22 September 2011 ~ 6 Comments

How Not To Get Crushed When Expanding Your Business — FA067

Audio Interviews

A Conversation About Scope Creep And…
How It Pretends To Be Business Growth With Lain Ehmann

My guest on the Foolish Adventure Show this week is Lain Ehmann of LayoutADay.com. Oh, and 30 Minute Martha, which I think is a compelling brand concept.

Lain operates a successful membership site in the scrapbooking industry and also a few other niche sites. She brings a wealth of knowledge and passion about running a business especially as a busy mom.

In this conversation we cover briefly the topic of rejuvenating an industry during a recession — essentially filling gaps in a market after older companies fail or pull back their growth.

Then we jump onto the topic of Scope Creep — a term normally used in project management. Lain wanted to discuss the concept of scope creep in relation to growing a business. As we grow there is always more work to do, but sometimes that additional work doesn’t make your business more successful. Instead it usually just wears you down from the effort you expend.

Small businesses must jump this hurdle if they are ever to become sustainable companies and an asset to the owners as opposed to being just a very taxing job.

So, how does one go from being a solo entrepreneur to building a company without falling prey to scope creep?

Listen in to the show to find out…

Enjoy your Foolish Adventure,

Tim


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  • Mlefse

    I have been a fan of the Foolish Adventure shows but I was really disappointed in Tim’s perspective on this recession: where have you been? Yes, many of us are quite fortunate to be in demanding fields but I know several stories that have nothing to do with folks waiting for the next iPhone to come out. This feels really distasteful to me.

  • http://FoolishAdventure.com Tim Conley

    I did not mean to discount the experiences of people who have suffered through this recession. What I was speaking to was the media comparing what we are going through to the Great Depression. I find that to be distasteful.

    My point that there is still a lot of money being spent in the US and to succeed in business entrepreneurs need to put themselves in front of that money. Look at what is happening in the economy and then create value that people want. That is a success lesson that works whether there is a boom or bust.

  • http://blog.mshanhun.com Melissa

    I loved this episode!

    I totally agree the Depression is far worse than what we are experiencing now. Among my friends, even those with maxed out credit cards still upgrade their phones with every contract, buy cars and furniture on credit and wonder why they can’t afford a house. :(

  • http://tigermuse.com Johan Woods

    Just listened to this episode (couldn’t sleep). As usual, great content. Inspiring. Very true about what kind of work you’re doing – truly working or just keeping busy?

  • http://FoolishAdventure.com Tim Conley

    Thanks for listening, Johan.

    I agree that we need to know if we are just being busy or getting work done, but I think the idea of scope creep goes much deeper. There are a lot of activities that entrepreneurs take on that may not get them to their goals even though it feels like they are moving forward. Essentially they are doing real work, but not the right work.

  • http://tigermuse.com Johan Woods

    Yeah, that’s true. It comes down to spotting the difference. Would the criteria for work vs. right work completely depend on context or would you evaluate if what you’re doing leading you towards or away from your fundamental goal or vision?