It’s every business owner’s dream to build a strong company and an impactful brand that will last through the years. Of course, that’s often easier said than done. From adapting to technological changes to pivoting your product to re-organizing your operations, your company will no doubt face calls for transformation throughout the years. So in this climate of disruption and reinvention, how do we keep the integrity of our businesses in tact?
Make sure that the true identity of the company stays. A company’s mission should stand the test of time.
At Huntington, we go to great lengths to ensure that our mission of providing every student with the best education possible is what informs and directs every decision that we make in our business. Whenever considering a new initiative or moving into a new region, we always ask: how does this support our core mission? It is critical to us that our message and mission is shared and rallied around across our entire business operation. It’s what keeps us inspired and focused each and every day.
Be intentional with growth. Slow and steady is a better longer-term strategy – even though rapid growth can seem more appealing.
Although Huntington now boasts a network of 300+ franchise locations across the country, that milestone certainly didn’t happen overnight. Our expansive growth has been a focused, concerted effort over the years, and one which required careful planning and execution. We take so many factors into consideration when engaging with a potential new franchisee – we look at the regional market, we look at the franchisee’s background and why they want to join the organization, etc. We want to be 100% sure that when we open a new center, we can truly provide value to the community and deliver on our promises. Sometimes that means delaying entering a new region, or even closing a center that may not be living up to our core values.
Allow your culture to evolve.
While some areas of your business, like your core mission, should remain consistent, it’s important to embrace change and adapt when you need to. Two areas where we’ve tried to adapt within our culture are collaboration and sustainability. Over time, we’ve realized that enabling our employees to collaborate and work together informally is a great way to uncover ideas and innovation in an organic way. We recently took a look around our headquarters and identified spaces that were underutilized, turning underused office spaces into shared workspaces that would provide opportunity for employees to connect. Adapting culture can also be as simple as changing small things that align with your employees’ values. For example, we recently made a change to healthier snacks and switched out plastic straws to an environmentally-friendly version. It may sound small, but these subtle changes remove the stale, infuse the fresh, and are a great way to keep employees happy and engaged.
As technology evolves, don’t let your face-to-face or in-person time decrease.
There are so many fantastic technological tools and advances that have made how we interact with one another in the workplace so much easier – email, Slack, Google Hangouts, video conferences, etc. – which mean you hardly ever have to leave your desk or phone in order to get things done. Even with all this progress, it’s important to keep in mind that face-to-face contact is still the most efficient way to work. Often, having an in-person conversation can save hours of back-and-forth via email, can help employees work through complex issues more efficiently, and can go a long way to build up trust and collaboration company-wide.
Although adapting your business for the future is key to long-term success, don’t forget the reason you started! Staying grounded and true to your mission will help make everything fall into place and last.