My experience of working alongside business owners has given me a valuable understanding of the various stages a business will go through. These stages tend to be common for most and I get real satisfaction from helping navigate the changes, both mentally and practically for my clients. In my business I refer to them as Operational Tipping Points® and in this blog I’ll be talking about the key shift that takes place in the early stages of your business growth, from reactive to proactive thinking, and how you can be prepared to make the right decisions when the time comes for you.
Firstly, it’s actually very common for a new business to move between a period of reactiveness to a more proactive approach as things start to build and gain speed.
Being Reactive is when you just “go with the flow,”. When you don’t really have a plan, you just react to what comes your way and deal with it when it does.
Being Proactive is when you take the time to consider what you want, lay out a plan, and prepare as much as possible for each step that is coming your way.
Most of us start our businesses in reactive mode – it’s just a natural part of starting a business.
When you are starting out, it is more about experimentation and proving your business model. You have an idea of what you want to offer and who you want to work with, and you are trying lots of different things to see what works.
So, this stage does require you to be a bit reactive – to be able to respond to feedback you receive so you can figure out the right business model and move towards growth in your business.
Once you have proven your business model – people are buying what you are offering – then you tip into a growth stage, where the focus is to build on that foundation.
Welcome to your Operational Tipping Point®!
Ideally, as you shift from start-up to growth, you also shift from being reactive to being proactive. Instead of flying by the seat of your pants, you start to plan ahead. You take the time to decide what you want to do in the coming months and years, and work together with your team to make it happen.
Not shifting from reactive to proactive is what causes A LOT of issues for entrepreneurs at this stage of growth. And many people aren’t sure exactly why they are struggling, let alone how to fix it.
A few things to consider when it comes to shifting from being reactive to proactive:
- Being reactive is much easier in the moment – It’s a lot easier to simply go with the flow and respond to what comes to you versus taking the time to consider what you really want and how to get there (aka planning). Being reactive is a hard habit to break for many, especially if we have been operating this way for years.
- Being reactive can feel “good enough” – This is a dangerous trap and one that my clients were often in for years. And quite honestly, it can be OK. They were making decent money and enjoying their work for the most part. But it really wasn’t by design, and it got to the point where something was definitely missing. No longer wanting to just accept what came their way, they wanted to create work they really wanted to do (which requires planning).
- Being reactive can actually be a lot of fun – I get it. It can be exciting to get up each day not knowing what will come your way and just having to go with it. For some, it can be very fulfilling to tackle the unexpected and come out on top. But again, it’s not intentional. It can also come with a fair amount of frustration and insecurity, sometimes referred to as ‘feast or famine’ in the freelance world.
- Being reactive affects everyone in your business – When your business is growing, it’s not just about you. When you are reactive it forces your team to be reactive too, continually scrambling to catch up, always putting out fires and trying to get things done correctly and on time.
So, are you being reactive or proactive in your business? Have you reached the Operational Tipping Point® that is now calling upon you to put a detailed plan in place so you can scale?
Being stuck in a reactive state is quite common. The learned behaviours, actions and ways of doing things can be hard to break away from. If you’re an ambitious business owner with eyes on a bigger prize it’s time to move beyond this and get the proper systems and processes in place to deal with the next phase of growth (and for future growth).
If you’re stuck and it’s causing problems I’d love to talk. My role as an Operations Consultant is taking a business from reactive to proactive. It’s my superpower and I’m here to help you make this important step.
