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Growth Growth is the hugely challenging phase of development during which the role of the entrepreneur increasingly becomes intertwined with the demands of leadership: attracting new people to the business, keeping them engaged and committed, gradually passing some control and influence to them; creating an environment in which the culture and values can live and thrive, dealing with ambiguity and unexpected situations as they arise. At the same time the entrepreneur's ability to look ahead and anticipate challenges and opportunities will be even more important than before. Decisions you take today will often shape the options open to you in a few years' time. Our role, as the company swings into growth mode, will typically change in nature in that we will normally become mentors to the founders and, indeed, to other people who have taken on key roles in the business at this time. We will help you develop as leaders, support you in your networking and business development activity and, because we are pragmatic and know that every situation has different needs, we will take a more direct role if you and we conclude that this is what is needed. In parallel with this, we will work with you to assess the skills and expertise that the business needs as it grows and we will help you to source the people and organisations that will meet those needs. This can involve introducing finance, legal, recruitment, marketing, selling, operational or other capabilities as advisors, part-time service providers or employees. It can also involve raising finance and even beginning to plan for an exit or IPO. We can often also introduce business partners and potential sources of business. Most important to us, however, is that in everything we do we are helping you to become better and better equipped as both entrepreneurs and leaders. |
Growth can be a white-knuckled ride:
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