Article
Making a difference
Purpose
Purpose provides focus to all levels of a business. It shapes strategy at senior leadership level and provides clarity of direction across the business; motivating teams, encouraging delegation and individual responsibility and attracting the right partners. It contributes to differentiating brand substance and sharpening messaging, resonating with customers and top talent.
Key expert
“Purpose galvanises alignment of employees, customers, suppliers and investors. This is indispensable as a business scales and makes it faster and more effective in dealing with challenges.”
Steven Dunne, Senior PartnerView Profile
Establishing control
Resilience
Resilience is rarely spoken about in venture capital circles; anything other than the growth mantra can be criticised as being insufficiently ambitious. Growth at all costs can lead to external funding reliance and compromising on purpose. A more balanced approach is required that builds strength internally and drives employee confidence that the company destiny is in its own hands, whatever may happen externally. Balancing investment in growth opportunities, route to profitability and purpose is key to developing resilience across your business. This will attract and retain the best talent and also open up funding options to fuel growth, expansion, acquisition or other strategic initiatives.
Key expert
“Making difficult decisions to address the changing needs of a business is critical to its survival and success.”
Steven Dunne, Senior PartnerView Profile
Realising value
Value
Building significant value through the scale-up phase is one important measure of your team and investors’ success in executing your purpose and vision. Understanding how and why different prospective stakeholders value companies like yours is critical to ensure you are focusing on the right strategic goals well ahead of time. Keeping your exit options broad de-risks your future. Careful and consistent management of your brand and reputation amongst this audience is time consuming but vital. Having an excellent Board and shareholder group will provide constructive support and alignment.
Key expert
“Value creation is an outcome of building a successful business, not an objective to be set in its own right.”
David Williams, Operating PartnerView Profile
