Congratulations! If you’re reading this, your business is likely growing faster than anticipated. Maybe you found your big break or tapped into the perfect niche for your ideal clients. Whatever the reason, there’s a good chance that the overwhelming growth is becoming too much for you to handle.
Pssst…that’s perfectly normal!
When you started your business, you created processes to handle maybe 10% of your workload. Now that you have doubled (or tripled) the amount of work, you need to increase or adapt your processes to handle the growth.
Here’s how.
Get the right software in place
I’m specifically talking about your project management system. If your system does great with your first ten clients (like Trello), but you begin noticing bottlenecks and other issues with the next ten clients, it’s probably time to upgrade to something bigger (like ClickUp) that can handle the workload.
Also, try to anticipate your needs when picking a new software.
Will you need automation or integration? In-house communication? Easy storage for documents, SOPs, client info, and anything else you need to create?
You may not need these features now, but finding software with these capabilities will be easier than trying to move everything again when you discover you need them.
And that goes for all the software you use- banking/ finance, marketing, automation, web hosting, etc. Make sure they can withstand the influx of traffic and still work properly. The upgrades may be more expensive, but the cost will be worth it in the long run.
Once you find the right software for your growing business, don’t wait to make the switch. Even if you’re not quite at that explosive growth stage yet, there’s no harm in getting things ready for it. Plus, it will be slightly less overwhelming when you focus on moving the info you have and input any new info directly into the new system.
Or, you could ask for help.
Project management tool buildouts are my jam, and I’d love to help you figure out what you need to support your growing business. It’s an easy solution that can take the stress off finding (and moving) your business to its new software- all you have to do is book a call!
Eliminate the extra
Now that you have the right software for your growing business in place, it’s time to eliminate any extra hands that have access to your processes.
For example, if your process involves five team members, but you know you can scale it down to three, do it. The fewer people you have working on something, the more efficient it can become. And, as you get busier, you’ll want your processes to be as simple and efficient as possible.
The CEO is included in that elimination, so it’s time to check the processes and pick the ones you need to oversee. Then, you can assign a trusted team member (or a professional OBM, like myself) to spearhead the rest and take them off your plate.
You’ll still get updates on quality and performance, and the OBM or appointed overseer will come to you with any issues or decisions about the process, but you won’t have to spend hours watching every little piece.
Another way to simplify things is to combine roles.
For instance, let’s say you have a video editor, a graphic designer, and a social media manager. Could you combine the graphic design and video editing roles and give them to one person? Or, could you hire an A-player team member who can do all three?
Simplifying and upgrading your team will help decrease stagnation and save you a lot of time and effort when business is booming.
Finally, review the processes
The processes are the heart of your business, and you need to review and update them regularly as your business expands. Go through and take out any unnecessary steps, work out the bottlenecks, and clean them up for a smoother, more satisfying experience.
When reviewing your processes, ask yourself these questions:
- Is this step really necessary?
- What is taking up my time?
- What is taking up my team’s time?
- Where are my clients getting stuck?
- Can I automate this?
Don’t forget to ask your clients and team members for feedback. Ask them how easy the process is to use, what features seem unnecessary, and suggestions for improvement.
Now, at this point, you may be worried about using more automation and fewer “human” elements, which is perfectly normal. However, remember that people are paying you for your expertise and what you deliver, not how you deliver it.
If you send out an automated email to 5,000 people, most won’t even realize that it’s an automated delivery and not something you hand-typed for them alone. And that’s the goal- to make it feel personal without the need to do it yourself.
Final Thoughts
Scaling your processes can seem overwhelming, but it’s the best thing you can do for your rapidly growing business. Scaling processes can help you expand your capacity, upgrade your team, and keep everything running like a well-oiled machine.
Even if you’re not quite at the “booming” stage, getting these items in place will help you prepare for growth and make the transition easier.
Or, if it still seems too overwhelming to take on alone, I strongly recommend hiring an OBM.
A professional OBM can take care of every aspect of your business- from teams to processes- and can help you grow your business beyond your wildest dreams.
Take Michael, for example. Michael is one of my clients, and he hired me to be his OBM when his business was barely making $250K a year. Now, he has regular successful launches and brings in seven figures a year and, since I’ve helped him build a business that runs like clockwork, he barely works 10 hours a week in the business.
These are just some of the results you can get with an OBM, but the possibilities are pretty much endless. If you’re interested in finding that same kind of success- who wouldn’t be?- book a Discovery Call today, and let’s see what I can do for YOU.
