Hoping for the 'pest

Have you ever reviewed your long term business goals?  In fact, do you have them?

When we start a business, we might write a business plan - this would feature income goals, a marketing strategy, and forecasted trajectory, among other elements.

But when was the last time you looked at any of these?

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Plans can go out of date

My original goals in the early days of when I went self-employed were to earn at least the same as when I was employed, and to make sure the bills were covered.  

However, each year I review my successes, client list, and expenses, and then review my goals, whether financial or otherwise.

Most businesses expand, and the original plans become outdated.  If you are an employer, perhaps your team has expanded to cope with demand or particular areas of expertise - it’s most likely that you have business goals, but the day-to-day management of people may have put these on the back burner.

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Having been in business for almost four years, and effectively being the sole HR consultant in it, I’m now looking to expand on two fronts.

Since I started working with a new business coach, Hana Smiddy of ActionCOACH Warwick, she has encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone.

My next two business goals are interlinked, and very much related to my long-term business plans.

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Expanding my team

The first goal is to expand my team.  As mentioned, I do all the HR delivery right now.  I have a team that help me with admin, marketing, and day-to-day tasks - but the client-facing management of HR services (and related issues) are all done by me.

Therefore I am looking for someone who is a HR specialist and can take some of this workload from me, so together we can service more clients more effectively.  Hopefully this is just the start.

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Hoping for the 'pest

The second goal is international expansion.  I have a lot of experience, in previous roles, of working with international clients and organisations on their HR requirements.  Now, in my own business, I want to tap into the international market to reach a wider audience.

The first market into which I want to expand is Hungary, specifically started with Budapest.  It’s a city that I love and enjoy visiting and, having an in-depth knowledge of European HR legislation, I am well-placed to support businesses in the region.

Expanding into Hungary would be the ‘pest thing’ that could happen.  It would give me the international foothold to take my business further.

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What's the worst that could happen?

However, what is the fall-back plan?  What’s the worst that could happen?  Well, right now, the worst thing would be that I stay where I am, doing what I’m doing.

This isn’t a bad thing, as I’ve hit many business goals along the way, and my business is in a good place.  I have a great roster of clients and great team already.

However, if you are an employer, you will know that resting on your laurels isn’t always the ideal plan - but it is the easiest.

And this is where the business plans and long-term strategies come into it.   Having a focus of top-level goals means that you can push your business in the right direction and plan for it in advance, as opposed to doing things ad-hoc.  This is why I’ve always worked with a business coach, and why I love working with Hana and ActionCOACH.

Am I a little worried?  Yes.  Do I think I can achieve all this?  Also yes.  Will I be upset if I don’t hit my goals?  Of course.  But my business is in a good place, and I want it to be in a great place.

If you or anyone you know is a HR specialist looking for a new challenge, then please do get in touch.

If you have any advice or positive stories about expanding a business internationally, then I’d love to hear them.

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