What Does Growth Really Mean To You When It Comes To Business?
Written by: Samantha Hearne, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
It is very easy to focus on the money, number of clients, social media following or the obvious ‘metrics’ but beyond all of that – what does growth really mean to you and your business?
I like to see growth is 3 key ways:
Personal growth (as a business owner)
Knowledge and professional development
Innovation, change and adaptability
Before we talk about these in more detail, I want to just spend some time really unpicking WHY this matters as a business owner.
If you only monitor and track your growth in terms of metrics or external results, so much of the journey goes unrewarded. So much of your experiences, processes and progress gets dismissed. So much of YOU get lost against the tide of what you achieved ‘on paper’.
So; when you think about your growth, your progress and how your business is truly evolving, I invite you to think of your growth in these 3 areas – even if it can just start to really highlight how much of a journey you really go in, even in your everyday tasks and decisions!
1. Personal growth as a business owner
When you run your own business so many of your biggest triumphs are the ones that no-one sees (nor would you want them to!)
Like the time you honour your boundaries and say no to a client that doesn’t align
Or the time you create something for your new programme that just makes your heart sing
Or the idea that keeps you up at night and you cannot wait to share with the world
Or even the time you treat your best friend, partner, parents, children to a trip or experience – on you!
These things are often the most precious, but not the ones we track.
Therefore, I want personal growth to become a new metric for you as a business owner.
How are you evolving, becoming more resilient, taking action outside of your comfort zone, saying yes to bolder decisions, honouring yourself more? ALL of this personal growth will enable your business to grow as a byproduct. YOU are the catalyst of big change, expansion and real, long-lasting growth for your business.
2. Knowledge and professional development
When you spend so much time IN your business, your own education and development can sometimes be pushed to the back burner. No time. No energy. No head space.
But when you stop learning, you stop growing. When you stop feeding your own mind with new concepts and creative outlets, your inspiration will soon run dry. Things will become stagnant. Maybe not straight away, but they will start to feel less stimulating.
So, when you think about your own development and knowledge, what are you really interested in but have not made time to explore yet? Is there something that you want to start improving in your skill set but up until now it hasn’t taken president?
Ways in which I like to continue to develop myself and my own knowledge (in case you need a little starting point):
Listening to podcast interviews by other successful people to learn more about their mindset, way of processing and how they function when it comes to their businesses and enterprise
Read books about theories that can help my own practice but aren’t all business, mindset, money, or sales related – you know, the ones! Things around human behaviours, relationships, human design, language and communication – these areas are fascinating to me and will ultimately allow me to serve my clients and community better, as well as better my own education in the process.
Networking in spaces that aren’t my normal setting. Meeting business owners in different fields and being inspired by them and the way they work.
I invite you to think about what commitment you can make in Q4 of 2022 to really improve the value you give to your own knowledge and professional development.
3. Innovation, change and adaptability
This definitely doesn’t get enough airtime when it comes to growth! Your ability to innovate, change and adapt are vital; not only for yourself as an individual but for the evolution of your brand and business.
Being able to see trends change, patterns of behaviour evolve, and decision-making or buying processes adapt is a powerful skill to harness as a business owner. One step further than that is your ability to see this within yourself; how does this feel now? Has your energy changed around this project? Are you ready for a new challenge?
These changes and expansions, both business-wise and personal are such a great indicator of your own growth.
Taking bold action, embracing risks, putting yourself into new spaces of potential is a powerful way to truly remind yourself of how much you have grown.
Never underestimate how much your growth can manifest in more ways that obvious metrics may have you believe.
I myself have spent some real time in this space recently and can honestly, I haven’t been disappointed by what I have found out about myself outside of the obvious things we all track as business owners.
I have also recently set up my own CPD accredited training programmes and this highlights all of the 3 areas above:
1. Personal growth
Going beyond what I am now known for in the mentoring and coaching space and expanding my passions and teachings into formal accreditations that I have written and now deliver was a huge step into this next growth phase for Samantha Hearne.
2. Knowledge and professional development
I had to learn about a brand-new standardised practice to be able to become accredited with the CPD – this in itself was a whole new world but learning this and going through this process stimulated my mind in a way it hadn’t been for a long time.
3. Adaptability, innovation and change
This is the epitome of that! Adapting my business to bring my passions into play in a bigger way than ever before (as an ex-teacher who loved education!) now I get to blend both of my worlds together. Innovation because it is all about innovating new ideas, and new concepts and turning those into programmes and services that will help other business owners grow and finally, change. Change is something we cannot ignore but must embrace, and this evolution was certainly a change to do that!
So – what can you do to truly focus on the growth of your business in bigger ways than ever before?
And if you want to learn about getting your service-based business CPD accredited, click here and enjoy becoming formally recognised for putting your clients first!
Samantha Hearne, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Samantha is a best selling self-published author, qualified coach and mentor who works with female entrepreneurs to build a business of sustainability, wealth & ease. Samantha runs 2 mastermind programmes, 1:1 mentoring programmes and a self-study business success school. Samantha supports her clients with; organic marketing, building a brand and engaged community, creating consistent sales (usually without launching), increasing profit within their business over time, creating balance, ease & fun, as well as a huge focus on mindset and performance habits for success.
As an ex-teacher, Samantha prides herself on differentiation, simple teaching strategies, and encouraging her clients to reach their fullest potential.
