双语:缺资金缺资源时业务拓展的3法则

 　　双语：缺资金缺资源时业务拓展的3法则

　　把一个创意变成一家初创公司，再将这家公司变成一家欣欣向荣的企业，并不是一个线性的过程，其中既有坎坷与波折，也有挑战和风险。

　　Turning an idea into a startup and a startup into a thriving business aren’t linear processes. There are twists and turns, challenges and risks. But no matter the journey a business takes, it starts with an idea. For Insightly, that bit of inspiration came when I was working at another business that I started and went looking for a customer relationship-management solution that addressed the needs of my small business. Unfortunately, there wasn’t anything on the market specifically made to meet those needs. Not long after, I sold my portion of the business to my partner and set out with the idea to develop a CRM purpose-built for small companies.

　　把一个创意变成一家初创公司，再将这家公司变成一家欣欣向荣的企业，并不是一个线性的过程，其中既有坎坷与波折，也有挑战和风险。但不管一家公司的创业之路是否平坦，它总是从一个创意开始的。以我创立的这家名叫Insightly的公司为例。在创办这家公司之前，我正在经营另一家公司，当时我正在寻找一套客户关系管理解决方案，以解决这家小公司的需求。但市面上当时并没有能够满足这种需求的CRM产品。没过多久，我把公司股份卖给了我的合伙人，基于这个创意开发了一套专门针对小企业的CRM产品。

　　I bootstrapped the business for nine months from my basement with only personal savings¹ to support me and my family. My computer science background gave me the technical ability I needed to create the product, and I used my own experience as a small business owner in the development of Insightly. At every turn, I asked myself, “What would I want this product to do?” The answers guided every part of the project.

　　我开始在我家的地下室一个人鼓捣这款产品。在长达9个月的开发期内，我自己和家人的一切开销都要靠我的个人存款来支撑。计算机专业背景给了我开发产品所需的技术能力。在此期间，我也充分利用了我以前作为一家小企业老板的经验。我经常问自己：“如果我是用户的话，我会希望这个产品能做些什么？”在项目的每一个环节，这些问题的答案都为我提供了指引。

　　Integrating with Google Apps and launching the app on the Google Apps Marketplace proved to be a great way for us to gain visibility with small business customers – our target market. We were also lucky to launch during a time when there were only a few hundred apps on the marketplace. It also allowed us to get a lot of constructive² feedback from customers, reporting bugs³ and making suggestions for additional features and functionality.

　　事实证明，与Google Apps整合，并且在谷歌应用市场发布Insightly应用，是一种在我们的目标市场——也就是小企业客户群——打出知名度的好方式。幸运的是，我们发布这款应用时，谷歌应用市场总共才有几百个应用。我们还借助这一途径从客户那里获得了很多建设性的反馈意见。用户报告了一些Bug，并且给出了一些关于附加功能的有益建议。

　　After its launch on the Google Apps Marketplace, the next challenge was to scale. When Insightly first went live, I set up an email notification, so I’d receive an alert every time a new customer signed up. Forty-eight hours later, my wife made me disable the feature because my phone pinged every five minutes. Within three months, Insightly had attracted more than 20,000 users and today, almost five years since its initial launch, we have more than 1 million users. As our user base grew, we needed to do the same. The great struggle for startups trying to scale is doing so without a lot of money and resources.

　　在谷歌应用市场上架之后，下一个挑战就是如何将业务做大。Insightly刚上架的时候，我设置了电子邮件提醒功能，每次有新用户注册Insightly的时候，我都能收到电子邮件提醒。不到48个小时，我妻子就要求我关掉提醒，因为我的手机每五分钟就会响一次。不到三个月，Insightly已经吸引了超过2万名用户。在Insightly上架五年后的今天，我们已经拥有超过100万用户。在用户群增长的同时，公司自身也需要增长。而创业公司在增长过程中面临的最大难题之一，就是缺乏资金和资源。

　　Scaling up meant doing the following three things:

　　创业公司要想把业务做大，就要做到以下三件事：

　　Do what you do best, let others do the rest

　　1、做自己最擅长的事，把剩下的事交给其他人去做。

　　Scaling isn’t only about onboarding new customers. Satisfying customers means constantly adding new features and options. As a startup, even on the heels of early success, we didn’t have a massive development team or roster⁴ of experienced IT professionals capable of building, testing, and launching new features. We kept the focus on improving our core CRM and project management capabilities⁵. To make Insightly more robust⁶, we pursued meaningful integrations with existing applications that gave our customers more tools to run their companies.

　　要想把企业做大，需要的不仅仅是吸引新顾客。要满足用户的需要，就意味着你要不断添加新功能和新选项。作为一家创业公司，虽然我们已经打响了第一炮，但我们仍然缺乏一个大型的研发团队，也缺乏经验丰富的IT人员来构建、测试和发布新功能。为了让Insightly的增长势头更加强劲，我们积极推动与现有应用进行整合，使用户能有更多的工具来运营他们的公司。

　　The lesson is to play to your strengths and make additions to your business that support new features and capabilities without trying to do something you’re not prepared to. Your customers started working with you because your product or service solved a problem. Veering⁷ from that won’t endear you to anyone. Whether it’s through bringing in some talented new employees or through partnerships⁸ or acquisitions, adding new tools and features without deviating⁹ from your initial value propositions makes your offering more attractive.

