FEATURE


BUSINESS BANKING & FINANCE


Blueprint for


growth


Is it time to grow? This is the question you will have to ask yourself at some point in your business's lifespan. If you have a recurring source of revenue, a critical mass of customers and operational systems that are robust enough for the next stage, the answer is probably 'yes'. It's not always that simple though. Dr Shai Vyakarnam,


Director of the Bettany Centre for Entrepreneurship at Cranfield School of Management, explains that taking the next step on the growth journey isn't just about performance and opportunities, but how it feels. "Growth can be daunting, especially for the start-up


entrepreneur," he says. "There needs to be a feeling of confidence in the


business and in the commercial viability of the opportunities ahead. Taking that running jump requires a unique kind of energy."


PREPARING TO LEAP “A small business founder knows when it's time to grow," adds Emma Jones, Founder of Enterprise Nation. "It's the point when sales are coming in, and more are


looking likely. It's the point when you accept that you have to build out the business - in terms of people or technology - to meet that demand. It's a nice position to be in, but requires another step of leadership from the founder as scaling a business is a whole new challenge to starting one." To be able to grow, Emma says, you have to let go a little


and hand responsibility to a trusted team. This can be difficult for a founder who's been doing everything themselves.


‘There needs to be a feeling of confidence in the business and in the commercial viability of the opportunities ahead. Taking that running jump requires a unique kind of energy’


48 business network November 2017


- the strategies that turn small into big


Growth is a sure sign of success, but how does a small company take the next step? In this article from Chamber strategic partner HSBC, business experts Dr Shai Vyakarnam and Emma Jones discuss the strategies you could be using for each stage of your business life - from start-up to maturity.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72