Many people start home businesses without a real plan. They just have a passion to do something or know that they want to eventually grow their company into something bigger. If you try to rush ahead and grow your home business too quickly, then you’ll end up burning yourself out and you could end up with a business model that isn’t sustainable.

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[ctt template=”4″ link=”1eq3d” via=”yes” ]How long do you have to wait, and how far do you need to progress in order to upgrade your home business? In this article, we’ll be exploring the possibilities of growing your business and when you should make a move.[/ctt]

In the world of business, slow and steady often wins the race. Getting ahead of yourself has dire consequences and you’re better off taking the slow route. Sadly, taking a slower approach often leads to your business becoming stagnant. Unless you make a move sooner than later, your business will suffer and be plunged into obscurity by more advanced competitors.

So when exactly is it a good time to grow your business? How long do you have to wait, and how far do you need to progress in order to consider growing your company? In this article, we’ll be exploring the possibilities of growing your business and when you should make a move.

When Is It a Good Idea to Upgrade Your Home Business to a Small Company?

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You’ve made a breakthrough and seen a sudden surge of popularity

Businesses need to take advantage of all the opportunities they get. When your product or service sees a sudden surge in popularity, then it’s a good idea to try and capitalize on that temporary boost and ride the wave. You can often do this by reaching out to people on social media, running promotions that draw in more customers, or investing money into more advertising to get your name out there.

However, you need to ensure that this sudden boost in popularity isn’t due to a trend. For instance, if your product is trending because an industry figurehead or celebrity mentioned you and your products, then it’s likely a sustainable boost in popularity. On the other hand, if you’re only getting a small boost in popularity because you had a mildly successful promotional campaign, then it might not be the best idea to pour more capital into your growth.

The reason is simple; sustainability for a home business comes from word of mouth. The more people talk about you, the more your name will stick around in the industry. Having a small sale or promotional campaign isn’t a sustainable way to grow your exposure if it doesn’t make waves on social media or the news. If your name or product is being discussed, then it’s a good sign. However, if you’re only getting extra sales because your product or service was discounted, then it’s not as sustainable.

You have a plan to increase the number of staff working for you

Every business needs a plan if they want to grow. You don’t simply just “grow” your company from nothing and you need to have a coherent strategy that everyone on your team is aware of. For instance, what will you do when certain employees are absent?  It’s incredibly important that you plan ahead for continuity should something go wrong. A good example of this in action is when medical practices attempt to grow and increase the number of patients they take. They’ll need a service like www.360HealthCareStaffing.com for more safety in the event that one of their members of staff is off sick or away for their holiday. This is a much better option than hiring an extra employee because it’s cheaper and they’re temporary staff members, not permanent.

The same applies to your business. When growing your company, you need to think about how you can plan ahead in advance. Make sure you’re not over-hiring people to help you run your company and always rely on third-party assistance such as outsourcing and freelancers to make running your business smoother. This article from business.financialpost.com will help explain the dangers of over-hiring in greater detail to help you understand it in more detail. In short, be resourceful when it comes to getting work done. A bit of overtime is acceptable and relying on freelancers during your growth spurt is normal, but it’s also important to plan ahead and recruit new employees when necessary.

Your business is financially secure with plenty of capital

Did you know that very few large companies are actually making a real profit? As shown in this informative post from www.foxbusiness.com, there are many huge companies that simply don’t make a profit. This includes Twitter, Uber and even Amazon. The reason they don’t make a profit is simple; they use the capital effectively and re-invest into their companies. Companies can continue to run as long as employees are paid and expenses are accounted for. Every other penny can be spent on growth. This could mean hiring new employees, expanding their services or even running promotional campaigns.

If your business is financially secure, then the money you make can always be re-invested into your company to grow it. If you’re forced to take out a loan in order to have a chance to grow your company, then you might be struggling too much financially and it will be a good idea to take a step back and rethink your growth strategy. Attempting to grow a business without being financially stable is a terrible idea, and you need to change your approach so that you don’t put your company or your staff at risk. Remember that making a profit doesn’t necessarily mean you’re growing your company unless you invest it meaningfully.

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Final words

Growing a company takes time, effort and a lot of money. Unless you have access to all three of these components, it’s best not to get ahead of yourself. Take it slow, build your audience and plan ahead for every situation you could potentially get yourself into. If you rush ahead and try to grow your company when it’s not ready, then you’ll encounter all kinds of issues. You’ll be understaffed, you won’t have a sustainable way to grow your audience and you’ll be pressured to take a loan and push yourself further into debt.

This is a contributed post.

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