No matter where you are in the entrepreneurial roadmap, the Thrive stage is your ultimate goal.
THIS IS WHERE A BALANCED LIFE AND A SALE-READY BUSINESS ARE. THIS IS WHERE VACATIONS, WEEKENDS AND TECH-FREE THURSDAYS EXIST.
It's a real place and we want to help you get there.
The Roadmap Stages
Concept
The journey starts with a little niggle in the back of your mind: “I think I could do this better.” or “I think I would like to work for myself, set my own hours and take control of my life” or “It’s crazy that this service doesn’t exist! I should do this. I will make millions!”
You’ll want to test your idea with some trusted friends or people in your target market (preferably both). Run your idea through the gauntlet and resist the temptation to have a perfect idea. There will be more chances to improve it later when you start to battle test it in the real world. Be open to criticism and abandoning a bad idea, but have the courage to take the leap.
Your idea takes on a life of its own. In some ways, you feel like you don’t have a choice but to launch. It’s both scary and irresistible.
Launch
Now the fun begins. Create a website, branding, tag-lines, product and service offerings, pricing, business location, and much more. It’s hard to do it all, but you are amazed at how much you can get done. The energy required in this stage is outrageous! You are fuelled by a mixture of excitement, fear of failure and caffeine.
You have some traction, but are stretched. You have learned a tonne about what your customers want, but are offering too tailored a solution. You realize you can’t be everything to everyone.
Focus
You do some soul searching and realize that you are really good at a specific aspect of your business. You test pricing and offerings zeroing in on your unique selling proposition. This is something you can build a business on.
You now have a clear sense of the match between what you sell and what your customers are buying. You feel the urge to grow quickly, but understand that without the right processes in place your business could collapse on itself.
Foundation
Now’s the time to set the stage for scale. You want repeatable processes for the way you attract and service your customers. You hire for key positions that you know are important, but don’t have time for. You find awesome talent that love your business too and you are ready to broadcast to the world.
The processes in your business aren’t perfect, but they are ready to be tested. You are ready to scale this thing!
Scale
The business is growing and decisions need to be made lightening-quick. You build new understanding about your business and abandon old assumptions. You feel like you are still a big part of the identity of the business, but when do you get downtime?
The business is bigger, more stable and profitable, but you are ready to be a custodian rather than a quarterback. You are ready for the business to work for you.
Thrive
Not many small businesses get this far. Because it’s hard? Maybe a little, but most entrepreneurs are unaware that this stage actually exists. This is where your business serves you. This is where it has value to an outside buyer. This is where you have options: you can work in the business, you can just be an owner, or you can sell and get out.
You have the right people in the right seats and you have processes in place to sell and deliver your product when you’re not around.
How we help
We’re here to remind you that Thrive exists. You will still need to make your mistakes, learn about your business and take your lumps. We’ll make sure that your worries don’t include CRA auditors and we will spot icebergs. We care about your success.
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