When we achieve massive growth in our small business, the owner’s leadership role must evolve quickly. The team needs to be dynamic as well.
Technology has eliminated the role of the 1960’s era secretary. The more modern title of Executive Administrator (EA) is also too stagnant for the needs of our fast-growing, small business, clients.
We have coined the term Small Business Xcelerator (SBX) for this entrepreneur support role. The role should be designed with several factors in mind.
- Know the Owner/Entrepreneur’s profile: We are talking about strengths, DiSC, and motivators for the leader. We are often tempted to hire people that are just like us when we want to grow our team, however, this is rarely helpful. We need an SBX who compliments our strengths and covers our weaknesses.
- Role Based Xceleration: Early in our growth our SBX was purely administration and accounting. Later we needed an abundance of attention on marketing activity and pipeline management. Now with a highly complex model operating in multiple markets, we have a Chief Business Xcelerator who leads a small team to keep everything moving forward. Check out this table to help you define and create the perfect SBX role for your SMB.
- Flexibility: When the business is growing fast, a talented SBX who grows with the role will be a key lever for the owner/entrepreneur. We have seen (and placed) talented late-career men and women in these roles, whose diverse experiences and wisdom strengthen the business. We have seen young, curious, gritty, learners in these roles whose growth pushed their owners to keep finding the next level.
When our clients successfully fill the SBX role, they say, “We should have done it sooner!!”
You might be closer to your next breakthrough than you imagine, small changes…Xtra Mile Results.