{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Mads Singers Management Podcast ","title":"MSMP 76: Esbe Van Heerden on Operations","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2478,"description":"While we frequently talk to entrepreneurs on the Mads Singers Management Podcast, we also enjoy speaking with top leaders at companies.  Today’s guest, Esbe Van Heerden of OnFolio, is one of those leaders.  She’s spent five years building and running online businesses, with a heavy focus on operations. \nEsbe started our discussion by explaining the challenges of rapid growth.  In her case they went from five team members to 25, and from 25 assets under management to 52.  That meant that as systems were developed, they sometimes had to be abandoned because they didn’t work at the new scale.  But she was also constantly reminded that any system is better than no system.\nI readily agreed, noting that the number one challenge I see in my personal coaching clients is a lack of willingness to trust the process.  So many business owners are just looking to replicate themselves instead of putting in the hard work necessary to build a business, which means creating processes, delegating tasks, and trusting people.\nPart of delegation is setting expectations, and Esbe shared that one of the areas that she’s recently improved in is setting expectations and KPIs for her team.  Not only does this make them easier to manage, but it also makes it easier to let them go when they aren’t meeting those expectations.\nIf your staff are properly managed by clear expectations, that means it costs you less to deliver services, which is one part of raising profits.  The second is making sure that you laser-focus on your niche, the one thing that you do really well.  When you are laser-focused you can charge your clients more because you are going to be delivering a better quality of service.\nThis is a major mindset shift for entrepreneurs who must come to focus on the “one thing” mentality as opposed to the “cash grab” mentality.  In the latter case, distractions disguised as revenue drag you away from building a sustainable business.\nSustainable businesses are kept that way by making...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/uenPn4-fphTH0ovjyLFj05YKzb_-C0rJoiBUiqV16UA/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9zaG93/LzMxOTAvMTY3MzE5/MTQ0Mi1hcnR3b3Jr/LmpwZw.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}