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Should I grow or scale back? Ask Evan


hi I’m Evan Carmichael welcome to

hi I’m Evan Carmichael welcome to another edition of ask Evan today we’re

another edition of ask Evan today we’re

another edition of ask Evan today we’re going to continue on with our challenge

going to continue on with our challenge

going to continue on with our challenge series as we look at helping

series as we look at helping

series as we look at helping entrepreneurs with specific questions

entrepreneurs with specific questions

entrepreneurs with specific questions they have to grow their business and I’m

they have to grow their business and I’m

they have to grow their business and I’m going to answer question from one of our

going to answer question from one of our

going to answer question from one of our Facebook viewers named marc dreier who

Facebook viewers named marc dreier who

Facebook viewers named marc dreier who wrote in on the Telus talks business

wrote in on the Telus talks business

wrote in on the Telus talks business Facebook page and he wrote a question

Facebook page and he wrote a question

Facebook page and he wrote a question for Evan if you feel you’re out of place

for Evan if you feel you’re out of place

for Evan if you feel you’re out of place in your business where you have to grow

in your business where you have to grow

in your business where you have to grow revenue to increase profitability or

revenue to increase profitability or

revenue to increase profitability or scale back and stay smaller to increase

scale back and stay smaller to increase

scale back and stay smaller to increase profitability how would you recommend

profitability how would you recommend

profitability how would you recommend proceeding so thanks mark for the great

proceeding so thanks mark for the great

proceeding so thanks mark for the great question here are three suggestions that

question here are three suggestions that

question here are three suggestions that I have to help you number one are you a

I have to help you number one are you a

I have to help you number one are you a builder or an operator as entrepreneurs

builder or an operator as entrepreneurs

builder or an operator as entrepreneurs we tend to always want more we set goals

we tend to always want more we set goals

we tend to always want more we set goals and when we reach them we said bigger

and when we reach them we said bigger

and when we reach them we said bigger goals and then even bigger goals most

goals and then even bigger goals most

goals and then even bigger goals most entrepreneurs are builders we get

entrepreneurs are builders we get

entrepreneurs are builders we get excited about building companies having

excited about building companies having

excited about building companies having a bigger impact and continuing to grow

a bigger impact and continuing to grow

a bigger impact and continuing to grow the Builder would say grow revenues mark

the Builder would say grow revenues mark

the Builder would say grow revenues mark some entrepreneurs are better operators

some entrepreneurs are better operators

some entrepreneurs are better operators though the growth doesn’t excite them as

though the growth doesn’t excite them as

though the growth doesn’t excite them as much as continual improvement they look

much as continual improvement they look

much as continual improvement they look for ways to keep doing what they’re

for ways to keep doing what they’re

for ways to keep doing what they’re doing but make it better each time

doing but make it better each time

doing but make it better each time profitability becomes easier as you

profitability becomes easier as you

profitability becomes easier as you create your systems and refine your

create your systems and refine your

create your systems and refine your processes you might still go your

processes you might still go your

processes you might still go your revenue numbers but it’s not the main

revenue numbers but it’s not the main

revenue numbers but it’s not the main goal of the business the operator would

goal of the business the operator would

goal of the business the operator would say improve profitability mark there’s

say improve profitability mark there’s

say improve profitability mark there’s no right or wrong answer here it just

no right or wrong answer here it just

no right or wrong answer here it just depends on the type of entrepreneur you

depends on the type of entrepreneur you

depends on the type of entrepreneur you are and where you get your energy from

are and where you get your energy from

are and where you get your energy from number two what’s your ceiling another

number two what’s your ceiling another

number two what’s your ceiling another way to look at it is to try to

way to look at it is to try to

way to look at it is to try to understand what your ceiling is most

understand what your ceiling is most

understand what your ceiling is most entrepreneurs can only grow business to

entrepreneurs can only grow business to

entrepreneurs can only grow business to a certain size and then the plateau they

a certain size and then the plateau they

a certain size and then the plateau they just don’t have the interest skills or

just don’t have the interest skills or

just don’t have the interest skills or passion to build beyond when I was in

passion to build beyond when I was in

passion to build beyond when I was in the venture capital world we always

the venture capital world we always

the venture capital world we always looked at the founders of the companies

looked at the founders of the companies

looked at the founders of the companies that came to us and tried to figure out

that came to us and tried to figure out

that came to us and tried to figure out what their ceilings were is this someone

what their ceilings were is this someone

what their ceilings were is this someone who can build a company to a hundred

who can build a company to a hundred

who can build a company to a hundred million dollars and take a public or are

million dollars and take a public or are

million dollars and take a public or are they going to have to be replaced

they going to have to be replaced

they going to have to be replaced somewhere along the line some

somewhere along the line some

somewhere along the line some entrepreneurs are great at startups they

entrepreneurs are great at startups they

entrepreneurs are great at startups they know how to bootstrap and turn nothing

know how to bootstrap and turn nothing

know how to bootstrap and turn nothing into something they thrive on it and the

into something they thrive on it and the

into something they thrive on it and the lack of resources and having a small

lack of resources and having a small

lack of resources and having a small team push them to succeed

team push them to succeed

team push them to succeed but once they get to a certain amount of

but once they get to a certain amount of

but once they get to a certain amount of comfort they stop trying this heart the

comfort they stop trying this heart the

comfort they stop trying this heart the business also gets boring for them and

business also gets boring for them and

business also gets boring for them and they have a crisis of confidence

they have a crisis of confidence

they have a crisis of confidence sometimes the best solution for these

sometimes the best solution for these

sometimes the best solution for these entrepreneurs is to sell the business

entrepreneurs is to sell the business

entrepreneurs is to sell the business and start all over again other

and start all over again other

and start all over again other entrepreneurs are better builders they

entrepreneurs are better builders they

entrepreneurs are better builders they hate the startup mode but love taking

hate the startup mode but love taking

hate the startup mode but love taking companies and building them up they

