4 min read · Written by Grant Rayner on 28 Jun 2023
Share by emailAs you design your business as an independent security professional, it’s easy to build in complexity. Even more so during the early stages of building your business, when you’re exploring different ideas. You may be tempted to build a complex array of products and services, thinking that’s the only way to be competitive. You might also be tempted to add complexity to your internal processes, perhaps in an attempt to make your business appear more ‘professional’.
In terms of structure, as an independent security professional, your business structure is already as simple as it gets. You would have to set out with deliberate intent to make it more complex. If you do fall into the trap of building a complex business, you’re setting yourself up for problems down the line.
In this article, I’ll explore some of the benefits of maintaining a simple business. I’ll then look at some of the problems you might face if you allow your business to get more complicated. Finally, I’ll share a few techniques you can apply as you design your business to keep things simple.
It probably goes without saying that a simple business is better than a complex business. Let’s dig deeper into exactly why that’s the case.
A simple business is an efficient business. This efficiency will reduce the risk of errors, decrease wasted time, and increase productivity. By streamlining and automating different aspects of your business, you’ll be able to free up time to focus on core business activities. Hopefully, this will also allow you to achieve better work-life balance.
A simple business model means fewer things can go wrong. At a practical level, it will be easier to manage projects and troubleshoot issues. You’re also be more agile, as making changes to your business model or strategy can be done more quickly and with less impact on other operations.
Clients prefer to deal with businesses that they can understand. A clear value proposition and straightforward pricing can help build trust and make the decision process easier for your clients. Don’t make it hard for them to work with you.
A simple business model is easier to scale. As your client base grows, managing your business will become more complex. However, starting with a simple model gives you a solid foundation to build on.
In contrast, let’s look at some of the impacts of complexity.
Complicated business models can create obstacles that may hinder growth and success.
As an independent security professional running your own business, adding too many products and services is the quickest way to add complexity. While diversifying your business may be beneficial in terms of building resilience, it can limit your ability to focus. As I will touch on later, it can also be exhausting.
Let’s explore some of the downsides of having a complex business.
Complex business models often involve more processes, resources, and ultimately, costs. Keeping operations lean and efficient is much harder when your business model is complicated, leading to higher overheads and decreased profitability.
In larger businesses, increased complexity often leads to more layers of decision-making. This can slow down processes, delay responses to market changes, and reduce overall business agility. As an independent security professional, while you won’t have to worry about multiple layers of decision making, you’ll still be making decisions. Complexity may make it difficult for you to understand the impact of these decisions. This may cause you to become more risk-averse because you are unable to properly assess the impact of decisions on different aspects of your business. A simple business model enables quicker decisions and faster response to new opportunities or challenges.
Communicating your value proposition becomes increasingly difficult as your business grows in complexity. This can result in confusion, mistakes, and misunderstandings, leading to dissatisfied clients and lost work. Simplifying your business model makes it easier for everyone to understand and follow, improving client satisfaction and your own efficiency.
As the complexity of your business builds, it will become more and more dysfunctional. This dysfunction will become noticeable to your clients during projects. At some point, there’s a risk that your business will collapse under its own weight.
So, what can you do in your own business to avoid complexity?
Here’s a few techniques you can apply as you design your business to keep things simple.
I’ve written about value propositions earlier.
Defining the unique value that you bring to your clients is crucial. Regardless of your niche, it should be clear and concise so that prospective clients can instantly understand what you offer.
Compare these statements:
Make it easy for your clients to buy from you by explaining how you can help them in plain language.
As you build your business, make sure to focus on streamlining your operations. The foundation of your operations should be efficient and repeatable processes.
Streamlining your operations not only ensures that you work in a time-effective way, but it also ensures consistency. Consistency is important when you work with the same clients on multiple projects.
Your pricing model should be clear and easy for clients to understand. Whether you charge per project, per hour, or use a retainer model, your pricing should reflect the value you provide without any hidden complexities.
I’ll be covering pricing in more detail in future articles.
There are significant benefits to designing a business that is simple and uncomplicated. As you step through each stage of designing your business, do so with simplicity in mind.
If you wake up in the morning and don’t know what to focus on, it may be a sign that your business has become too complicated. While it’s normal to have a few things on the go at once, a complex business can quickly lead to dysfunction.
From personal experience, I can say that running a complex business can lead to burnout. You may be able to manage for a while, but eventually, you’ll be overwhelmed.
At a practical level, you don’t want to spend all your time managing your business. Instead, focus your time and attention on delivering value to clients and developing yourself professionally.
Everything else is a distraction.