12 Essential Tips for Busy Startup CEOs on Business Management

The key to any successful business goes beyond simply launching it. You can rally a huge chunk of your efforts into the major event of finally getting your startup off the ground, which is well and good.  However, it should not stop there. Sustaining and cultivating your business is where the real grunt work begins.

There are two important halves to managing a business. Firstly, it lies in strengthening your foundations. And secondly, it is in working with people whom you can trust to create a strong brand.

Here, you’ll need more than just an office space to start. Strategizing how you want your startup to grow into its full potential and creating a safe, collaborative space for you and your team to work can have significant impacts on your business.

Planning your startup’s growth

There’s no guaranteed shortcut to success, but there is a development that comes with incremental progress planned right when you manage your business. This is where planning your business’s growth comes into play. Here are some practices you’ll want to keep in mind as you continue to build your brand.

Create a roadmap of your goals, and don’t stop at hitting one goal. 

Think of it as building a path for your business. You can have one north star goal — say it’s something along the lines of making your business the industry standard. From there, you can carve out a plan and consider all the steps you’ll need to take and all the milestones you need to hit to be able to get to this major goal.

Set up consultations with professionals.

Keeping your ego in check is something to be mindful of. Your business can start strong, but there are going to be instances where you will need to check in with advisors who can guide you in making the best decisions. Hence, keeping an open mind for your business growth will help in the long run, especially during unforeseen circumstances.

Document your progress.

Keeping detailed documents of all your business processes and systems paves the way for mindful growth and consistency in performance (if not an improvement).

Don’t be afraid to keep learning.

Stay in the loop with the ins and outs of running a business. Aside from your industry, you may need to look into specific business terminologies, laws, financial guides, and a myriad of other technical things needed to keep a business operating legally.

Aside from focusing on your business, being mindful of what goes on in your landscape will be beneficial. Furthermore, take cues from other successful businesses, read about your competitors, and learn what practices you’ll want to avoid from those who might have fallen.

Invest in technology and be smart about it.

Never stop looking into the latest technology. There will always be new management tools that might help streamline existing processes.  Also, they may improve overall productivity within your teams. In addition, you can find ways where automation might be an option if your team is keen on it. And if you can, provide your employees with quality computers exclusively for work — this minimizes the chances of their personal computers breaking in the middle of urgent deadlines.

Remember to understand your audience.

Ensuring that your business provides quality service or products is one thing, but keeping your customers satisfied is another. Understanding what they want, listening to their concerns, and following through with actions  — may it be through social engagement or service — all of these strategies can contribute to building a relationship and, eventually, loyal customers who will continue to trust your business.

Business team collaboration
Image: Business team collaboration by – Source

Building a high-performing team for your company’s growth

Good business management includes workforce management, where you take time to consider the team who contributes to your business. Here’s how to get your team running in full gear.

1. Keep your team challenged.

It’s easy for mundane tasks to become boring. Therefore, it is best to create growth paths for your employees well beyond repetitive tasks with goals they can achieve. This also doesn’t have to be solely your task. As a matter of fact, team leads or managers can help build career growth paths, too.

2. Promote collaboration instead of micromanagement.

While it is important to make sure an employee is on track with their deliverables, micromanaging isn’t the best solution. As a leader, asking them to be a part of the brainstorming process can go a long way. Hence, instead of simply delegating tasks, getting their professional opinion to solve problems or pitch ideas enables them to own projects and be responsible for their deliverables.

3. Be clear and transparent with your KPIs.

Get everyone on the same page in what your business goals are. The more they’re aware of what goals there are to prioritize, they’ll be more likely to actively propose new ideas to hit these goals.  Similarly, even if they’re seemingly small tasks, giving your staff context will make all the difference in motivating them to work towards bigger goals.

4. Promote active communication across your team.

Whether you are working with a team in an office space or remotely or have an outsourced team with whom you constantly collaborate, the most important aspect to remember is communication. In fact, communication is what lets you align your goals, set sensible timelines, and stay organized in shipping out deliverables. In fact, active communication can be made through meetings that occur weekly or biweekly, depending on the urgency.

5. Recognize your team’s needs.

Apart from active communication, listening to your team will gain your employees’ trust and dedication to the work. It can be as simple as acknowledging a job well done on a project or finding ways to help in stress management.

6. Set retirement plans for your business.

As an employer, having a business retirement plan in place safeguards your team’s future. In addition, it enables you to make the most of your assets. Consequently, this empowers every employee with added value to the work they contribute to the business.

The Truth of Business Management as a Small Business CEO

Owning a small business may require you to wear multiple hats in a variety of situations. Ultimately, it is no easy feat, especially if your team is still quite small. Above all, the secret to effective business management lies in planning smart and collaborating well with your team. Implementing these tips in your management style will help get your business far onto the path of success.

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Alan Shapiro
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3 thoughts on “12 Essential Tips for Busy Startup CEOs on Business Management”

  1. 1 goal, 2 goals, 3 goals….then keep going. I dig your advice Alan because being a 13 year blogging veteran, the only thing that happens is expansion….IF you decide to expand by setting new goals. No human being ever reaches our full potential because our minds are limitless, so what we can achieve is without limit, too. Our job is to set as many goals and help as many folks during our human life span, while we follow our passion and enjoy the business building ride. When you are a busy CEO bee, you better keep expanding to leave your comfort zone. All freedom awaits there.

    Ryan

    Reply
    • That’s right Ryan! There is no where to go but forward and up. No new goals lead to stagnation. Thanks for enjoying my article.

      Reply
    • Expanding to get outside your comfort zone is critical in any business person’s success. Great points, Ryan. We need to continue to set and achieve goals and always be moving forward and growing.

      Reply

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