Next up in our Small Business Inspirational Series is Dan Kelley, founder and technical whiz at DJK Computing LLC, a boutique custom tech solutions based in Maries County, Missouri. Dan shares some of the most valuable nuggets of wisdom gained from his small business clients over the years.
"Over the many years of being self-employed and getting to work with so many wonderful small businesses, I have received lots of wisdom from my clients. My clients have always been small businesses who need custom IT solutions to small business needs. Often these solutions have required a "think outside the box" solution rather than something already available. Some of the best advice I have ever received from my clients was "grow slowly".
It reminds me of the old adage "easy come, easy go", but it really is more specific to business. I have witnessed first-hand many small businesses who expanded too quickly and then over-extended themselves is some way or another.
Often their core focus gets blurry or they are unable to adapt to the growth in a long-term healthy manner.
This advice rings true in the story of the tortoise and the hare, where "slow and steady, wins the race". It is vital for small business owners to carefully grow their size in a focused and orderly manner. Making sure they do not over invest their time or resources in expansion alone, whether that be new product lines or new services. It is vitally important to "Keep the main thing, the main thing."
At every business there is a core of what they offer, and every business owner should really focus on that core and do it to the best of their ability.
Don't let dreams of growth and opportunity muddy the waters of your small-business core. Your business has a unique service, solution or product to offer the world.
Often I have heard "The only thing we sell is service" as a company motto. This often works as so much of the time, customers are making purchase decisions based on the service they receive from an organization. If that is your business, then make sure you don't lose that focus as you grow.
Being grateful that your customers have given you their business naturally flows from this "slow-growth" strategy also. The world is a very large place, and it would seem that opportunities for growth are everywhere, but it's vitally important that we keep our feet firmly planted on the ground of our business core.
When making decisions for expansion require new personnel, this advice rings truer than ever. The culture that is created at your small business is a direct representation of the employees that work there. You must take the time to find the right person for the job. A successful slow-growth-minded business owner will not make a rush decision by hiring new talent with the expectation that they come with all the same abilities and skills as either themselves, or other employees.
I would rather turn away new business that would overextend my company than agree to take on a project that required me to quickly hire extra staff.
As a small business owner you should always be creating relationships with those around you. Always observing the interactions that others have with the larger population. This sets you up for success when it comes to expanding your business. I find it kind of fun to think of myself as a "talent scout" sometimes when I am out and about. Finding out what special abilities a person has to offer, and is often passionate about, is a vital part of success in business growth.
I have learned over the years that people are always great teachers. Some of what to do, some of what not to do. Observe and interact with everyone that you can. Once you have the ability to identify the unique skills and talents of those around you, you will be perfectly prepped for the highest success when it comes to expansion in your business. Instead of finding a person to fill a job, you may find yourself finding a job that a person would excel naturally at. Which is so much more powerful.
I will leave you with one other piece of advice, "experience trumps education, every time".
I am a firm believer in good education and research, but if you can learn from the experience of others, you will be far more successful in life and in business."
-Dan Kelley
Thank you for sharing the advice you received from your clients and from your experience in business Dan!
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