Your business may be experiencing significant growth. As a ceo, you are a key factor in maintaining this growth.

However, do you think most of the following statements are accurate?

• You have everything you need to finance your growth
• Your internal organization is clear and has no reason to be questioned
• Preventing and limiting risks is a priority in your business.
• An objective review interview is organized with each of your employees on an annual basis.
• You are recruiting employees to cope with growth, the vast majority of whom are ambitious and dynamic young people

If these statements seem right to you, you may not be a real growth leader...

Two major issues can become a pitfall for a growing company or a company that wants to grow: financing and organization, where theimpact of professional coaching on business performance can be decisive.

Controlling financing

Companies often make a syllogism: raise funds when the working capital is not optimized.

Before even seeking external financing, managers must therefore regularly review their customer, supplier and inventory processes.

And ask yourself the following questions, among others:

• Can I review my contracts and general conditions of sale (in particular on the issue of payment terms without harming my customer relationship)?
• Is it relevant to differentiate these conditions according to customer risk?
• Is recovery monitored by dashboard?
• Are my sales representatives assessed on late payments?
• Should I limit the use of tenders for purchases?
• Aren't we a victim of abusive overbilling?
• Are my stocks well sized - minimum without risk of running out?

Finding funding

Beyond their working capital, the manager of a growing company must find sources of financing. This subject is often delicate for owner-managers who fear the dilution of their capital.

The manager can generally raise up to €1 million via key employees, business angels, state aid (sectoral or regional) and bank debt.

A particular challenge often arises for managers whose project requires between €1 and €2 million in financing because most major funds invest a minimum of €2 million. The only solution: raise €1 million and reach a new level of growth to raise more money.

It is recommended to use intermediaries for this type of operations, noting that they are paid between 2 and 5% of the amount raised.

Building an adapted organization

The second decisive subject for growth: people and organization.

Often growing businesses started out with a small, close-knit team.

When the company needs additional employees, the manager encourages the recruitment of dynamic and ambitious young people, attracted by the entrepreneurial adventure.

Setting up middle management

However, this recruitment must absolutely be combined with that of more mature profiles, with solid skills and strong experience, which will make it possible to provide the company with this intermediate management that is often lacking.

This will allow the company to be structured, to balance internal power struggles and to promote sustainable growth.

Likewise, the rapid recruitment of an HR manager is fundamental. Many managers consider it secondary when it will be able to relieve them in part of the recruitment process, which is very time-consuming during periods of growth, while maintaining a strong corporate culture.

Because with growth comes the time of frustration for initial teams, who feel that their transparency and relationships with managers are weakened.

Adjusting individual goals to growth

” Au Management affective Of debuts must accommodate one necessary structuring, associated with Of process, Of Tables of piloting and reports” comments Hubert Reynier, CEO of VISCONTI.

Individual goals need to be adjusted much more frequently than once a year: management must keep pace with growth.

Faced with these changes, the presence of a smart and empathetic HR manager will be the necessary link for the rapidly evolving company.

In fact, a growing company must be able to regularly challenge its organization, which cannot be set in stone.

All company functions are managed with two watchwords: adaptation and rigor.

Courageous, disciplined and attentive, the growth manager must remain alert, in order not to let himself be “lulled” by growth, which is certainly exhilarating, but never self-creative.