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EnergizeGrowth Now

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EnergizeGrowth Now

The Marketing Guide to a Wealthy Company

Wiley,

15 min read
10 take-aways
Text available

What's inside?

After the excitement of starting your business, feel the energy in making it grow.

Editorial Rating

7

Qualities

  • Applicable

Recommendation

Entrepreneurs whose firms have moved beyond the exciting start-up phase must deal with the challenges and opportunities of business growth. Organizational strategy consultant Lisa Nirell spent seven years developing her “EnergizeGrowth” program, a strategic planning model for firms at this interim stage. Nirell explains how she used this system to increase her clients’ new business by millions of dollars. Consultants who become authors walk a fine line: When they use examples from their practices to illustrate their principles, they have to avoid overpromoting their firms, lest their books become lengthy commercials. Nirell achieves this difficult balance with grace. Despite a few writing glitches, such as a peppering of non sequiturs, getAbstract recommends her manual to entrepreneurs and CEOs with small or medium-sized firms who want to maximize growth, especially to those who plan to sell their firms once they are expanding profitably.

Summary

Losing the Edge

Entrepreneurs love the start-up phase of their businesses – the most exciting and perilous time for bold bootstrappers. They put everything they have on the line, banking on their personal abilities to come out ahead. Businesspeople coming out of the starting gate pit their intelligence, vision, cleverness, imagination and courage against a zero-sum, free-market system that doesn’t care if they win or lose. Those who emerge on top from this winner-take-all period feel a special thrill.

Then things begin to change: Once you firmly establish your company, the need to take risks may not be as pressing. At this stage, the emphasis shifts to efficient operational systems, proper business procedures, office politics and, often, financial pressure. But these mundane problems fail to stimulate most adventurous entrepreneurs.

If you are a new business owner, you know your headaches will increase as your company develops. In fact, many dispirited entrepreneurs decide to shed their businesses prematurely, often selling their firms at inopportune, steeply discounted prices. Take heart: With the right business approach, your start-up can continue to inspire...

About the Author

Lisa Nirell is the CEO (Chief Energy Officer) of EnergizeGrowth LLC, an organizational strategy consultancy.


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