Guest Post by Tina Martin

Watching your business grow and thrive is an amazing feeling. Eventually, however, you might notice that your business growth plateaus. Often, this is due to your business hitting the limits of its current size. Now, you might decide that limit is just fine, or you could use this moment as a catalyst to expand your business.

Solomon Bruce Consulting can give you the guidance and resources you need to expand your business effectively. The first step, however, is to make sure you have a sense of what to expect in the process. Expanding is a major move, and you’ll experience some major life changes alongside it. Here’s a look at what to expect and how to manage it successfully:

1. You’ll Be In Demand

You probably already know expanding your business will take a lot of work, but you might be surprised to learn how vast that work will be. You’ll have to coordinate with lots of people: contractors, consultants, current and future employees — the list goes on and on. You’re always going to be spread thin when you’re working on this many people’s schedule. It’s important to psychologically prepare yourself to be on-call most, if not all, of the time while you’re expanding your business.

There’s just no way to get all of that work done during your usual business hours. After all, you still need to keep your company running in the meantime. Expect to work longer hours throughout the transition. If you don’t want to be glued to your office at all hours of the day and night, invest in an affordable laptop you can take home with you. This way you can make sure you always have relevant information on hand should you need it.

As a tip, be on the lookout for online deals to save on such a significant purchase. This also applies to other work-from-home essentials you might need, from ergonomic desks to noise-canceling headphones.

2. You’ll Need Help

 Business owners are often Type-A perfectionists who like to think they can do everything on their own. If this is you, expanding will be a test of humility and knowing your limits. It’s nearly impossible to manage this kind of transition solo.

After all, you’ll need advice and guidance to make sure you’re expanding properly. You’ll need employees you can trust to take on extra work while you’re juggling the expansion, and you’ll need the support of your clients and the community for your new branch to succeed. It’s wonderful to be self-sufficient, but expansion is your opportunity to recognize the enormous talent and dedication that surrounds you.

     3.  Your Network Will Blossom

Everything we’ve mentioned above is hard work, and it will stretch you thin. However, you’re certain to reap plenty of rewards. In addition to the increased business and income you get from the expansion itself, you’ll also see your professional network explode. This is the natural extension of what we talked about in the last section — when you lean on people for help, they come to remember and, more importantly, like you.

This is backed by science. Studies have shown that a fast and easy way to get on someone’s good side is to ask them for a favor. We often feel like we’re putting people out when we ask them for things, but the reality is, everyone likes to feel helpful. You endear yourself to others when you express vulnerability, and you strengthen your professional network in turn. Stay in touch with people who meet throughout this process — you never know when a particular connection will make a difference.

Expanding your business comes with challenges, but if you want to see your business grow, those challenges are well worth it. Take time before you start to really investigate and understand the process of expanding, and soon you’ll get to watch your business unlock its full potential.

Looking for a powerful ally to help your business thrive? Reach out to Solomon Bruce Consulting today!

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