A few days ago I wrote about the transition from a small to medium to large business. I had a few people write to me with additional questions, including requests to define the sizes, talk more about the issues during the transition, and make suggestions about how to address things. One of the notes came from a long time friend – Barry Culman – who is currently the president of SPADAC (Spacial Data Analytics Corp.) I’m not involved in SPADAC, but Barry shared a framework that he used recently at a management retreat to explain his view of the evolution of a company. Following is a quick summary of the stages according to Barry.

Birth Idea created Product or service utilized to deliver idea All energy on creation Leader is the core driver of revenue No process or structure Project or products – not a business Teenager Add overhead and infrastructure Grow revenue base Leader comes “in-house”

Cash is King High energy All executives involved in all parts of the business Everyone feels like “I know what’s going on”

Young Adult Add process and structure Profitability dips Must determine “who we are” / what do I want to be when I grow up Leader is an evangelist Separation of duties External funding Loose budget People issues being to appear Adult Answer to board / investors Tight budget controls Consistent processes Leader deals with external forces Business is in a steady state Emphasis on managing people Senior Citizen Death or Rebirth While I don’t necessarily agree with every aspect of this and would likely cast some of it differently – especially based on the type of company (e.g. bootstrapped or venture backed), I think Barry’s framework is great and I appreciate him letting me share it with you.

Read this article in Brad's blog.

Like this article? Share it with your friends

E-Mail | Print | More

Related Articles
Why Transformation Efforts Fail
	Why change initiatives, whether they were intended to boost quality, efficiency, sales or profitability, or reverse business spiral usually only generate lukewarm results or fail.
The 7 Stages of a Referral Generation
	Referrals happen, thank goodness, but for too many, they happen randomly, almost accidentally.
Facing a career transition? You are not alone!
	Whenever I meet someone to discuss their career needs, it is not unusual for them to feel as if the career issues they face are unique. While the specifics are unique, facing a career transition is not.
Beat the Bear and Outperform All Competition
	When economic conditions are bleak, resourceful finance professionals and independent insurance agents ("financepreneurs") have an advantage that folks who only work for others are sadly missing. Financepreneurs ha...
5.1 Faster economic growth could assist in diversification efforts: Economic Report on Africa 2007
	The results for Africa, shown in table A5.1, suggest further that as income per capita increases, there is a tendency for African economies to experience improvement in their diversification processes. This is a v...

---

Related Forum Posts
	How to valuate a business
	$3000 Grant Available
	Re: Surety bonds
	I want to do business online!
	Business magazines
	Re: A Book For New or Experienced Entrepreneurs - Act Now
	Famous Entrepreneur Schedule
	Metro Who's who