By Stefania Aulicino
“I wanted to grow, but I was afraid to grow. Didn’t want to add more staff to manage.
My time is scacre as it is. Don’t know I can handle any more.
Sure I know there is opportunity out there, but financing is always a struggle and I just don’t have the energy to fight so many battles
Wonder if I would be better off with a corporate job again”.
On our worst days as Entrepreneurs, do you ever have secret fears like those shared by Bill, above?
When Bill shared this with me I offered him a solution, in the form of a question:
Are you pursing your OPTIMUM GROWTH STRATEGY?
“Growth?! Our growth is what I can finance.”
That is the beginning of the problem for too many Entrepreneurs.
What is at stake is your Optimum Growth Strategy: the one that delivers the highest return with the lowest risk.
As entrepreneurs, we all know that Growth does not occur without Finance to fuel it.
But too many entrepreneurs link these strategies in the wrong way.
The right way is to insist that GROWTH strategy dictate FINANCE strategy, never the reverse.
If you try to address FINANCE first, you end up reaching out to the wrong types of sources and you don’t get full value so you end up paying more than you should.
Consider what it is like when Entrepreneurs determine their growth strategy based on current financing:
– Check the bank account
– Got any funds in?
– OK to buy inventory
– OK to do some marketing
Can’t do any long term planning because don’t know if you’ll have the cash. Got to do the work yourself because can’t hire staff if you aren’t sure you can pay them.
Marketing is campaign to campaign- just to get some clients to pay the bills. Then you have to stop and do the work, so marketing has to go on hold.
Feast or famine.
Can’t get out of survival mode: always selling. No wonder it’s harder to win clients- they feel you are desperate.
Who would want to come into this rat race? So what is so glamorous about being this kind of an Entrepreneurs?
Where is the FUN
Where is the upside?
When do I get time off?
Vacation? You joke!
Now consider when Entrepreneurs determine growth first – articulate your OPTIMUM GROWTH STRATEGY, then get funding
It’s a mind set.
What if resources were not a constraint?
What would you do, right now, to build on your strengths, capture your best profit making opportunities, eliminate your biggest obstacles?
You declare the future.Assume resources are unlimited so you can build on ALL your strengths, capture ALL your best profit making opportunities, eliminate ALL of your biggest obstacles?
Now, how would your day to day be different?
You operate from the FUTURE you want: a FUTURE so clear you can share it with all.
You need inventory- so you tell the vendor about the future- it’s contagious- he gives you consignment inventory worth $1million – you build the product and only once you ship, you pay out of revenue—its free money.
There is currency in your passion
Customers enjoy your call- you share your vision of the new features that will make their business more efficient, based on your conversation with them.
One of your favorite customers offers to pay 50% cash with order, so you can order equipment you need to build in the new features this customer really wants.
Your future is contagious
There is currency in your passion
Another customer is happy to encourage their contacts to buy your product, because your solution is that important to them
Wow- an outsourced sales force you don’t have to pay
There is currency in your passion
Prospects take your call because you know a lot about their problems and your innovations are so unique they don’t hear these options from others
One prospect is offers you a consulting contract- $100,000 over 3 months- something you never did before apart from the products you sell,
Wow- a new revenue stream!
Your passion of the future is contagious
There is currency in your passion.
That’s the story of one my clients, Lane who surprised himself when he attracted $275,000 in just 5 days
What do you think is the likelihood of success?
When you grow based on current financing you limit your creativity, your innovation, your message to the market.
Scarcity becomes a way of operations
Scarcity repulses customers, prospects, employees, and MONEY!
In contrast, when you grow based on your Optimum Growth Strategy you are a magnet for resources that see themselves as benefiting from your company’s success.
Abundance becomes a way of operation
Abundance attracts customers, prospects, employees and MONEY on your terms.
A day in life of Entrepreneurs pursing OPTIMUM GROWTH STRATEGY vs day in life of Entrepreneurs limited:
fun vs stressful
time liberating vs overwhelmed (too many hats/scattered)
freedom vs controlled by others
Do what you LOVE not what no one else will do!
good growth (with high profits) vs bad growth (
proactive decision-making vs reactive
safe vs risky
abundant money vs scare resources
WHY you have to choose the OPTIMUM GROWTH STRATEGY
Entrepreneurs who don’t have an OPTIMUM GROWTH STRATEGY are commodity entrepreneurs have no choice.
Entrepreneurs who pursue their OPTIMUM GROWTH STRATEGY are business builders who can see a future bigger than their past and have a valuable currency to sell.
Entrepreneurs who don’t pursue their OPTIMUM GROWTH STRATEGY give up control because they don’t have value, so all they need costs more than they have to give.
Entrepreneurs who pursue their OPTIMUM GROWTH STRATEGY keep control, of their destiny, their contribution to the world, get to keep their business, and get liquidly, freedom and wealth.
Lane profited from pursuing his Optimum Growth Strategy – the only growth strategy which delivers the highest return with the lowest risk – any other growth strategy is sub-optimal and more risky.
He transformed himself from an Entrepreneur struggling with bad growth (which sucks energy and profits) into an Entrepreneur who profits from good growth which is a source of discretionary time and perpetual wealth creation.
When you pursue your Optimum Growth Strategy you can use your new entrepreneurial freedom to pursue your passion to build a more profitable company, faster, safer than you ever thought possible.
Which future do you want?
Let me know what you think. I would love to share your story.
Stefania Aulicino, president of CapitalLinkUSA ensures business owns get cash to keep control of a bigger, more profitable company, faster, safer than they ever thought possible- in any economy. Become a magnet for non equity and equity sources to fuel your growth. Explore our tools, solutions and consulting options tailored for different growth stages and different budgets: www.CashAndControl.com
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