15 Growth Tips From Real Entrepreneurs

A couple of weeks ago 3 of my clients were asked to present at a business success conference. All had grown their businesses over the last 3 years and were asked for their top 5 entrepreneurial tips for growing a successful business. Here they are:

Steve Daly, Joint MD of ID&C www.idcband.co.uk. ID&C is an award winning supplier of security wristbands and accreditation to the global festival and events industry, including Glastonbury.

1. Have good personal foundations; a great support network, particularly outside of work, to support you
2. Know your channel to market, how it operates and how you fit in
3. Get a handle on the numbers (not just financial), but don’t get too hung up on them
4. Beware admin overload – set an inner admin alarm and make sure you are doing the valuable stuff. Steve tries 10 before 10 as a guide for admin
5. Be consistent

Rob Young is Joint MD of Infinity Technology Services www.infinity.uk.com. Infinity provides UK businesses with fully integrated IT support services and business telecoms solutions.

1. Have a plan
2. Automate as many processes as you can and delegate to more junior staff
3. Get the best help you can afford – don’t rely just on your accountant
4. Hold your nerve
5. Reward on performance and celebrate your successes

Jo Wood is Managing Partner of Jo Wood Virtual Finance Director at Jo-wood.com a practice supplying bookkeeping, payroll & FD services to Kent’s small businesses.

1. Know your numbers especially the non-financial ones
2. Power of the donut – use donuts or small rewards as thank you’s to help get your team engaged
3. Don’t be a technician. Make sure that your processes are solid and that they work so that as the boss you can work on the business, not in it
4. Know what you know and know what you don’t – get help with the latter
5. Become a Spaghetti puller not a pusher – this is a phrase used by Woody Hayes and is explained here by Dave Daubemire.

What are your top 5 tips?