If you would like to make sure that your transition from a solopreneur into a manager of multiple training venues and employees will be as smooth as possible, it is important that you are prepared for the growing pains of expansion and have a detailed plan for managing your resources, your time, your employees, your finances, and your marketing, while looking after your most important asset; your customers. To help you with the process and improve your chances of success, you can find  a few tips on making your processes more effective and aligned with your business plan.

Set Clear Growth Goals

It is important that you embark on the journey with a clear purpose. You will have to create a new mission statement for your growing business, so you can make changes that will not set you back but help you move forward. Your goals, however, also have to be measurable as well as clear. There are various guides that will help you create SMART goals to help you manage change and put all the processes and resources in place for success.

Create a Budget

You need to make sure that you can finish your growth process and fund your improvements, innovation, systems, technology, and investments. This is why you should have a budget that will help you manage each stage and – at the same time  – protect the future of your business. Account for all the expenses, including the cost of premises, insurance, employees, marketing, legal and professional, and information technology. You don’t want to get into a huge debt over expanding your business and waiting for decades for your investment to return.

Design Your Processes

It is crucial that you think through every process in your new business structure. Whether you have a new location, more employees, or more, it is important that you create effective communication and control channels. Chances are that you will not be able to be present at all your business location, so you will have to create a set of measures that will give you an idea of how people are doing. Create a meeting schedule and be sure that all your staff are fully trained on the extra responsibilities they will have.

Outsource

In some cases, you will not be able to delegate all the tasks to your employees, as they will be too busy implementing the changes. This means that you will have to outsource some of the lower level business processes, so you have more time to engage with your market and your employees. There are several productivity and cost related benefits of outsourcing. While you might not want to outsource the business plan creation, you can get a cleaning and property maintenance company to ensure your premises are in the best shape possible.

Choose the Right People

Your business success will also depend on the resources you have available. Your most important resource is your employees. Plan your recruitment and make sure that you have a detailed list of qualities and skills you would like your future employees to have. This will help you provide more value for your customers and focus on the big picture, instead of having to micromanage every project and supervise all the tasks performed in your company.

Let Your Customers Know

Transitioning from a small yoga studio into a chain with multiple locations can be challenging not only for you, but also your customers. You have to maintain positive relationships with your current market, and inform them about the changes, focusing on the positives. However, if there are going to be disruptions in your business, or you will have to close for a few weeks, it is better to let your customers know than leaving them guessing. Effective customer communication can help you plan your business continuity.

Try Not to Spread Yourself  Too Thin

When companies grow, they are looking to expand their market, and many of them make a mistake of trying to appeal to too many customers, and end up losing their personal touch. Remember why your customers chose you instead of another company in the first place, and try to be true to your original mission and vision. Find  a niche that is both profitable and fits your values and plans. Instead of catering for the mass market, you will have to find your ideal customer who is most likely to be satisfied by the approach you are using.

Maintain Growth By Setting Up a Marketing Funnel

When growing your business, the last thing you will have time for is marketing your business manually. The good news is that you can design and implement a business sales funnel that will help you keep in touch with your existing customers and engage with people who might be interested in what you have to offer. You simply have to find the combination of marketing tools and automation that will help you get feedback, strengthen your brand, and improve your visibility in your target market.

Create a Growth Model

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It is often forgotten by business owners that every great idea needs a plan. If you would like to design and model your growth and your results, you will have to create a growth model that will help you keep your eyes on the ball. There are various methods to do this, but you will have to start with market research. After all, you are not planning for a year, and you would like to obtain sustainable growth. You have to make sure that your growth model is easy to understand and implement, and all the elements are measurable, such as conversion rates, profits, repeat customer behavior, etc.

Maintain a Strong Leadership

No matter how overworked you become while trying to expand your business and setting up new locations, you still need to remain in charge. While you will have to delegate some jobs, you have to keep an eye on the overall process and progress toward targets. Whether you would like to break down your expansion to different phases, set milestones, or create individual location and team targets, you will have to monitor the figures and make adjustments when necessary.

Revisit Your Mission and Vision

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Once you know where you want to go and how you will achieve your goal, you will have to revisit your mission and vision. Chances are that a larger organization will face different challenges than a small yoga studio, and you are going to cater for new types of customers. Start with your market research, and identify the problems your customers have, so you can adjust your mission and vision statement and clearly communicate and explain your new direction to your staff and your other stakeholders.

Engage with Your Employees

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Managing remote employees is likely to be one of the greatest challenges of the transition. Thanks to the latest developments in information technology, you will be able to benefit from team management and human resource monitoring apps and software. Applications like GetSling will help you schedule your employees’ time, measure productivity and efficiency, compliance, customer feedback, and more. Use online platforms to share documents, deliver training, or simply engage with your employees.

Make Sure Your New Organizational Design is Feasible

It is crucial that you test your new organizational design. Chances are that you will have to appoint managers and team leaders, and they will need the right skills and resources. You have to be prepared for the growing pains and make sure that your design doesn’t have flaws. It might be a good idea to sit down with an experienced business growth manager who will help you design the new structure of your company and control your resources and expansion more effectively.

Embrace Organizational Learning

Your most important asset is your employees’ knowledge and skills. They will be the first point of contact for your customers, and they need the best skills possible. You can appoint your existing employees as your managers, and trust them with training new workers on the job. Alternatively, you can sign up for a company account on various online learning platforms and deliver employee training that is suited for your business needs. Encourage collaboration and knowledge sharing by implementing an open culture.

Learn Change Management

The transition from a solopreneur to a company owner is one of the greatest changes you will have to deal with. If you don’t have the leadership skills to engage with your employees, communicate your vision, and gain commitment, your chances for success will be much lower. It is crucial that you improve your leadership skills, including communication, motivation, leading by example, listening, and efficiency before you embark on this difficult but rewarding journey.

Dealing with huge changes and expanding your business is challenging, and you need to be prepared. Ensure that your employees are on board, communicate with your existing customers, and find a way to control all the processes and measure progress. Set yourself and your employees clear guidelines and goals, so you can grow together.

Featured Image via Glenn Carstens-Peters