Starting a new business is an exciting adventure. No matter how big or small your startup or even how fast it’s taken off, a key to success is maintaining momentum. While that might sound easy enough for a company that’s going well, it’s important not to take anything for granted. On top of the daily hustle that comes with running a startup, it’s important to keep an eye on things like employee satisfaction, scalability, and overall productivity. If you’re a business owner looking for ways to keep the momentum going with your company, read on for things to consider.
Daily Hustle
Maybe you’re a successful SEO strategist with a medium-sized SEO agency providing digital content for outside company landing pages. If you’re like Manick Bhan, CTO of LinkGraph, this probably means your days consist not only of day to day operations of running a company but looking toward the future. From paying attention to keyword rankings and watching market trends, someone like Manick is also always focused on the next business idea that will keep his company moving along successfully.
If you run a new company, it’s imperative you make spending time on ensuring the future a top priority. This will mean tough decisions about hiring and outsourcing. It will include risks and some experimentation with motivating employees. If you do this regularly, you’ll be in a better position to have more free time after the daily hustle.
Outsourcing and Hiring
There comes a point in any successful startup business where the workflow is too much for one person. If you aren’t in the position to hire a team yet, your next best bet in maintaining momentum might be outsourcing. By using freelancers or people paid one job at a time, you’ll be able to continue to grow your company without worrying about paying for things like taxes and benefits.
If you’re looking to keep work moving quickly but don’t want the headache of setting up for full-time employees, it might be time to do some research when it comes to other options. Thanks to digital marketing and technology, it’s easier than ever to place job ads for a gig and part-time work. Consider taking time at the end of each week to list the jobs you most need help with. Not only will this help your momentum, but take some work off you, too.
Employee Incentives
Motivated employees will produce. Whether you’ve gone with a gig and freelance workers or made the leap to hiring full-time employees, an important part of the company’s success will depend on keeping the people working for you motivated. Consider ways you can keep your employees happy the same way you do your clients and customers.
Maybe productivity is an important part of your company’s mission. If this is the case, offer employees or part-time workers the benefit of pay incentives for those who exceed quota. Another idea for keeping employees motivated is to create a team environment. When an employee feels more invested, they’re more likely to produce a quality product. Rewarding extraordinary efforts, giving positive feedback, and instructing those in positions of power to encourage newer workers are ways to keep your company in the black.
In the end, running a startup can be challenging. Once you’ve achieved momentum, it’s important you maintain it. This requires changes, some creative thinking, and the ability to experiment. Take a few risks and be transparent about them with members of your team. While you are in charge and have the final say, asking employees for feedback could go a long way in helping them feel more connected. The better the team, the better the product. For happy customers, you’ll want to encourage employee involvement while keeping an eye on future trends and client demand. You can do it! You already have.
