Anchor Advisors

Anchor Advisors offers small business consulting in the Chicago area. Our advisors help businesses to grow with confidence and make better decisions.

CALL US! (773)-282-7677

  • About
    • Case Studies
    • Speaking
    • Jobs
  • Services
  • Articles

Who do you want to be when you grow up?

By Brad Farris

Why do grown-ups ask teens this question? How do they know what they want to be when they grow up? They don’t even know who they are!

It felt so awkward and uncomfortable to make up an answer every time they asked.

What happens if someone asks you that same question about your business?

When I first started out I had the same problem that I had as a teen, I just didn’t know yet!

As my business go more mature I started to get a clearer idea of where we were going, I could tell a good story about what the future held and why I thought we could get there.

But when I look at that vision, it was pretty fuzzy around the edges.

Making strategic choices about the future of your firm involves saying “No” to some things so that we can say “Yes” to other things.

For example, by choosing a strategy of being a specialist firm it means that we can’t pursue just any piece of work that comes along. By choosing a strategy of being a high-end, boutique firm we need to say “No” to low-end execution-based work.

This is one of the reasons that consultants love the four-cell matrix – it helps us to force the trade-offs. If you choose one side of the matrix, it excludes the other side.

I made a video with my favorite four-cell matrix. I’ve used this with hundreds of agency leaders to help them to see the strategic trade-offs they face.

[smartvideo src=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sTFDQKTx_I&feature=emb_logo” width=”1280″ height=”720″ responsive=true poster=”https://anchoradvisors.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/thumbnail.png” controls=true]

 

When you watch this, what questions does it raise? What does it make you think about?

Hit reply and let me know.

Hat tip to George Berlin who made the animation for me.

Filed Under: Email Archive

About Brad Farris

As Principal Advisor, Brad Farris guides business owners through the pitfalls and joys of growing their business. Brad is passionate about helping business owners find better ways to do things, make more money and enjoy life more. Brad is a speaker and author. Connect with Brad on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Consistent help to grow your business

Search

Take our business growth assessment

For More Information:

  • Privacy Policy and Legal Disclaimer
  • Contact Us
  • Join the conversation!

Search

Connect with Us

  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2022 · Anchor Advisors, Ltd. · Call 773-282-7677 · 7061 W. North Ave #352, Oak Park, IL 60302