Great businesses are in it for the long haul. If you are in it for the long haul put your money on your people.
Any business can only grow to the level of its people. Whether a sole trader or employing hundreds of people, the ceiling for business growth is set by the capability of the people. Grow your people and you will grow your business.
Peter Senge identified companies that did this well and coined the phrase learning organisations to encapsulate the attitude of continuous learning these businesses embodied.
When was the last time you learnt something new to grow your business? When was the last time you sent your team for training? Do you have personal development plans or a skill matrix?
Investing in people often raises the concern of staff then leaving. As Peter Drucker so eloquently points out: "If you think training is expensive, try ignorance."
In 2014, Sir Richard Branson advised businesses to "train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough, so they don't want to". Grow your people and they will help you grow your business.
+ Mike Clark is director and lead trainer and facilitator at Think Right business training company.