Evaluate the results

You've created your growth plan and clearly defined your goals. You're hoping to attain the expected results, but these may not always be forthcoming. You must have tools at hand to determine what has caused the plan to work or, if this not the case, why it has failed.

By implementing an evaluation process, you'll be able to monitor your progress constantly and make any improvements required to meet your objectives. Each situation is unique. You must therefore identify what aspects (financial, etc.) you need to evaluate and what tools are best suited to do it. Don't forget that business growth can be measured both quantitatively and qualitatively.

Quantitative evaluations

A quantitative evaluation gives you a clear and constant picture of your ongoing situation. Identify the key indicators with which you'll track your growth efforts, such as increases in your profit margin, sales per territory or number of people assigned to a project.

Qualitative evaluations

A qualitative evaluation can help you measure intangibles that can impact your growth efforts. Increased company visibility in the market, development of your company image, an increase in customer satisfaction or the ability to influence are all examples of qualitative factors you can take into account in your evaluation.

An evaluation process is much more than a monitoring tool. It's an effective way to measure efforts expended towards achieving your growth plan.