The first few years of your business operations are exciting and exhausting. For the most part, you might be trying to defy the odds and stay in business (especially if you opened in the middle of a pandemic). However, now that your business is growing, it is time to become more established. You need professional assets that can set your brand ahead of your competitors and show the world who you are.

Follow this guide to identify key characteristics

1. Invest in company security.

Everything you put into your company has value. The supplies you keep in the cupboard, the computer equipment your staff members use, and your team members themselves all contribute to the success of your business and reflect its financial value. You need to protect these assets. While you might not want to think about someone breaking into your business or an active shooter taking out their anger on your employees, these are very real concerns you need to address.

Start with your entrance. Do you have commercial doors that have industry-leading protection against damage and burglary? Are the locks secure if someone were to track a crowbar to them? These are questions you need to ask as you think like a criminal.

There are other ways you can improve your company security to protect your team. Use mobile apps and ID codes to scan people into your office. Make sure guests register with a receptionist before meeting with someone on your team. These are small steps that can have a big impact on preventing crime.

2. Schedule water cooler delivery.

Your employees spend more than eight hours each day in your office, often taking at least one meal during the workday- if not two if they have long shifts scheduled. Make sure your team members have the ability to stay hydrated as they work to complete projects and keep up with orders.

You can look into a traditional water cooler for the breakroom of your company, or invest in a bottled water dispenser that fills up reusable bottles and reduces your carbon footprint. If you operate in an industry that needs plastic bottles (like sports management or construction) consider setting up a bottle delivery for your team so everyone can stay hydrated.

Setting up a water cooler offers multiple benefits to your staff. Not only can good hydration keep your employees sharp and clear-headed, but a steady water supply can keep your outdoor workers safe on hot summer days.

3. Improve your asset management.

As your business grows, so will your assets. For example, your fleet of vehicles will increase as you make more deliveries across town. Your technology inventory will grow as you have more employees and team members stepping into niche positions. This inventory is valuable and needs to be managed carefully.

Consider investing in some of the best asset tracking software on the market to keep an eye on your most important items. You simply add a barcode or QR code to a piece of equipment and record it within your system. When an employee wants to use a project for a meeting or you want to assign a computer to a new intern, you simply scan the item and check it out of your inventory. You can even create a process to return items where asset managers inspect the condition to make sure nothing is damaged or broken before checking it out again.

Inventory management can help prevent double-booking of resources and help you avoid theft or damage to key items related to your business.

4. Look into branded promotional materials PowerPoint presentations.

Every sale you make is an opportunity to stand above your competitors. It is the chance to ensure job security for your team members and to keep your business profitable. This means you want to put your best foot forward in everything you do.

Consider investing in professional PowerPoint templates that reflect your company name and logo colors. The standard options used by Microsoft and Google Slides are generic and limited. You might not find a layout that allows you to match your brand goals with the visual options. Plus, the customers you are pitching to have likely seen these layouts before and won’t be impressed by standard presentation formats.

By contacting a company to provide Google Slides templates, you will receive unique and engaging materials that hold the interest of leads.

You can also pair your professional presentation templates with other key branded materials, like unique business cards or industry-specific giveaways.

5. Train your team on basic first-aid practices.

Safety should be the top priority for your business. If you create harmful work environments for your employees, you could cause serious injuries to the people you hire and open the door for potential lawsuits. Even in a seemingly low-risk job site like an office, there are instances when you need to protect your team.

Consider offering basic CPR and first aid courses to employees who want to improve their safety skills. You can get CPR and first aid certification online or bring in an instructor to train your staff. You can either cover the costs of these courses fully or offer group discounts for employees who sign up together.

Make sure the course you choose offers complete CPR certification and first aid certification that align with the standards set by the American Red Cross, including the use of AED technology. The courses that your employees take could help them protect a fellow coworker or a loved one in their homes.

6. Set key goals for growth.

When a business first starts out, it has one basic goal: survive. However, you can now start moving forward with key goals for growth so you can keep your business profitable.

Each business has its own unique goals and metrics for success. You will likely have multiple KPIs within your company, with each team measuring success in different ways. A few common examples of company goals include:

• Increasing the number of customers you serve each year by a certain percent.
• Growing the number of site visitors to your website or social media followers.
• Paying back investors or business loans within a set period of time.
• Taking on a larger part of the industry market share compared to your competitors.

Each of these reflects success in different ways. Your marketing team can know that it did a good job when their efforts drive people to your website, while your finance team will be happy to report that your business is no longer in debt.

You will never stop setting goals for growth within your business. There are always more opportunities to grow within your industry and serve your customers better. This is what will keep your business relevant and popular within your industry.

Each of these key features can help your business in some way. The PowerPoint templates can help you close your sales while adding barcodes to your equipment can prevent theft and improve asset management. To choose the best tools for the job, identify your company’s key pain points, and find the solutions you need. This can help you propel into growth.