Flexibility: A Constant in the Growth of Small Business

Flexibility has played a very important role in my life; it has aided in my sporting activities and has kept our business nimble and able to quickly adapt.

Physically, flexibility is needed to perform most daily activities more efficiently. Get out of bed, tie your shoes, lift children or animals, clean your house, exercise, etc.  We need to be flexible; it’s good for us.  Without adequate flexibility, daily activities become more difficult to perform.

I grew up doing acrobatics and swimming and keeping my body flexible enabled me to excel and go further, go faster, jump higher, and perform better than I could have without being flexible.  Maintaining flexibility has also greatly helped me avoid many injuries.

This article is not about the importance of keeping your body flexible, but instead we’re discussing ways that maintaining flexibility in your business will yield similar results as physical flexibility.  A flexible business can often go further, go faster, jump higher, and perform better, and can also help to avoid business injuries…

Business flexibility is almost a catch 22.  One of the primary reasons your business may have taken off is because you were able to be flexible and make decisive decisions on a whim.  As your business grows and you hire more individuals, flexibility deteriorates.  What may have started as a fast paced business that made moves and stayed ahead of the trends, can quickly become large and much more bogged down.

Implementing a “casual Friday” at a company as large as, say, AT&T, can take time and money.  It has to go up the chain of command, get checked off, and then implemented across the board.  From here, some individuals may push the boundary of what “casual” really means and then the HR department has to come into play…  You can see where I’m going with this.

So how can you stay flexible and when your business is growing at lightning speed?

Here are 5 ways to keep your organization lean and flexible.

Hire the right people. 

As your business grows, more often than not, your team will need to grow.  Hiring the right people is of the utmost importance.  Finding and training a new employee is a costly and timely task so spend a great deal of time in ensuring that you are selecting the right person for the job.  Know the behavioral traits that your company culture requires, and choose wisely.  There are no shortages of qualified workers looking for a job (search any job board and you’ll see what I mean).

One of the main things I took away from Business Management at KSU was the value and importance of first finding a quality Human Resources team.  The right HR manager should be able to essentially take on the process of hiring, help ensure you hire the right individuals, and make your life easier in general.

Properly train your employees.

Once you have found the right team members for the job, getting them off to a good start is crucial.  In order to keep your business flexible, you will need to empower your employees to make certain decisions on their own and learn to give up control (one of the most difficult tasks to do).  We have found that much time can be saved by recording and properly documenting systems and processes to package into training materials.  Set expectations and goals right on the first day.

Screencasts, videos, and an employee manual can be a great help.  Just as you want to let your customers be able to find the answers themselves, make it possible and easy for employees to find the answers on their own.

Use technology.

Technology is one of easiest ways that you can keep your company flexible.  It is easier than ever for employees to work remotely and technology will help you streamline your business processes; from using screencasts and videos to train employees, to online video chat and private social networks for groups, shared documents and calendars, etc.  Use technology to your advantage.  Let technology keep your business flexible, after all, that’s what it is built to do.

Company culture

Company culture is the behavior of all individuals who are part of an organization and the meanings that the people attach to their actions. Culture includes the values, visions, norms, working language, systems, symbols, beliefs and habits of your company.  You are responsible for setting your company culture, but each employee of your company defines it.  Set your company culture the way you want in advance. The way people and groups interact with each other, with clients, and with stakeholders is a result of the culture of company.

Be spontaneous

Although it gets more difficult the larger your organization becomes, one of the traits that helped your company get to where it is today was by making spontaneous and decisive decisions.  Don’t lose this trait.  Yes, do your proper due diligence and weigh the pros and cons out of your decisions, but pull the trigger and make big things happen for your organization.  After you pull the trigger be sure to set realistic and attainable goals.  If you are developing a new software platform for example, be careful in setting too aggressive a launch date.

Flexibility in business is as much an art as it is a science.  Juggling the abilities of your organization with the demands of customers/vendors can take finesse and an eye for taking advantage of opportunities either by executing on what’s available or in creating new opportunities out of thin air.

Make moves today,
Marc D. Horne
Daily Deal Builder