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Susan Payton

Susan Payton is Managing Partner of Egg Marketing & Public Relations. She assists small businesses with marketing strategy and corporate communications. She is also the author of 101 Entrepreneur Tips, a handy guide that helps entrepreneurs make repeat customers, close the sale, and delegate work. For more information on Susan and Egg Marketing, visit EggMarketingPR.com or email her.

Susan Payton has written 3 articles for SB Informer.

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Look How We Grow!

Susan Payton

April 24, 2007

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If you’re like many entrepreneurs, you didn’t have unlimited capital to start your business. Maybe you ran your company in your garage or spare room. You might have started your business part time until it developed.

Many of us bootstrapping entrepreneurs are proud of our humble beginnings. But what if you’re still operating in the same manner…even though your business is now thriving? How do you move from shoestring operations to running a fast-paced and successful business?

Make it Real

The first thing you have to do is realize that you run a “real, live” business. That was something I had trouble with in the beginning (and occasionally even now), because it didn’t seem possible that I could run a business that I actually loved (and it be successful!). Treat it as a real business and not a hobby, and your business will react in kind.

Delegate

In the beginning, you probably were the Customer Service Rep, Product Shipper, and Product Designer. Now you need to step back and be the President or CEO and oversee the activities of your business. It is extremely hard for entrepreneurs to delegate (I speak from experience), but once you do it, you will free up your mental capacity and time to make higher level decisions that will help your company grow.

If you can’t hire full time help, hire freelancers and virtual assistants to help you part time. Many of my clients interact with their marketing, customer service, and web development partners virtually. You save time on meetings, and if you build a strong relationship with service providers, geography will never be a factor.

Plan for Growth

Did your sales exceed your expectations last year? Set a higher goal for this year, and stick to it. Start being accountable for your business decisions. Create a business and marketing plan that acts as a guideline for your business’ actions. Decide where you want your company to be in one, three and five years.

Growth is exciting! Especially when it means your good idea has developed into a viable business. Don’t let your business’ growth take you by surprise, or you might miss valuable opportunities for sales and business relationships.