Build While You Expand

Let’s start this with a thought experiment.

The year is 200 A.D.

You have just taken control of an army and are about to search for new land.

You intend to go off and fight thousands of miles away from your home base to become the greatest conqueror who has ever lived.

But, you have one big question rattling around in your head. How are you going to structure and build this vast empire?

For starters, you are going to have to maintain your conquered areas.

It would be pointless to fight to take over a piece of land just for it to fall back into the enemy's hands the second you move on to the next piece of land.

You must retain ownership of your conquered lands, even as you move on to the next area.

This will require you to hire the right people, train them to run a municipality, and build processes that ensure success.

It sounds like a tall order, but without it an empire is impossible.

So, what is the point of this?

The same is true in business.

In order to build a business empire you have to conquest new territories, hire the right people to maintain those territories, and go out and conquest some more.

In business, it is not just about expanding, it is about building while you grow.

If you do not build while you expand you will never have an empire.