Does the thought of launching and scaling your business both excite and terrify you? These emotions are all part of the entrepreneurial journey. So, if you’re having a wobble, it’s understandable. To learn more about why timing in business is everything, listen to the podcast episode on More Details, Please, hosted by Angela and Emmanuel Williams. Successful business owner Alex Lathery joins them to share his insights.

Are You Waiting for the Perfect Moment?

Angela and Emmanuel launched and scaled their mobile cleaning company over 23 years ago, so they have plenty to say on timing in business. Naturally, you want everything to be perfect and go to plan. Therefore, it’s tempting to wait until your business is one hundred per cent ready to go. ‘Yes, the timing needs to be right,’ says Angela. ‘But what I can say is forget about having everything perfect. Our lights will not be green. So, before you launch your business, just forget about that. Perfection is forever going to hold you back.’

Angela and Emmanuel dive deeper into the details on this point on the podcast. They also emphasize the importance of maintaining a clear idea of what you’re passionate about and what it means to be living with purpose. These factors will encourage you to focus on launching and scaling your business at the right moment.

Lessons in Business

Timing in business is everything when you’re ready to launch. But it is easy to spend too much time thinking and not enough ‘doing’. Angela and Emmanuel’s guest Alex Lathery shares his thoughts on this topic. Alex runs two businesses: a digital agency called Blue Collar Builds, and he co-owns a painting company in Cincinnati. He highlights the importance of finding your niche and explains why this matters.

Alex also shares his expertise on branding. He builds and ranks websites for local businesses, so he knows how to provide high-quality results across all his projects. And one big thing he notices is how business owners really overcomplicate the branding side of things. His advice: ‘Start with something super simple and then focus on getting your business off the ground and up and running. And then the timing will fall into place.’ Alex dives into more detail on this subject, including search engine optimization.

For more lessons in business, tune into another inspirational episode The Best Time is Now: Entrepreneurs share their secrets and tips.

Knowing When to Scale Up

Deciding on the right time to grow your business can also be challenging. Scaling too soon risks what you’ve built. On the other hand, being fearful of change means you miss out on growing your business to its full potential. Here are some points to bear in mind about getting the timing right:

• Can you handle more customers without losing quality or control? It’s not just about getting more customers. You need to have the right systems and team in place.
• Are customers demanding more than you can currently deliver?
• Are you turning down work?
• Are you consistently profitable at your current level?

Angela says, ‘One of our biggest growth decisions was moving into franchising, but it wasn’t something that we rushed into. I mean, it was a moment where we really had to ask ourselves, is our model ready to be replicated? Is our brand strong enough to carry others?’ These pertinent questions also relate to timing, and the answers can help shape decision-making.

Time to Grow Your Team

Pay attention to your workload. This will help you figure out the best time to start growing your team because you can’t scale your business alone. Simply put, you don’t have enough hours in the day to handle everything from daily operations and customer service to marketing and bookkeeping.

Alex discusses the moment he realised he needed help growing his business. ‘I was burning the candle at both ends, working before work, after work, and all day in between,’ explains Alex. ‘And getting really bogged down from a scalability standpoint, as a solopreneur. At this point, I really needed help.’ In this episode, Angela and Emmanuel dive deeper into Alex’s journey, unpacking the pivotal moment he decided to ask his father to join him as a business partner. From navigating the dynamics of blending family and business to understanding the financial logistics, the conversation offers valuable insights if you’re facing similar crossroads.

Timing It Right

To sum up, timing in business isn’t luck. It’s not about waiting for the perfect moment either. You need to be prepared, persistent and passionate about your idea. And the more prepared you are, the easier it becomes to make key decisions without procrastination. Moreover, it helps you develop a business management mindset.

Overall, Angela, Emmanuel and Alex share lots of tips and advice to ensure you are equipped with a solid strategy to launch and scale your business. Here are some points to start thinking about straight away.

1. Take 10 minutes today to reflect: What’s one decision you’ve been delaying? Is it a fear of bad timing, or a lack of preparation? Either way, there’s a strategy to move forward.
2. Timing is a mindset, not a miracle. The best entrepreneurs make decisions based on doing their homework, not guesswork.
3. Opportunities often show up when you least expect, but you must be in a position to grab them.
4. Don’t let the fear of failure hold you back. For more on this subject, tune in to our episode: How to bounce back from failure.
5. Create a financial cushion because growth often eats cash before it generates more.
6. Can your customer experience remain strong if volume triples?
7. Let your enthusiasm carry you forward. You’ve got to love what you do. Listen to what Angela and Emmanuel have to say on the podcast episode How to find your joy in entrepreneurship.

You’ll love this episode if you’re an ambitious entrepreneur wanting to bring your business to the world. It’s packed with inspirational and actionable wisdom from people who have worked hard to achieve their goals. Getting your timing right might feel impossible sometimes, but trust in all the hard work you’ve done to take you to this point. You don’t need to be one hundred per cent ready; you just need to act with purpose. You’ve got this!

WATCH THE FULL PODCAST EPISODE:

Want to join more conversations with Angela and Emmanuel? Subscribe to our ‘More Details, Please’ podcast and join the Williams as they talk to more go-getting entrepreneurs and motivational people who want to help you succeed.