companies and building them up they

companies and building them up they might come into a company that’s been

might come into a company that’s been

might come into a company that’s been hovering around the million dollar

hovering around the million dollar

hovering around the million dollar revenue mark for a few years and turn it

revenue mark for a few years and turn it

revenue mark for a few years and turn it into a 25 million dollar company they

into a 25 million dollar company they

into a 25 million dollar company they love that kind of challenge and then

love that kind of challenge and then

love that kind of challenge and then once they hit their ceiling they get

once they hit their ceiling they get

once they hit their ceiling they get bored again because it becomes more

bored again because it becomes more

bored again because it becomes more about managing the company instead of

about managing the company instead of

about managing the company instead of high-speed growth time to cash in and

high-speed growth time to cash in and

high-speed growth time to cash in and find the next company to grow with the

find the next company to grow with the

find the next company to grow with the general advice here is to work in the

general advice here is to work in the

general advice here is to work in the type of environment that best suits your

type of environment that best suits your

type of environment that best suits your personality you’ll have a lot more

personality you’ll have a lot more

personality you’ll have a lot more success and you’ll also have more fun

success and you’ll also have more fun

success and you’ll also have more fun number 3 live a day in the life if the

number 3 live a day in the life if the

number 3 live a day in the life if the question is to grow revenues to new

question is to grow revenues to new

question is to grow revenues to new heights or scale back and become more

heights or scale back and become more

heights or scale back and become more profitable then it might help you to see

profitable then it might help you to see

profitable then it might help you to see what life looks like in both scenarios

what life looks like in both scenarios

what life looks like in both scenarios before you make a decision you should

before you make a decision you should

before you make a decision you should already know what the scaled-back more

already know what the scaled-back more

already know what the scaled-back more profitable version of your business is

profitable version of your business is

profitable version of your business is you’ve lived through it so you know how

you’ve lived through it so you know how

you’ve lived through it so you know how big your team will be how much work life

big your team will be how much work life

big your team will be how much work life balance you’ll have and if type of work

balance you’ll have and if type of work

balance you’ll have and if type of work you’ll be doing and not doing it’s the

you’ll be doing and not doing it’s the

you’ll be doing and not doing it’s the bigger version of your business that is

bigger version of your business that is

bigger version of your business that is both exciting and scary an easy way to

both exciting and scary an easy way to

both exciting and scary an easy way to learn more about what that kind of life

learn more about what that kind of life

learn more about what that kind of life looks like without having to go out and

looks like without having to go out and

looks like without having to go out and build it is to find an entrepreneur

build it is to find an entrepreneur

build it is to find an entrepreneur who’s living that life and ask to spend

who’s living that life and ask to spend

who’s living that life and ask to spend some time with them for example if

some time with them for example if

some time with them for example if you’re a million-dollar business and you

you’re a million-dollar business and you

you’re a million-dollar business and you want to get the five or ten million what

want to get the five or ten million what

want to get the five or ten million what does that business look like find

does that business look like find

does that business look like find somewhere neither in your nice tree or

somewhere neither in your nice tree or

somewhere neither in your nice tree or in a related industry who’s running that

in a related industry who’s running that

in a related industry who’s running that kind of business and see what their

kind of business and see what their

kind of business and see what their day-to-day life looks like if there’s

day-to-day life looks like if there’s

day-to-day life looks like if there’s nobody in your local market look two

nobody in your local market look two

nobody in your local market look two different geographic area even a

different geographic area even a

different geographic area even a different country if you have two most

different country if you have two most

different country if you have two most entrepreneurs are willing to help out

entrepreneurs are willing to help out

entrepreneurs are willing to help out other entrepreneurs if they see that

other entrepreneurs if they see that

other entrepreneurs if they see that you’re genuine about learning and

you’re genuine about learning and

you’re genuine about learning and there’s no direct threat to their

there’s no direct threat to their

there’s no direct threat to their business see if you can shatter them for

business see if you can shatter them for

business see if you can shatter them for a day or at least get a tour of their

a day or at least get a tour of their

a day or at least get a tour of their offices and ask a few questions asked

offices and ask a few questions asked

offices and ask a few questions asked about the entrepreneurs lifestyle and

about the entrepreneurs lifestyle and

about the entrepreneurs lifestyle and his or her goals do you get excited do

his or her goals do you get excited do

his or her goals do you get excited do you want to be like this person or does

you want to be like this person or does

you want to be like this person or does it seem like too much work and stress

it seem like too much work and stress

it seem like too much work and stress again there’s no right answer but going

again there’s no right answer but going

again there’s no right answer but going to live a day in the life of someone

to live a day in the life of someone

to live a day in the life of someone who’s already done what you want to do

who’s already done what you want to do

who’s already done what you want to do will hopefully make the decision easier

will hopefully make the decision easier

will hopefully make the decision easier to make

thank you for watching if you enjoyed

thank you for watching if you enjoyed the video and you want to see more

the video and you want to see more

the video and you want to see more please give it a thumbs up below I

please give it a thumbs up below I

please give it a thumbs up below I always love seeing those come in and if

always love seeing those come in and if

always love seeing those come in and if you have a comment about this post or if

you have a comment about this post or if

you have a comment about this post or if you want us to answer a question for you

you want us to answer a question for you

you want us to answer a question for you about your business feel free to leave

about your business feel free to leave

about your business feel free to leave it in comments section below I always

it in comments section below I always

it in comments section below I always read those and love see them come in so

read those and love see them come in so

read those and love see them come in so thank you and we’ll see you on the next

thank you and we’ll see you on the next

thank you and we’ll see you on the next episode

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