let go? Share the load where needed so you can focus on doing the things you do best and enjoy the most.

5. Leave home. There's a good chance that if you focus your business on just the area you live in, you will see little if any growth. Of course this is not a hard and fast rule but the more "outlandish" the product, the more critical people around you may be. When we began making our greeting card puzzles, we found those in our own neighborhood loved the cards but thought the price was too high. We didn't agree because we knew people were paying over $4 for a paper greeting card that they knew would likely get tossed in a matter of weeks. We, however, were creating a keepsake and pricing it just above that of a greeting card. Later, when a business counselor took a look at our new product, he couldn't stop raving. This man was just about the complete opposite of the people we thought would buy our cards - people in our own neighborhood. He opened our eyes to the fact that the world is full of people with varied taste. Until you exhaust that, you haven't begun to scratch the surface of what your product can do and how far it can go.

6. Never quit. Yeah, it's cliche but once you have decided this is what you want to do, resolve to make it happen. Don't settle for no. Network in person, online, however and whenever you can. Write down your ideas as they come to you and act on them while the inspiration is flowing. Try to have some part of your brain processing just about everything you see and do as fertilizer for your business. Watch the news, business shows, anything and ask yourself if there is something there you can act on. Notice the stores you pass. Are they competition? Find out how. Are they potential customers? Research them. Find that connection. All of this applies to money as well. As the saying goes, if you want something bad enough, you'll find a (legal) way to get it. Even lack of financing is no reason to give up. For many people, tenacity speaks volumes.

I am a wife. I am a mother. I am a writer. I work a full-time job. I own a business. I know how hard it is to build a business in the midst of everyday life and it may not happen as quickly as you'd like. It certainly did not happen quickly for me. I found that change in my business is taking shape as I change my focus, network, delegate, be creative and strengthen my determination.  It's OK to whine every now and again and have a moment of laziness, but you - like me - must then remind yourself that your business can't be a start-up forever. If you want real success, you have to grow up already!