When Businessis like Skiing

The problem with business growth is that it creates a knock-on demand for more growth - in overhead, that is!

And as the overhead in a business grows, the scarier it becomes. Before I get to the connection with skiing, let me expand a little on what I mean...

Take Backup Direct's service function, for example - as we have added more customers, introduced additional services and as we strove to improve service levels - these in turn have demanded better management and more comprehensive management systems. The appointment of a heavy-weight Operations Director this year was testament to this.

As we've hired more sales staff and the size of the sales team has grown, we've reached the point where it needs more focus, direction and professional management. The team sucks in more resources from marketing too - it needs ‘feeding' with sales leads. More leads come from spending more on marketing - and as we spend more on marketing, we need additional staff to spend it well!

The bigger the total investment in an area, the more critical it is to ensure it is managed effectively! Add into the mix, the general uncertainty that pervades today's depressed economy and you get to why it's a little like skiing...

For those of you who have ever skied (or snowboarded, like me) - there are always those moments when you need push yourself. Remember the times at the top of a slope and someone - usually your better-than-you mate or instructor - mentions that you need to 'get some speed up' or 'really go for it' on this one - because there's a long flat section ahead.

If you don't get up enough speed, you'll find yourself grinding to an agonising halt, unclipping and then starting a depressing walk uphill. Meanwhile, your mates have buggered off over the next horizon and are away.

But if you do go for the biggest 'shush' ever, you'll be on the edge of control. You'll be scared and exhilarated. Look sideways or blink - or throw in a few braking turns and it could all go badly wrong.

The 'long flat section' of skiing is the economic recession we're currently in.

You run your own business and you're standing at the top of the slope. You have enough potential, you know what's ahead - you need to make a decision? Do you accelerate down the hill as fast as you can - to ensure you power through the slow part and get over the next hill with some inertia - or do you side-slide down, safely, surely - risking a complete stall.

There will be some who go for it (your competition perhaps) accelerating off into the distance and the finish line. There will be others that show restraint, preferring to survive at all costs and fight another day.

For sure, there will be winners and casualties in both camps.

For sure, if you choose the 'go for it' option, you'll need to have the skill, fitness level and experience to deal with the inevitable bumps and 'edges' ahead.

Backup Direct is firmly pointing down the slope, knees bent, arms tucked. So it means we're still recruiting, still marketing, still investing in customer service and still developing new offerings.

As I hinted above, our sales function is now of the size that it needs to be shaped and directed better - to keep us pointing down-hill and accelerating! So our next significant additional will be a new sales leader.

The ideal person will have two core traits: the ability to execute functionally as a sales leader (managing and developing the team, plus a limpet-liking for sales numbers) and the ability to be a challenging member of the management structure (helping to shape and direct the future of the business).

It's a hard position to fill; the world of sales is jammed full of journeymen.

The search has just begun, and I will keep you posted...