After many years of working with clients that range from mom and pop start-ups
to public companies doing over $80 million dollars in annual revenue,
we have learned that we can be extremely effective with some clients,
yet — unfortunately — a waste of time and money for others.
This realization has led us to narrow the range of clients we choose to
accept. Frankly, we have no interest in wasting either time or money.
In fact, if we are not totally convinced that we can provide a benefit
many times our cost, we will decline the engagement.
So what are the criteria we use to judge an ideal client?
You
must have an open mind and be willing to embrace change.
Einstein said, "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." We find many business people want different results but are unwilling to change the way they do business. If you keep doing the same things you always have, you will get the same results. So you must recognize and embrace the need to change the way things are done in your business.
You
must be fully committed.
Many business people can talk about making changes and doing what is necessary. But the first time they encounter an obstacle, they get cold feet and fall back into their old patterns.
Major change does not come without some problems. You must be committed to stay the course. Running for cover at the first sign of resistance will doom you to the status quo.
Your
business must be capable of being leveraged.
If there is no possibility of leveraging your business, then our ability to produce significant growth results will be severely limited.
There are many ways you can leverage your business — additional locations, additional distribution venues (such as online), additional products and increased capacity are just a few ways. However, there are some business where the product and customer base are so fixed that leverage is not feasible. We can make a quick determination about the scalability of your business to determine if working with Strategic Growth Mentors is worthwhile.
You
must be willing to empower all stakeholders in the growth process.
If you look at the most successful business people, one thing that is common to all is the quality of their team. Your business will never be stronger than the collective strength of your team. To attract and keep the best team members, you must be willing to empower and share the results of the growth with all the stakeholders who help fuel the growth. If you are looking for a team to fuel your growth but are unwilling to let them participate in the rewards, you will not be able to maintain a high quality group for long. As your income grows, you must be willing to share proportionally with those contributing to the growth.
You
must commit the resources necessary to grow.
Growth takes resources: time, talent, capital and energy. It is not possible to grow a business without an adequate amount of each. You cannot just throw money at the business and expect it to grow. You need the correct balance of time, talent, capital and energy. Most people are looking for more free time and more money. But there must first be an investment in time, talent, money and energy before you begin to reap the benefits.
If you truly are committed to growing your business, are willing to commit
the resources needed, and are willing to consider change, then you might
qualify to work with Strategic Growth Mentors. Please contact
us today to discuss your goals.
