How to Direct Your Growth

At one point, my parents decided they’d give each kid a special trip with one of them. For my trip, my mom and I went to Maine together.  While in Maine, we were trying to figure out how to get from our hotel to a nearby coffee shop before renting bikes to ride the Carriage Roads in Acadia (which ended up being quite the experience, but a story for another time); the GPS was suggesting my mom, who was driving, turn left to get to town fastest, but my mom was convinced that she knew better and it would actually be faster to go right. Approximately 3 seconds after turning right, she goes, “Oh I see why it wanted me to turn the other way, that actually would have been faster.”

The thing is, I knew she was headed the wrong direction; the GPS was directing us to do the opposite and I remembered the general way from the day before. You may be asking, “Well Caitlyn, why didn’t you tell your mom that?” This is an incredibly common occurrence in our household (my mom just does not have great directional awareness.) My mom’s motto is “I always get where I’m going… eventually.” Mom had full confidence in the fact that we’d get there, as did I. It just may be in the least efficient way possible.

Driving Your Business

While this mentality can lead to a fairly interesting road trip, this is not the attitude we want to have as we grow our businesses. A lack of efficiency means wasted time, money, and resources that can slow growth and hinder you from reaching your goals. That’s why it’s important to do these three things when planning for growth in your business:

1. Have a specific destination in mind, and a desired ETA.
2. Admit that we don’t always know how to get there on our own… (I know, it’s hard to admit this sometimes)
3. Chart your course clearly.

Let’s go a little more into the details of each of these:

Have a specific destination in mind and a desired ETA.

Growth does not happen by accident. If you aren’t intentional about the way you want your business to grow, who knows where you’ll end up (it may be growth, but not towards what you wanted. It could also be the opposite of growth…).

And if you don’t put timeframes around the milestones required for that growth, chances are that the tasks necessary to grow are never going to take a high priority place on your already busy schedule.

Admit that we don’t always know how to get there on our own.

It’s your first time doing this! You wouldn’t expect someone who just moved to New York to be able to find the Empire State Building without a map just because they decided to go there; likewise, you’re going to need a few resources to find your way.  Take a deep breath and do some soul searching. Do you need to hire someone or should you invest in a course and learn to do it yourself? What resources will best support your goals so you can be better prepared for this journey? Be thoughtful about what you need and how to meet those needs in the way that works best for you.

Chart your course clearly.

This is where Upwell comes in: You know where you want to go and you know when you want to get there, but you aren’t 100% sure what path to take. Upwell Strategies can serve as your GPS to sustainable business growth, highlighting each twist, turn, and backroad you need to drive down to get to your goals in an efficient way.

If you’re tired and frustrated with trying to grow your business, feeling like you’re constantly running on a hamster wheel, consider working with us. Having a clear plan and a strategic partner in your business lets you rest in the knowledge that you’re heading in the right direction, and you’re not alone. Contact us to learn more about our consulting services to see what it’s like to have Upwell as your guide.