Being the captain of your own enterprise

One of the more difficult aspects of growing your business is feeling like it’s expanding beyond the confines of your professional skill set. It’s great to be successful, and growth is wonderful, but it’s easy to feel a little out of control when the pace of growth picks up. Understanding that this is perfectly natural is important in staying grounded and confident about the direction your business is headed.

There’s a very good cliche we’ve all heard, the one about hiring people smarter than yourself, which makes sense in so many ways. Yet, what does it actually mean to be ‘smarter’? Are we talking about business intelligence, creativity, emotional intelligence and logistical smarts? Probably all of these things. It makes even more sense to imagine yourself as captain of the ship, and the people you hire are more knowledgable than you about the engine room, or about navigation, or security. However, you’re smarter than they are about the logistics of the ship: why it’s making the journey in the first place, and how it needs the captain to steer everyone in the right direction, combining their skill sets to ensure the journey is smooth.

In today’s multifaceted business world, the way we market ourselves is different than it used to be. Some fundamentals remain, such as print advertisements, newsletters and event attendance. These are still often very effective, too. In an increasingly digital world, these marketing methods have morphed into slightly new and more effective ways of promoting your business. As a technology company, it makes more sense to embrace new methods of engaging with potential new clients (as well as existing ones). If you operate as a technology company, you should know and be able to demonstrate your knowledge of the fine details of digital marketing, otherwise you run the risk of appearing out of touch.

You don’t have to know this yourself. The key is in making sure the people around you know how it works, and can keep the engine running under your stewardship. People who want to buy your technology need to see that you have a grasp of the world they operate in, and that you’re a proactive part of the shifting landscape of market dynamics. If this isn’t apparent, you may lose that new customer.

Some of these new methods of marketing use terms such as ‘growth hacking’, ‘referral programmes’ and ‘SEO’, which may be terms you’ve heard before and perhaps even understand. Yet, if you’re no expert, why would you try to tackle these things on your own when the people around you can manage it for you? What’s required from you is leadership and the complexities involved in being a good leader, such as creating an effective and sustainable culture within your business. Delegate those new responsibilities that come with being a digital marketing powerhouse and focus on what you do best, which is ensure the root system of your organisation is primed and fertile; a solid foundation for real, effective digital growth.

Without a good captain at the helm, the medium-to-long-term benefits of growth may be lost to competitors, and your organisation may feel lost at sea. In a world of changing market dynamics, it will pay to hire well, delegate, or outsource the skills you need to ensure the business has the room to stretch confidently into the future.