Tag: grow

As a 20-year entrepreneur, I have learned a few things over the years and some things I have had to learn repetitively until I 'got it'. Learning should be embraced they say, and I agree wholeheartedly but sometimes when you are in the thick of it, it's hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel let alone the 'why' you needed to learn that lesson again and again.

There is so much going on this time of year, it is ridiculous. Usually, I do the smart thing and disappear overseas or head up to the family property in Queensland to hang with my family, but this year, I am staying put... well, for now.

I have so much to do as I have alluded to in previous blogs; Marketing Eye's expansion plans, Licensing the Marketing Eye model, a new technology platform that I have developed and a new tech company that I am about to go into capital raising mode for. On top of that, I have my passion project, The World Incubator, and selfishly a holiday overseas to the snowfields.

A few years back I embarked on global expansion. I say the word 'global' loosely, as I am a realist and know that global is such a big, ambiguous word used so freely in today's business environment. We have an ambitious vision for the company that hopefully will see the company expand into a global footprint capable of providing thousands of companies worldwide with a 'marketing eye'. All possible, but yet to be fully realised.

I've been challenged for my entire business life by whether or not business is more important than personal life. We all know the answer to that one and as much as we continually tell ourselves that this is the case, it is so easy to be lured into a false sense of security that only business can provide.

I love working. I really do. I wake up in the morning and cannot wait to get to the office. I've matured a little, and don't tend to work on weekends or in the evenings, although I do put in a solid 12 hour day, 5 days a week.

There have been many lessons I have learned this year; some the easy way and some the hard way.

The past six months have been exhausting. It has tested me in ways that I never imagined possible and at the same time, made me realize a few things about myself that will help shape the person I am moving forward.

I have learned:

In every businesses life, there comes a time when you decide whether the business has 'legs' to grow further.

Marketing Eye has hit this point many times and each time we have done a situation analysis and made business decisions on where to go. Right now, we are in expansion mode with the US market firmly in our sights.

If you are in this position, think about what your Big Hairy Audacious Goal is and work out how realistic it is given your current resources and capabilities. Things to consider include;

Expand into new markets

It's a lesson that I learned far too late in the game, but nevertheless, I have learnt it and am reaping the rewards.

When clients are rolling in the door, most entrepreneurs are counting the dollars and working out ways in which to service them.

In the past, I have said 'yes' to far too many dodgy characters - people who I knew would never pay their bills, liars and people who just don't fit in with our brand and culture. Every single time, it ended in disaster.

Just when small business thought they were getting back on track, the Reserve Bank issues another rate rise.

How do they do it? It’s a question that all entrepreneurs ask themselves at one stage or another. We see companies all the time that are in our space and they have grown phenonomenally over a short period of time. Sometimes they then fall flat and other times, they keep going. The latter is harder to achieve.

Knowing where you want to go is easier to say than do. Many company owners have big dreams, but they are dreams that lack details or direction and therefore often go unrealised.