Recently, our Founder & Chair Margo Crawford sat down with MediaPlanet to discuss her experience growing a business, and the challenges that come when you start out. The article is a conversational, 20-minute read and is available through the link below on the MediaPlanet website. There are many astute takeaways for business leaders and those looking to move into leadership positions; we’ve summarized some of the most important points here.
Getting Started
Margo says the inspiration for Business Sherpa Group (BSG) came from a previous company she led, where they did not have the resources to grow at the pace they needed. The administrative overload distracted them from their core functions, a common issue many small businesses face when trying to grow operations. That’s why she wanted BSG to focus on these “side of the desk” tasks, so business owners could get back to their core promise.
Ironically, as BSG started to grow, Margo got caught up doing the “side of the desk” tasks for the company herself. This is where you can learn to delegate, says Margo, which will be a valuable skill to have going forward. The lesson of her success early on was that if you want to grow, you must invest in the company to support that.
Scaling Your Business
According to Margo, the most important things to keep in mind when your business grows are the purpose you initially set out to achieve and the vision for your company in the long run. Using these to guide your decisions, as well as your personal and company values, won’t make every decision easy, but it will help you sort out some of the grey areas along the way.
As your business grows, your role as a leader will grow and change with it. You’ll likely start with a short-term-objectives to close sales, meet clients, to build a brand reputation. As your business grows, be comfortable delegating those tasks so you can focus on the long-term direction of the company, looking for opportunities and threats for your organization to navigate.
Summary
Business Sherpa Group would quite literally not exist today without Margo’s leadership and vision. Her principles, which have guided the business since 2008, have helped us grow and scale to where we can proudly support clients across the country while remaining true to our original values. If you want to learn from Margo, this article is a great place to start to understand the mind behind all the operations here at BSG.
