5 Ways Companies Can Maintain the Entrepreneurial Spirit

Companies and employees can have the entrepreneurial spirit without working for or being a startup because it's not defined by time and company size. It goes beyond that. It's a sense of urgency and excitement, and this entrepreneurial spirit, more times than not, is what allows companies to grow so fast, and what will enable them to continue growing.

Here are five things companies with the entrepreneurial spirit do:

Hire for personality. Don't hire someone for their book of business, but hire employees that will help grow the company's existing clientele. One way to accomplish that is hiring the right personality...someone who will dive and maintain those relationships built around the culture set in place. And don't ask them to change. Let them be the same person they are outside of work.

Instill urgency. Encourage employees to move with speed...literally running. When a client calls, are employees running back to their desks, or running to grab someone from a meeting if they're needed? Is there a sense of urgency to close business? It may seem minor, but when an employee is literally dragging their feet and moving slowly to grab something off the printer, it shows it's not important enough to rush back and complete. When someone's excited, they move fast, they want to run and not walk to finish a task.

Get excited. Celebrate every sale, every meeting, every accomplishment, because it's all important. Remember that nothing is too small for anyone at any level to get excited about. Nothing is a "just"...just a coffee, just a single sale. Eliminate it from your vocabulary.

Remove the bad people. Some of the strongest companies have teams that hold each other accountable. Remove lazy people that aren't hungry to learn, grow, and develop on their own.  Don't tolerate poor performance...from anyone. If someone is slacking, tell them. Be honest and direct. Don't make exceptions.

Stay involved. It's something that comes from the CEO and top-level management. It's about the founder or executive team not removing themselves from the business and still being involved, on the floor with the bottom line. It's about the executive team being involved in the day-to-day grind, whether that means showing up on a Saturday when staff puts in more work to fill an order, or helping make sales calls.