Start Pill
When businesses grow and become bigger, they often forget about the hustle and bustle of the early start-up days. While having a larger business that is more established is certainly a good thing, it’s important that you don’t become complacent and that you continue to work hard to drive your business forward. As a business owner, you need to ensure that you remain inspired and motivated to continually improve your company over time. Learning from startup businesses and taking a little inspiration from their go-get-them attitude can be a great place to start.
Startup culture is very different from that of big businesses. In the startup environment, business owners and their teams tend to work more flexible hours, they have an incredible amount of drive and impromptu discussions about business strategy regularly occur. Startup businesses often have to work hard to get the maximum return from the few resources that they have so they can evolve quickly. In a successful startup business, the entire team typically gets behind the business, forming a dynamic work culture where everyone is focused on reaching the collective goals of the business. Bringing some of these traits to your business can help your business to thrive and reignite your passion for what you do.
Let’s take a look at six simple things that big businesses can learn from startup culture to improve their processes.
Using The Right Tools
Business ventures that are just getting started are often very aware of the latest tools that are available to help optimise and streamline various business processes. If your business has been around for a while, you might not be as up-to-date with the latest tech developments and software tools on the market. Follow in the footsteps of startups and embrace technology, automation and business software. For example, you can try using rostering software for your team schedules, monitor your finances with accounting software or use online platforms to up your social media and digital marketing game. Learn from the new generation of startups by embracing some of these new technologies and tools.
The Growth Mindset
New companies need to focus on growing their operations as quickly as possible and startups tend to make this a priority. As a business becomes more established, it’s not uncommon for business owners to take the foot off the pedal to a certain degree as the company has already gone through a period of significant growth. However, maintaining a growth mindset will help to keep you motivated and enthusiastic moving forward, helping your business to reach new heights over time.
Ongoing Learning
One of the most important things in any innovative or creative culture, such as that of a startup, is the constant quest for improvement and knowledge. Startups are constantly trying to better themselves and improve their position within their market. To achieve this, they need to keep their finger on the pulse and invest in continuous learning both as a company and for the team as a whole. Big businesses can benefit from ongoing learning just as much as startups and should embrace this approach.
Embrace Experimentation
As businesses grow, it’s not uncommon for them to become a little more set in their ways. Innovation and trying new things can soon become a thing of the past. Instead, companies tend to focus on tried and tested methods in the name of consistent results. While this safer approach can often make sense, it’s important not to lose the will to experiment, think outside the box and try new things which is one of the foundations of startup culture.
Fast-Paced Environment
Many startup businesses work quickly out of necessity. When there’s only so much time in the day and you have limited resources, it’s often essential for startup businesses to put in more time than a more established company might. However, many startups also embrace a fast-paced work culture because creativity and innovation are rampant, they are excited about the possibilities their work will bring about and they are ambitious. As a bigger business, finding this same motivation can sometimes be challenging and is a lesson that can be learned from startup culture in many cases.
Remain Agile
When a business is just getting its feet off the ground, it needs to be agile and dynamic. They don’t always know what opportunities might be around the corner or how they will have to react to changes in the market as they simply don’t have the same experience in the business world as more established entities. As a bigger business, being agile and dynamic is just as important as it is for a startup but can often be overlooked. Moving forward, instead of focusing solely on what your business is currently doing, try to stay on your toes, remain agile and keep looking for those opportunities to expand and grow.
Be Inspired By Startups And Take Your Business To The Next Level
Regardless of how big or dominant your business is, there is always room for improvement. To take your business to the next level and to uncover new opportunities, keep an eye on what the startups around you are doing. Following the tips above, you can transform how you approach your business goals and take your business to heights that you may never have thought were possible.
