On Growth: Janet Green

I have two kittens – Maxwell and Schrödinger (Schrody for short) that I got just before Christmas.

Brother and sister, black and tabby.  They are the most delightful two kittens, so friendly and happy; a real joy to have around.  They have given a new lease of life to our old dog, Zara, who lost her companion about 18 months ago.  However, as kittens they can be persistent and demanding ... even if it’s only for attention.  They are happy and bubbly and growing as kittens should do into what promises to be wonderful cat pets.  These three pets are in many ways representative of my business and growth experience so far.

In short, I didn’t know what to expect when I recently started a business development course – and to be honest the jury’s still out; but I am optimistic and energetic about the possibilities unfolding for DOC Electrical.  

It has transpired that a cornerstone of my business growth has forced some difficult questions which demand attention, and are, quite (shockingly) personal.  And, like the kittens’ demand for attention, particularly when I’m busy doing something else, they need to be addressed at the time they intrude.

So, when I am busy developing business plans or researching ideas or realigning some cost bases, just like the kittens’ intrusion onto my lap, personal boundaries and socialisation processes (so deeply embedded in me that I am surprised to find them there at all), walk all over my shoulders and keyboard, and demand that I pay attention to and address their needs. Without addressing these personal boundaries and limitations I will not be able to develop the company along the lines I dream of. 

So then I'm asking the question ‘When is enough growth enough?’  It is perhaps for me when I see these boundaries and decide that I don’t want to address them.  For now, as surprised as I am to find myself questioning personal socialisation boundaries, I’m happy to do it – because I can see a benefit to myself and my business.  But there may well come a time when that opportunity for growth has run its course and I will be able to say that ‘enough growth’ has been achieved. 
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Janet Green is the owner of DOC Solar and Electrical. She graduated in 1999 with a BA in Business Administration from LJMU and entered the workforce full-time for the first time in many years, making the transition to her family business full-time in January 2010.
Janet has developed her company from electrical installation into sustainable energy, with hopes of making DOC a well-recognised and established deliverer of renewable technology in the North West.