Business Owners Toolbox Blog Discussions and articles to help the small business owner solve the challenges they face as they grow their business.

September 24, 2009

The Power of a Strong #2

Filed under: Growth Management — Tags: , , — Mike Van Horn @ 5:30 pm

(from discussion in a Business Group meeting)

“I’m now getting a glimpse of what I can do in my business if I’m not in charge of day-to-day operations.”
So says a woman who owns an eight-person professional service company and who just hired a top-notch marketing associate. “Execution–doing the work–isn’t our problem; it’s keeping the pipeline filled. That’s what she’s going to do.”

“Now that she is producing results, I have the bandwidth to turn my attention to building the strategic relationships we need in order to expand into new cities.”
“She’s expensive. But what choice do I have if I want to grow? I’ve got to be willing to invest in my business—especially right now as the economy is beginning to turn around. I’ve got to be there to take advantage of the opportunities that are happening right now. If I don’t, the others will be passing me by. The key is selecting that person who can do the job—even better than I could—so that she pays for herself many times over.”

My question to you, readers: Who is the strong support person you should bring in (or groom) to free you to leap into the emerging opportunities? Could be anybody from a part-time admin assistant to a high-powered director of operations.

2 Comments »

  1. If we all agree that hiring more talent than we immediately need is a good strategy for growth, how can a small business compete with the salaries and benefits larger outfits are offering for that same talent?

    Comment by BJ — October 5, 2009 @ 3:44 pm

  2. Good question!
    In attracting top talent, small companies have many advantages over big corporations. People consider many other factors besides salary and benefits. Here are some of them, in an article I originally wrote for wsj.online Small Business Forum.
    http://blog.businessownerstoolbox.com/how-can-small-business-compete-for-top-talent-with-large-corporations/

    Comment by mvh — October 5, 2009 @ 4:42 pm

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