“Start lean and mean but choose tools that give you a solid foundation. That way you will be ready for growth – whether fast or slow, your system must be able to handle it.”
Erry de Boer, CEO Eqeep

In our previous blog regarding the Greiner model, we outlined the five growth phases of an organization, each with its own unique challenges and opportunities. In this blog, we zoom in on the first step: the start-up phase. This is where your journey as an entrepreneur begins. This period is all about establishing a solid foundation for your business. We explore the typical pitfalls, share practical tips and show how technology can contribute to your growth ambitions. 

A dynamic start full of energy  

In the start-up phase, your company is full of enthusiasm and creativity. Your team is small, driven and flexible. Everyone is working hard to launch your product or service successfully. Yet in this dynamic there is also a risk: chaos. Ideas flood in and priorities keep shifting. As an entrepreneur, you’re on top of everything: from major strategic choices to choosing coffee beans. Before you know it, you lose the overview and with it, control. How do you maintain that energy while ensuring focus and direction? How do you embrace your chaos DNA without letting it take you over? Keep the energy and creativity but give it direction. Bringing focus to that chaos – that’s where growth begins.

The Challenge: building structure without losing agility  

In this step, the challenge is in providing structure without getting in the way of the creative flow. Your team must have a clear vision of what you are working towards and the steps needed to achieve it. From day one, set clear, achievable goals and schedule daily 10-minute stand-ups. Use these short team meetings to discuss priorities and act fast on changes. This prevents good ideas from getting stranded in a jumble of plans.

Technology: your springboard to efficient growth  

In the start-up phase, you can lose a lot of time on manual processes and using separate tools that don’t communicate with each other. Technology offers a solution. Invest in a well-integrated platform from day one to keep your business information organized. With an integrated system, you manage finances, customer data and inventory from one place. This saves time and prevents errors caused by fragmented data.

“If you want to grow, you have to make sure your foundation stands like a house. And that base starts with your finances.”
Erry de Boer, CEO Eqeep

Automation of daily tasks, such as invoicing and order management, allows your team to focus on what really matters: innovation and growth. Technology also provides real-time insight into your performance, with dashboards and reports that support quick data-driven decisions. This is essential in a dynamic market where flexibility is a must. Cloud-based solutions offer additional benefits, such as lower investment costs and the freedom to access your data from anywhere. Technology therefore not only forms a solid foundation, but also makes your organization agile and ready for the challenges of the future.

Scalable from the first moment

A common mistake in the start-up phase is to invest in systems or processes that only fit the current size of your business. But your business is growing. Therefore, choose solutions that grow with you. Scalable technology prevents you from having to reinvest in new tools later and helps you lay the right foundation for further development.  

Grow together; build trust and strengthen cooperation. 

In addition to technology, trust within your team is one of the keystones of success during this period. A cohesive team is not only more effective, but also more innovative. Noam Wassermann, author of Founder’s Dilemmas, studied countless start-ups and concluded that 65 percent fail because of problems within the management team. Many conflicts could have been avoided if founders had addressed these challenges earlier. Therefore, create an open culture where everyone feels heard and has the space to share ideas. Show team members that their input is valuable and encourage them to take responsibility for their work. Use digital collaboration platforms to promote transparency and efficiency. Use these tools to clearly communicate ideas, feedback and progress so everyone knows where they stand and the way forward. This allows every team member to strategically think about the future of the company.

Want to know more?

Curious about the details of each growth phase? In the next blog, we’ll be exploring the rollercoaster phase, where structure and growth come together. Subscribe to our newsletter at the bottom of this page or follow our LinkedIn page for the five follow-up articles, in which we delve deeper into the specific challenges and opportunities for each phase. Want to take steps now to streamline your growth? Check this page to discover how NetSuite SuiteSuccess Starter and Eqeep’s expertise support your start-up or scale-up through each stage. Need a quick sparring session? Make an appointment with Indra Zunder, our pre-sales consultant.