During the interview, he spoke to us about the company\u2019s latest successes, as well as the issues that it faces each day to consolidate its constant business development. Nicolas Gouin\u2019s experience can certainly apply to several business fields. We decided to share his advice with you in order to help you overcome certain obstacles that may be impeding the growth of your own business.<\/p>\r\n
Adapt to new ways of working<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\r\n According to Nicolas Gouin, to make your business grow, you have no choice but to get out of your comfort zone by exploring new markets, looking for new contracts, etc. If you limit yourself to what you know, you inevitably end up stagnating.<\/p>\r\n\r\n To do this, you need to have a high tolerance to stress, but must of all, you have to be very flexible. For example, when the people at L\u2019Hibou got their first contract with a European customer, they had to adapt their work methods, their professional language and even their schedule!<\/p>\r\n Over time, customers far removed from the creative environment began to fill the company\u2019s address book. Not only did these customers open new doors for the production company, it also led to a new reality: you have to maintain much closer communications with this clientele. You have to make sure that everyone involved perfectly understands the parameters specific to artistic creation: the creative process, the ins and outs of copyright, etc. Rather than see this additional effort as a roadblock, Nicolas Gouin says it\u2019s an opportunity to review how you maintain business relationships with customers and understand how people work in various business sectors.<\/p>\r\n Protect yourself against misunderstandings<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\r\n As you get new customers and sign bigger and bigger contracts, you also have to rethink the way you close agreements. Big projects generally come with major production expenses. To minimize the risk, it\u2019s essential to be well protected. \u201cWhen the stakes are high and you don\u2019t necessarily know the customers very well, make sure you do things right and have lawyers draw up the terms of solid contracts. It\u2019s a huge amount of work and a great deal of management, but it\u2019s absolutely necessary,\u201d Nicolas Gouin concludes.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n When a business is starting up, it often has to redouble its efforts to find customers. That was Nicolas Gouin\u2019s experience. \u201cDuring my first four years in business, I accepted practically all of the projects that I was offered. As soon as I was available, I was working.\u201d<\/p>\r\n Nicolas Gouin continued by explaining that with higher revenues come the necessity to learn how to sort projects and to say no. It\u2019s more than simply turning down smaller jobs for those with bigger budgets. You have to choose projects that are in keeping with the company\u2019s values and are in line with the entrepreneur\u2019s vision.<\/p>\r\n Sometimes, rejecting certain projects can also be beneficial for long-term business development. To do that, you have to learn to distinguish between dead-end projects and those that have the potential to lead to new business opportunities or cultivate a long-term relationship. According to Nicolas Gouin, having a stable customer base that provides the company with consistent income is one of the best foundations for prudent growth.<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n For Nicolas Gouin, the entrepreneur is often one of the greatest impediments to a company\u2019s growth. \u201cWe tend to keep a very close eye on our baby. You have to learn to trust the people you work with, to delegate. It\u2019s not normal for the business to grind to a halt when the owner is absent,\u201d he says.<\/p>\r\n That said, to succeed in delegating, first you have to hire. For young entrepreneurs, not only does hiring allow them to get more work done, it also divides the work differently so that everyone can focus on their strengths. However, according to Nicolas Gouin, when the time comes to determine hiring needs, a tough choice has to be made: \u201cEither I hire someone who is very experienced and to whom I will probably have to pay a higher salary than I pay myself, or I take a chance and hire someone fresh out of school.\u201d<\/p>\r\n There\u2019s nothing wrong with hiring someone with little experience, quite the contrary. In Nicolas Gouin\u2019s eyes, they are often very creative people, with a strong vision and are very eager to work. However, you have to invest a lot of time and money to train someone who is starting their career and you always run the risk of losing this investment if the person leaves the company rapidly. \u201cIf you want to build a team that will help the company grow, you have to learn to recognize those who seem to want to commit for the long term,\u201d Nicolas Gouin says.<\/p>\r\n This article reveals just a portion of the challenges faced by SMB owners who want to grow their business. During our discussion, Nicolas Gouin brought up many others: dealing with various levels of bureaucracy, the trial and error process to hone his sense of entrepreneurship, etc. <\/p>\r\n![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads-svn\/blog\/gerer-croissance-de-son-entreprise-3-aptitudes-essentielles-a-developper\/img3.jpg\")
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\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\nAnd much more<\/h3>\r\n\r\n