Don’t look back and have any regrets in business
Serial entrepreneur Dale Williams, pictured below, on why you should just trust your instincts when it comes to growing your business
WHEN I look back at my childhood those priceless memories seem as vivid as yesterday.
And it makes me grateful that I had such a tight family unit, but boy doesn’t time go fast.
It’s those memories and thoughts that make me have an air of fearlessness.
I do sometimes wonder why I apply such pressure to my life and honestly I probably don’t enjoy some things in life as much as I should and stopping to smell the roses as they say.
But what I do know is that I don’t want to look back tomorrow and wonder what I did with my time, or even worse, what I didn’t do.
Recently, Yolk Recruitment was awarded a sustainable growth award at the annual Wales Fast Growth 50 awards.
In short it means that we are consistently growing having appeared in the list consecutively over the past three years.
It’s not dramatic growth, we don’t turn over a billion pounds (yet), but it’s constant, it’s sustainable and it’s against the norm.
Business owners are often faced with the “do I, don’t I” dilemma when growing or attempting to grow their business.
But running a business isn’t always as simple as yes or no, and the answers can sometimes only be found once we’ve taken a calculated leap of faith.
I run a business in an industry where 90% of start-ups never make it past 10 staff, whether it be down to desire, ability or offering is anyone’s guess,.
And I would put my neck on the line to say that a large proportion don’t fulfil their potential because they fear failure and because growth is scary.
It’s kind of like being on a sky dive but catching your parachute on the way down. Exhilarating yet terrifying, but it’s all the more worth it if you catch the chute.
Money talks, cash is king, and I’m regularly asked: ‘When is the right time to grow my business?
Other questions include: ‘How much money should I have in the bank before I take on a new member of staff, or move to bigger premises, or invest in marketing?’
Well, yes cash is important but what’s the point in it sitting in the bank while you wait for that right time to grow?
Cash should work for you. Don’t be afraid to invest in people, in marketing, in product development, in customer service, in inspiring work spaces and in turn the business will pay you back.
Fear is a state of mind and in reality if you’re waiting for the right time to grow your business then you might be waiting a very long time.
It’s the little things that make the big differences and you can grow with baby steps before taking giant leaps.
I believe it’s more about you, the individual, and your personal desires.
And why you do or don’t grow comes down to your intuition; after all growing a business beyond its station isn’t right for everyone.
In 10 years’ time, if nothing else, I want as a minimum to look back and know that I tried, that I stared fear in the face and that I gave it a good run for its money.
That’s got to be better than waiting to grow and asking what if?