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This is a very common answer I receive when asking customers what are their ambitions for their business. This is usually followed by a very quizzical look when I ask “Why?”
This is not a stupid question although from the looks I receive you would think I had just landed from Mars!
I have met good profitable SME’s that have an excellent working environment, great staff and a solid business. To take their business to the next level will often require significant investment, additional staff, changes in working practice and some pain. If there are good reasons other than ego, for wanting to grow such as the desire to fund a comfortable future then profitable, well funded growth makes a lot of sense. However unless everyone buys into the changes required and the funding of the expansion is well planned, a myopic desire for growth can spell disaster..
One of the frequent limiting factors is that the sales force is constrained in what it can do because senior managers will not delegate sufficiently. This frustrates sales people and prevents the managers from managing their business rather than being managed by it. If significant expansion is the aim then the focus of the directors must be on managing the growth and asking questions such as:-
Boldoak specializes in helping SMEs grow profitable sales through better focus and use of existing resources. Most small business managers are experts in their own field and have used their skills to create and grow a successful company. However, using external expertise when planning for significant expansion or additional funding, can prove invaluable, as case studies have shown. Having identified this need in its customer base, Boldoak has partnered with The Mercantile Group to provide planning and financial expertise to help existing and new clients develop and implement effective expansion plans
Babs Moore
Regional Director, The Mercantile Group, Tel: +44 (0) 1480 383676 www.mercantile-group.com