I've bitten the bullet and decided to scale up. It's been a fun 2.5 years working with my mate, and just having the two of us in the company has allowed us to grow into the right markets. We've had a very decent start to the year, hopefully it'll lead to us doubling our revenue for 18/19 and see us hit a totally arbitrary but very satisfying bank balance, and I've been purposefully retaining profits in the company in order to expand when the time is right. Well, that time is now. At 34 I'm probably never going to have a set of conditions as flexible as I do now in order to grow it.
We've taken a two year lease on some awesome office space just off the Southbank, with loads of great restaurants and pubs in the area. The offices themselves are great, in that we're a corner office of a former warehouse building. Being in the corner means we've floor to ceiling windows on 2 of the 4 walls, and a balcony which looks towards the Shard on one side and the Gherkin across the river on the other. It could comfortably fit 10 staff, and represents a fairly large investment for a firm of our small stature. Hopefully it's the type of space that'll attract staff.
It's going to be a very weird thing getting back into the management mind frame again. Been years since I've done it, and my colleague and I have largely perfected our own techniques in the office. Now we're going to have to put together a proper structure for training and processes (GDPR being one of these - amended our database recently and the privacy policy email goes out tomorrow). I'm acutely aware that someone's fledgling career will be in the palm of my hands, so I'll be taking this as seriously as required. That said, I reckon I can offer new employees a decent environment where they'll get plenty of responsibility as and when they develop in the role, loads of support, a positive and friendly environment and strong total comp too.
Moving in to the new offices early August, to coincide with us transferring to a more modern software package. Am also hoping to sell my flat (after a repaint, new shower room, etc.) and move back to South-West London too. So it's going to be a year of significant change, and the first time I'll have properly commuted since 2012 - and even then it was a 20 mins train journey! Those 7.30am SWT routes into Waterloo don't look like too much fun from where I'm sitting - a 7 min walk from my flat to the office).
.
Saying that I'm Mr. all out balls out, so not exactly risk adverse, but as you say you've had a good run at the moment, so it's well timed. You'll smash it! How's your mate getting on?
you going to go?