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  • Everyone wants to grow somehow

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  • Some are better at it than others

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  • I’ve seen people change these behaviours

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  • They’re learnable skills

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  • Understanding these top 3 mistakes (traps) will help you avoid the pain

Does Growth = Pain?

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The Mistakes Owners Make

  1. They insist on doing it all themselves

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  • They don’t test things in controlled ways before putting them in place

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  • They don’t take time out regularly to take perspective

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Stop Being the Bottleneck

Mistake 1:

They insist on doing it all themselves

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If you never let go of anything, you’ll have to carry everything.

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Signs:

          • You answer 100 questions a day
          • You have to figure out new stuff first
          • “I was I could clone myself”

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You need a team that can grow with you

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Stop Being the Bottleneck

A Better Way:

  • Work out the crucial work that must be done, then build the business model around it.

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  • Put the best internal people on the most important things.

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  • Offer them responsibility for the outcomes you’re looking to achieve.

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  • If you don’t have the skill in-house, get external expert help.

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Be like a wide open road

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Test & Amplify

Mistake 2:

They don’t test in a controlled way before going all in

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It’s hard to hit a bullseye blindfolded.

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Signs:

          • Hesitant to try new initiatives
          • Slow, costly, low-return projects
          • Statements like “that can’t work in my industry” or “the problem with that is…”

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Instead, plant & nurture seeds of growth

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Test & Amplify

A Better Way:

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  • Get scientific. Come up with a theory, then do the smallest test you can to see if it’s worth investing resources in.

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  • If it isn’t working altogether, move on.

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  • If it’s working ok or partially, adjust and iterate. Tune in to the signal.

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  • When it’s working really well and showing great signs, go hard and win big.

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Don’t protest, be Pro-Test

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Running Headfirst Into Walls

(please don’t do that)

Mistake 3:

They don’t take time out regularly to get perspective

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If you’re just busy being busy, you’re in the busy-ness business

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Signs:

          • Always rushing to keep up
          • Not growing, but do more of the same
          • Same plan & opportunities each year

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Running Headfirst Into Walls

(please don’t)

A Better Way:

  • Work out where you want to go

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  • Identify the signposts that tell you if you’re on course (and the walls)

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  • Check in briefly at regular intervals

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  • Adjust course accordingly

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  • Stay curious

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  • Embrace uncertainty

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Stay inspired, reflect, ask good questions

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A Better Way to Grow

The Mistake Owners Make

A Better Way

1. They insist on doing it all themselves

Work out the crucial work that must be done, then build the business model around it.

Put the best internal people on the most important things.

2. They don’t test things in controlled ways before putting them in place

Run small tests to see if it’s worth investing resources in.

Adjust and iterate. When it’s working really well & showing great signs, go hard and win big.

3. They don’t take time out regularly to get perspective

Work out where you want to go, then check in briefly at regular intervals to make sure you’re on course. Adjust accordingly.

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So What?

I’m already busy.

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This will take ages to make a difference.

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What difference would this even make?

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Meet Kris

Co-Owner: Fast Labour Hire

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Hobbies:

  • Golf (we met on course)
  • Looking a bit like Johnny Depp

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Case Study: Kris – Fast Labour Hire

Old Behaviour

What he does now

Outcome

Did it all himself -

Managed all new accounts,

no matter the size

Handed off new small clients to another team member

Focused time to grow relationships with key clients

Didn’t test before committing-

Go all in on new services using existing team members

Tested creating business units within existing team

Opening their fifth site this month in Geelong - Sydney growing, Brisbane established with predictable growth and Melbourne more profitable than ever

Didn’t take perspective - Worked in the business 10h / day & weekends trying to grow

Meets with coach regularly to review business, works on business with other owners in his network

Business has gone from flatline to 7x growth in last 5 years. Doesn’t work weekends and does 8h days

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