I learnt the 2 key blockers to growth the hard way.
When I figured them out, my business took off to the point somebody approached me to buy it.
After speaking to thousands of recruitment founders, I realised it wasn’t just me.
So what are the two big issues?
- Not knowing what to do next.
Recruitment founders typically go from top billers to business owners overnight.
And from day 1 are playing catchup uncovering the business skills needed for sustainable growth.
At first, we lean into existing relationships and focus on getting cash in the door.
(And telling our friends how great it’s going!)
But before long our recruitment skills start to outpace our business skills and growth slows.
You land in the place I call “The Messy Middle”. The growth point before we breakthrough into success.
The messy middle looks like this.
→ Every day brings more decisions – hiring, marketing, tech, AI, ops
→ You increasingly juggle client work with trying to build your business
→ You start second guessing your moves
→ Your to do list grows faster than your revenue
→ You spend more time reacting than initiating growth
As your plate gets fuller, your numbers begin to slide.
And trying to figure all this out, leads to the second problem…
- No time.
→ When you’re unsure what to do you can’t plan and allocate time
→ When you’re doing everything, it’s impossible to manage growth. Period.
→ Working outside your skillset means tasks take longer and waste time
→ Lack of systems and automation are stopping you optimising your business
→ Founders who work outside their skill set to save $$$ take longer to turn a profit
*A side note on delegating.
I hear you… “But Belinda, no one can do it better than me.”
Maybe. Maybe not.
That’s a hiring and training challenge. Not a reason to stay stuck.
Here’s what I know…
If you don’t delegate, you can’t grow beyond a certain point.
And, you’ll never get a break.
Is that what you want?
Once you see the space it creates to focus on higher impact work, you won’t look back.
I promise!
Ok back to the main post!
So how do you fix these 2 problems?
→ Start with your goals and work back from there
→ Identify where your knowledge gaps are and fix them
→ Seek advice from those who have gone before you
→ Fixing the first problem will help you fix the second
→ Delegate anything outside your skillset or below your paygrade (Hopefully I’ve convinced you ☺️)
Growing a successful agency is a tapestry of hundreds of threads woven together in the right way to nurture growth.
When you know what to do and have the time to do it, success will be closer than you think.
If you’ve been in business for a little while this is probably hitting home?
If you’re feeling stuck in “The Messy Middle”, why not check out Growth Club.
Our growing founder community sharing the tools, ideas and knowhow to help you grow faster and leave the stress behind!
Cheers,
-BK
PS. Just a quick reminder, if you’re feeling stuck in “The Messy Middle”, why not check out Growth Club.
