As a business leader, scaling is typically one of the ubiquitous and ultimate goals.

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What’s a business without growth?

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The dimension of that growth can vary depending on your industry or your personal objectives. But it is necessary to become profitable and make a name for yourself.

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So, where does scaling start? What makes up a good scaling strategy?

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On this week’s episode of TOP CMO, Ben Kaplan and former Fortanix CMO, Shashi Kiran, discuss the three fundamental pillars of scaling: people, technology, and processes.

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Keep reading to find out why each pillar matters and how to scale through them!

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People

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Scaling through people involves creating an organizational structure that encourages collaboration, efficiency, and growth.

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It means forming the right teams and developing groups that work well together. A bunch of well-oiled machines.

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This approach enhances productivity and ensures you can handle high quantities of work without compromising quality. Firstest step for any kind of scaling.

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People are often the bottleneck in achieving business growth. Without the right human capital, all other elements can be rendered useless.

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Investing in talent development and optimizing resource allocation can address those bottlenecks. It’s all about building a strong workforce that can take the company to the next level.

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Strategies for scaling people:

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1. Invest in talent development: Offer continuous learning opportunities to upskill your workforce. Organize training and hire for any missing roles.

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2. Optimize team structures: Create pods and cross-functional teams that can work efficiently together. As collaboration grows more fluid, the easier it is for everyone to pull together.

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Technology

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Technology is a powerful enabler of scale.

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It provides businesses with tools to grow efficiently. The easier the process is made by the tech, the faster (and better) the company can work.

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Having assets like a technological advantage that others cannot easily replicate is a big differentiator that can elevate your brand.

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Through technology, you can develop tools that facilitate all kinds of scaling.

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Predictive models. Automation. Uniformity. Streamlining. Cost reduction. You name it.

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When all possible resources are optimized, it is easier to take the next step. Higher quality of services. Larger workloads. Market expansion. Without technology, good luck with that.

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Strategies for scaling technology:

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1. Adopt automation: Implement automation tools to streamline routine, repetitive tasks and free up human resources for specialized work.

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2. Utilize data analytics: Use data-driven insights to inform your decisions and optimize your investments.

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3. Invest in innovation: Stay ahead of the competition by continuously innovating and adopting new technologies. Productive exploration will never be a waste of money.

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Processes

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Processes are the backbone of your organization.

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They provide the structure and consistency you’ll need to scale operations. Scalable processes allow for a progressive increase in productivity and dimension.

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As processes improve, errors and unnecessary costs are eradicated. Seeking more and more efficiency will allow your company to handle increased demand without sacrificing quality.

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Once you’ve established working, efficient processes, move away from constant experimentation towards a more strategic approach. 

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Identify your use cases, target buyer personas, and key markets, and focus your efforts. Wanting to do everything is tempting, but you know what they say, “Jack of all trades, master of none.”

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Strategies for scaling processes:

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1. Standardize procedures: Develop standardized processes to ensure consistency and efficiency across the organization. Predictability is the foundation of scalability.

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2. Focus on strategic investments: Identify areas for investment that will bring in the highest returns. Large funding will probably be necessary, so be smart with it.

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3. Refine and optimize: Evaluate and improve your processes regularly to eliminate inefficiencies and adapt to any new rules in the game. Industries change, don’t stay static.

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Ramping up

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Scaling your business is a challenge that requires careful consideration of all areas.

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It might feel overwhelming at times. Where do you start?

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Well, this approach to people, technology, and processes is a good start. 

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Invest in talent development. Make sure each team and sub-team is a well-oiled machine.

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Leveraging technological advantages. Automate routine tasks. Use data to inform decisions.

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Build sturdy, reliable processes. Choose your investments wisely. Iterate and correct course as many times as necessary.

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Only then will you be ready to take your business to the next level.

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