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We’re keeping these lean and practical these days - walking through the 4 strategies to drive aligned growth. Last week we talked about “stabilize” - necessary stuff. Please don't skip it.

Today we talk about “expand”.

On Expanding

Expanding is by far the most obvious and straightforward of the four strategies. So much so, that a lot of people's strategic plans & growth goals include only expansion goals. Expand refers to doing more: offering a new service, bringing in new clients, completing more projects, you get the idea. We’re not going to overcomplicate it. Just 2 things I want to say to you about expansion goals.

First, make sure you have one. It's obvious and straightforward because it’s the simplest way to grow your business. Don’t miss the low hanging fruit here.

Now, (climbs up on soap box) to ensure the strategy contributes to the business you envision, make it specific. (Yes, I say this about everything.) I recently audited a strategic plan that said, “double the number of community members we serve”. This goal identifies a specific number and so technically it’s measurable. We’re on our way to a SMART goal here. What’s the problem? This goal is just vague enough to achieve it without actually having generated much of an impact. At the end of the year, this organization could review their numbers, see that twice as many people came through their doors (or filled out a form or completed a phone call) and so, yup, they did it. But that’s not actually impactful to those community members or to the organization’s vision.

One more example. An artist wanted to increase how many folks she mentored. Her offering was clear and she had a target number to hit. Amazing. Off to a great start. Then we spent a LOT of time dissecting which creatives she really wanted to mentor. For her, it was very specifically creators of color who were interested in telling their own cultural stories with beauty. That’s much more meaningful. A narrower goal commands more focus & precision. We’re not creating goals just to cross them off. We need them to push us forward. Imagine the difference in this artist’s energy if she achieves this instead of just taking in any random artist who wants mentoring. One is life-giving. The other is just a job.

How to put this to work:

1. Remind yourself what you’re moving towards.

   If you’re going to expand, let’s expand in a way that’s aligned with your vision.

2. Make sure you have at least some kind of expansion related strategy.

    Expand services by launching something new. Expand clients by increasing your reach. Expand revenue by building capacity.

3. Double check for specificity.

   Write down all of your expansion related goals. Keeping in mind the vision you queued up in step 1, look through your strategies one at a time. Imagine what it would look like to complete each strategy. Is there a way to do it without driving impact or growth? If so, you haven’t been specific enough. Add the details you need to be sure this strategy drives impact - not just productivity.

4. Double check for alignment.

   Now that we know your strategies are impactful, double check that they’re aligned. Again, review each one and evaluate whether the impact is aligned with your vision. Is the business this strategy builds for you the one you want? If not, you have the wrong goal my friend! No shame, glad we caught it now!

This Cool Thing I Found

Events, free stuff, or cool links I’ve found lately. May contain affiliate or partner links.

🤝The Co-Promotion Club

“Get more leads” tends to be at the top of everybody’s business wish list. But it’s not any old lead you want. We want high quality leads. With money to spend. Who are ready to move forward. Yes? Yes! Lucky for us, the impeccable Janna Carlson is making this happen for us. In The Co-Promotion club, we get monthly, hour-long networking sessions with intentionally-curated groups of people who serve similar audiences to us. It’s pretty no-frills because that’s exactly what we need. If you’re wanting higher-quality referrals consistently, join the freaking club! You’ll get $30 off when you mention my name!

🦌 It’s Deer Feeding Season!

Now that deer feeding season is open (yes this is a thing) you can live stream this Food Pantry for Deer. Animal videos inevitably get all the attention so here’s another one for you. Some lovely folks in Brownville, Maine host feeding troughs for deer which is apparently something they need. Watch them graze anytime or tune in at 9 AM EST for live breakfast time. I use it as my background show during Saturday pancakes. 10/10 recommend.

✨ Free Clarity Workshop

I’m winding down on free slots for solopreneurs and freelancers so if that’s you - listen up! These two (ish) hour workshops provide actionable insights to empower creative leaders for more of the work they love. We quickly dive deep into your vision, strategy, and systems to provide clarity and next steps to grow & protect a business you love.

I’m Laura Green - a strategist helping growth minded founders do more of the work they dreamed of. My work focuses on using systems & strategies to find more impact and less friction. I love charts, good beer, nerdy nature books, and sneakers. When I’m not spinning up spreadsheets, you can find me gardening, hanging with my wonderfully wild kids, or sneaking in a nap. ✌️