Rome wasn’t built in a day, and your business won’t be either! 

We all know the saying, Rome wasn’t built in a day, but for some reason, we seem to think that our businesses should be! Business growth can be an all-consuming pursuit for the business owner – especially the new business owner. Eager to expand, looking to grow and investing time, energy and cash into anything and everything that promises results. Of course, the reality of business growth is very different. It can be a slow and oftentimes frustrating experience of moving two steps forward and one step back!

Of course, it’s not just new business owners that fall into the trap of rapid and unsustainable growth. We’re all susceptible to the promise of a quick fix. But unfortunately, a quick fix is more often than not, an unsustainable fix. For business growth to have a positive impact it needs to be sustainable, which comes from being organic – growing and evolving with the changing needs of the business over time.

Growing a business is a series of small steps, done consistently. Steps that add, steps that revise and review. Through these we grow, we learn, we revise and we come to understand ourselves and the business better. Which allows us to begin the cycle again. Growth is a continual nurturing, a cycle of attempts and revisions to find what works well for the business at that time. 

Three very un-insta worthy ideas for business growth

Having a business mentor – each meeting will be valuable, but it’s unlikely you’ll ever be able to put your finger on more than a couple of “breakthrough” moments. More likely is that you will both show up consistently for each other and it will only be when reflecting over a period of time that you will see how having a quality mentor invested in you and your business growth has resulted in a transformation.

Asking for help before you think you’ll need it – remember, if you have to reach out and ask for help, it’s probably later than when you should have asked! As business owners, we can support and encourage growth by being prepared for it. This can seem like overkill at the time, but by creating space to prepare at a time before it’s urgent and immediate, the processes set up are out of thoughtful planning – not rushed and out of fear.

Book a meeting – with yourself! How much business strife can be avoided if you took an hour out of each week and committed to showing up and working on your business. The business of your business. The planning, reviewing and creating for your business? It’s the same as the concept of paying yourself first. Again, not much will come out of each weekly session, but over time, and with consistently showing up you can look back over time and see how this has made a positive impact on your business growth.

Don’t be distracted by bright shiny hares racing around your business – appreciate the slow, sustainable growth you can achieve by being the tortoise. It may take longer, and it may seem frustrating at times, but what you will be growing and the building will be viable in the long-term and see the growth that is balanced and organic. A win-win for any business owner! Share with us in the comments below, what are some of the small, slow & sustainable ways you are growing your business?