Despite the seemingly broad, and all-encompassing subject of “growing your business”, we’re not actually approaching it from a technical position. Even with our wealth of digital knowledge, we’re not here to spout a one-size-fits-all approach to marketing and growing your business exponentially – that requires a deeper understanding of your business. No, we’re here to discuss how to make YOU a better leader, so that the rest might fall into place when you find and lead a team you trust.
As with everything, we advise you begin with step number 1:
1. Upskill, upskill, upskill
You’re a leader, you’re a business owner, you’re (inevitably) going to need to not only be the best at what you already do, but a Jack of all trades that your team can look to for advice and assistance. This doesn’t mean becoming an expert in marketing, content writing, accounting, law, and HR, and consequently firing your team of specialists. However, if you don’t put in the effort to become the best in your area, as well as confident enough to help your team when they need it, then you’re going to find leadership an increasingly difficult task. It doesn’t end there unfortunately. Upskilling isn’t simply step number 1, it’s a step you should focus on for the rest of your career. Industries grow, they change, and you need to adapt with them – never, EVER stop learning.
2. Networking
Unless you grew up immersed in the industry you’re establishing your business in, it’s highly unlikely you know all the right people in all the right places. Yes, that line sounds a little cheesy, but it’s important to know people, and know people who know people. Having a wide circle of contacts is vital to the growth of your business, and is placed almost squarely on your shoulders as a leader. Networking can be difficult for some, but it’s about putting yourself out there. For instance, our Google Partners event that’s coming up is a great place not only to meet us, but to meet other attendees who are coming from a wide range of industries. From previous events we’ve noticed that while attendees benefit from presentation information, they also benefit greatly from meeting each other and growing their network in ways they never expected. Having the business card and acquaintance of an unlikely group of business owners can be a massive advantage in unexpected ways.
3. Get better at life
Yes, you heard me. Life. Get better at it. Ok, in all fairness this is a broad point, but I’m fairly certain each and every person reading this can pinpoint at least one or two aspects of their life hindering their work. Are you getting enough sleep, or are you finding it difficult to work due to tiredness? Are you struggling with time-management or delegating, to the point where your emails have stacked up, and you’re consistently forgetting tasks asked of you? Or maybe your organisational skills aren’t up to par, and communication with others is suffering? These are all obvious red flags, but they’re a genuine hindrance to your leadership qualities, and ultimately the growth of your business. If your team aren’t able to contact you with any issues, due to an issue you can chalk up to your life skills, it’s time to find a solution.
4. Create a team you trust
This point goes beyond simply the employees you hire within your business. Having trusted employees is important, but there are other roles you will need to fill externally. Surround yourself not only with trusted employees, but also lawyers, accountants, marketing teams, and mentors you trust have your business’s best interests in mind. If you aren’t convinced they’re each working hard to ethically and effectively grow your business with you, then it’s time to search elsewhere. Unless your business is in the Forbes top 100, it’s unlikely that each of these roles can be sourced in-house, and this is where choosing the right agency in each industry is vital. Do they work for businesses similar to yours? Do they have transparent reporting? Have they had success with other clients in similar areas you would like success? Do you feel as though conversations with them are open and honest, and are around growing your business, rather than prices and cost? Ask yourself these questions, until you can say with certainty that your team of specialists, as well as your employees, are here to help your business grow.
5. Create a balanced lifestyle
This one can quite easily be linked with step 3, but it goes beyond that. Sorting out your life shouldn’t only be for the sake of your business. While getting a good night’s sleep, and sorting out your workload and time management will inevitably have a positive effect on your business and work, it is also vital for a balanced lifestyle. If you’re finding it difficult to switch off after leaving the office, or you’re spending significant portions of your weekend working, it’s time to re-evaluate your lifestyle, and what you can do to balance it – before you end up burning out, and ultimately doing more harm than good. Set limits on when you can work. Dedicate certain amounts of time each week to personal projects, hobbies, socialising, and basically doing anything but work. You won’t run the risk of burning out, and your employees and co-workers will thank you for it.
While these were all rather holistic approaches to growing businesses, it’s important to work hard at being the best leader for your team, and your business, before you can expect everything else to fall in place. If you’re looking specifically for marketing or business advice, for growing your business in more tangible ways (hey, maybe you’re already a leadership superstar?) then you’re going to need advice tailored to your business. We can provide that at our Google Partners event, or in a no obligations meeting where we can create solutions to grow your business.