Strategies for small-business growth.

• Author: Kelly, Joe
• Position: Case study - Column

In 1997, I founded Business Network Consulting Ltd. (BNC), an outsourced IT consulting firm that focuses on providing innovative IT solutions for small to medium-sized businesses. Starting out in a one-room apartment, BNC has grown to two locations, in Denver and Dallas, with 40 employees supporting more than 675 organizations. Over the last 10 years, I've developed growth strategies, detailed below with specific examples you may apply to your own business.

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MORE THAN A BUSINESS PLAN

In addition to the normal components of a business plan that focus on business objectives, product/service description, financials and mission statement--write your plan around a certain niche. BNC's plan includes an integrated model combining outsourced IT consulting services with technical relationships and experience to support quality solutions. Your plan should include a growth strategy, management structure and market assumptions to plan how your company will manage growth. Remember, your business plan is a work in progress. Be flexible and adapt your plan as your industry changes.

UNDERSTAND YOUR BUSINESS/COMPETITION

Learn all you can about the industry you're entering. Conduct and include a competitive analysis in your plan. Develop your company's competitive edge by consistently researching and monitoring your competition. Determine where your competition is marketing their services and strive to have your name in front of potential customers when they need your product or service.

UTILIZE THE RIGHT TOOLS

Research and deploy advanced tools to assist your sales team in differentiating your company. The BNC toolset promotes convenience to customers, including real-time network monitoring, a 24/7 help desk, Web-based service ticket monitoring and diagnostic tools to ensure their company's network remains healthy. The right tools allow your staff to be more effective in fulfilling their service promise and enable your sales department to demonstrate to potential customers how unique your product/service is over the competition.

HIRE QUALIFIED STAFF

In the services industry, the staff you hire is the face of your business. BNC has developed and refined the interviewing process; this includes hiring an in-house technical recruiter to ensure the best engineers in the industry serve our clients. Make sure your...