The Evolution Of Your Business
Your business has evolved, and it will continue to evolve, as long as you let it. It is part of the evolution of who you are and what you are becoming. It is part of the evolution of your skills, knowledge, experience, beliefs, purpose, and dreams.
You have probably already evolved from a participant in someone else’s business to a participant in your business. That’s just the beginning.
Businesses tend to take on a natural progression in their evolutionary cycle of which there are four phases:
Start-up Phase: The Start-up phase is not sustainable as a “business”. It is meant to be temporary and transitional, as the business owner figures out how to run the business. There is often a conflict between spending time doing the work of the business and spending time building the infrastructure of the business so that it can be sustainable. In many cases, the start-up phase is stretched beyond a temporary period and it becomes the default business model, as indicated by a lack of systems, poor organization, lack of vision, and routine chaos. In the Start-up Phase, the business owner’s mindset is that of an individual contributor, such as, “I have to do everything myself.”
Development Phase: During the Development Phase, the business owner is conscious of the need to develop his or her business acumen, but is sometimes overly focused on or distracted by doing the hands-on work of the business. The business relies heavily or entirely on the owner’s skill, knowledge, and experience and the business will not operate without the owner’s direct involvement. The mindset during the Development Phase is that of an individual contributor, but with the awareness that a shift in mindset is needed to be more sustainable.
Maturity Phase: The skillpreneur is focused on execution and strategy. The skillpreneur has learned how to leverage his or her own skills, and the skills of others to make the business sustainable. During this phase, the skillpreneur has developed a healthy business acumen – the knowledge and skills needed to run the business in a mindful and sustainable manner. The mindset of the skillpreneur is to create systems and focus on the process of profitability and further business development.
Maintenance Phase: In the Maintenance Phase, the focus is on leveraging the company’s people and processes for large-scale deployment, multiple revenue streams, and economies of scale. The corporate mindset of profitability and sustainability is the result of complete systematization and duplication on a large scale.
