right now, it looks like you would benefit most from focusing on
Stage 5: Expansion
Alright! Great job on all the previous work you’ve done in establishing your business. Now, you’re ready to take things to the next level in Stage 5: Expansion.
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Stage 5: Expansion Overview
In this stage, you’re consistently carrying out your attraction methods and are regularly working with clients. Here, you’re identifying and documenting key workflows in your digital business center, using metrics to help grow your business, hiring to accommodate your growing workload, and continually gathering feedback from clients you are working with to optimize the client experience you are delivering.
let’s take a look at the specific action steps you’ll be focusing on during this stage:
Stage 5: Expansion
Step 1: Identify the key workflows for each area of your business and document them
When I say workflows, I mean the standard process you use and the steps that you take for doing something in your business.
For example, here in the HEA, I have a standard process for developing every practitioner interview I conduct. I have each of these steps documented so that I don’t have to think about it each time I do it – I just follow my documented steps.
If I’d like to hire someone to help out with this, all of the steps in this process would already be laid out, making it easy for someone to seamlessly step in.
Identifying and documenting your workflows helps to increase the structure and efficiency of your business and allows for a smoother transition when you do begin to hire and delegate.
Tip: a book that I highly recommend for understanding and documenting your workflows is called The E-Myth Revisited, by Michael Gerber.
Step 2: Identify and use metrics to help grow your business.
In truth, it’s never too early to start tracking your metrics, but by this stage, you definitely should be keeping weekly metrics in key areas of your business so that you can see what’s working and what areas you need to support.
Management thinker Peter Drucker is often quoted as saying, “You can’t manage what you can’t measure,” meaning to really have good control of your business, make improvements where needed, and expand to new levels, you need to be looking at your metrics.
The concept of tracking metrics isn’t much different than looking at our clients’ weight, blood sugar levels, or blood pressure. These are all vital statics of the human body and we can use them to determine how the client is responding to the health plan that they’re on.
When you begin tracking your metrics, you aren’t running your business blindly and instead, you can see what’s actually happening and where you need to focus.
Examples of tasks that can be easily delegated include client scheduling, handling of prospective client inquiries and incoming emails, bookkeeping, bill paying, supplementing ordering, website maintenance, and social media posting.
Remember, you don’t have to start out by bringing on a fully salaried, full-time employee. You can start by hiring a virtual assistant for just a few hours a week to help you with marketing or administrative tasks.
Step 3: Hire and delegate to make your business more efficient and to accommodate your growing workload
There will come a point where you will need to begin delegating in order to keep growing.
Begin by looking over everything you’re currently doing and evaluate which of these actions could be done by someone else. A few questions to ask yourself:
What tasks don’t I enjoy doing?
Which tasks fall outside of my “zone of genius?”
If I were to pay someone to do task X, will it cost me less than what I could make dedicating that time to client work?
Are you gathering client feedback?
This action step is applicable to every phase of business but during Stage 5: Expansion, particular attention should be paid to gathering feedback from the clients you’re working with to optimize your client experience.
Here, you’re tuning in to what’s working well and what can be improved and you’re actively working to continually upgrade your client experience so that you can deliver the most exceptional service possible.
Want to know the most common pitfalls that can happen during the Expansion stage and how to avoid them so your business can flourish?
Click the button below to download the bonus guide.
and if you’d like to see how the expansion stage ties into the full strategy for growing your wellness business, you can download the holistic business blueprint here:
Thanks for taking the quiz and for reading through your results! The work that you’re doing in this world is needed now more than ever, and I hope this information helps bring clarity to the next steps to take in your wellness business.
Keep an eye out on your inbox, I’ll be sending over another free resource soon that has been a game changer for practitioners I’ve worked with. I think you’ll find it helpful for your business, too!
With love and support,
Jessica Pantermuehl, FNTP, CHHC
Founder of the Holistic Entrepreneur Association