　　我从这个过程中得到的一条经验是，创业者一定要擅于扬长避短，在添加新功能时，要避免做一些你还没有准备好的事。你的客户之所以选择与你合作，是因为你的产品和服务能解决一个问题。如果你自曝其短，那你就无法获得任何人的青睐。不管你是采用什么手段来添加新工具和新功能，是通过招募人才也好，还是通过合作或收购也罢，你都不要偏离当初为了使你的产品或服务更有吸引力而确立的价值定位。

　　Delegate

　　2、学会授权。

　　Startup executives frequently try to do everything on their own. However, a CEO’s role needs to evolve with his or her company. If you’re spending too much time with marketing¹⁰, you need to delegate that responsibility. The same goes for hiring or any aspect of managing the business. When projects start getting delayed because you’re too busy digging through resumes, that task needs to go to someone else.

　　创业公司的高管往往有一种大包大揽的倾向。但CEO的角色也是需要随着公司的发展而演化的。如果你在营销上面花费了太多时间，就需要将这个职责授权给别人。对于招聘或者其它管理工作也是一样。如果你的项目因为你正在忙着翻简历而延误了，那么你就应该把这项职能授权给其他人。

　　In the earliest stages of a startup, employees need to wear a number of different hats. As you grow, roles need to become more defined. By delegating responsibilities, skilled employees can take on new tasks. This is why it’s important to make smart hiring decisions from the beginning. This was one of the reasons I decided¹¹ to relocate the business from Australia to Silicon¹² Valley. We needed to hire skilled developers and engineers that were just as passionate¹³ about working on the Insightly product as I was. We just weren’t finding that in Australia. Rather than settling for mediocrity, we moved the business and began making strategic hires, such as engineers to work on product enhancements. It was at this point that I felt comfortable enough to begin delegating important tasks and trusting that the team I was building would run with the ball and achieve great outcomes with minimal¹⁴ guidance.

　　在早期阶段，公司员工往往要顶上很多个头衔。随着公司步入正轨，每个人的角色才变得固定起来。通过有效地将部分职能授权给他人，一些有能力的员工也可以承担起新的任务。这就是为什么创业公司从一开始就要做出明智的招聘决策。这也是我把公司从澳大利亚搬到硅谷的原因之一。我们需要招聘熟练的开发人员，以及像我一样对Insightly抱有热情的工程师，而我们在澳大利亚很难找到这种人才。我们不愿意招聘平庸之才，所以就将整个公司搬到美国，开始进行具有战略意义的招聘，比如招聘一些专门负责产品改进的工程师。这时我才稍微放松下来，能够放心地将重要的任务授权给其他人，并且相信我一手缔造起来的团队能够推动公司顺利发展，只需要我提供最低程度的指导，他们就能够创造卓越的成果。

　　Finding and hiring candidates who share your passion and vision will ensure that your customers receive the same amount of attention and care from your employees as they would if they were dealing¹⁵ directly with you. One of the great advantages small businesses have is their ability to provide customers with more personal service. You cannot forget this as you start to grow. It’s one of the reasons people chose your business in the first place.

　　如果你招聘的员工具有和你一样的热情和目标，那么你的客户在与他们打交道的时候，将获得与你直接打交道时一样多的关注和关心。小企业的优势之一就是能够为客户提供更多的个性化服务。一定不要忘了这一点，这也是人们一开始选择你的公司的原因之一。

　　Find the right people and take some risks

　　3、寻找正确的人，承担一些风险

　　Failure isn’t a word entrepreneurs like to hear. We want to succeed – personally and as a company – in everything we do. Inevitably¹⁶, there will be initiatives or strategies that don’t work. However, if you think your business needs something or can move into an additional market, make the necessary plans and take a chance. And, don’t be afraid to go it alone. If you can’t find the right people to get started with, do it yourself. If you think your idea can work, go for it. Sometimes it won’t work out, but you’ll learn from it. It was just me when I started Insightly, and the company has grown into a full team of talented professionals committed to our customers’ successes as much as our own. From all of this, I’ve learned to trust myself when I believe in something. The short-term challenge is worth the long-term benefit.

　　失败当然不是企业家爱听的一个词。无论是作为个人还是作为企业，我们肯定都希望每件事都能成功。但总有一些战略会失败，总有一些创业公司会折戟商海，这是难以避免的。如果你觉得你的公司需要一些东西，或者需要进军另一个市场，不妨制定必要的计划，并且大胆尝试。不要担心自己会孤军奋战，如果你找不到合适的人跟你一起打拼，不妨先自己去做。如果你认为你的创意能成功，就大胆去干。有时虽然创业失败了，但你也能从中学到宝贵的经验和教训。当我刚开始创办Insightly的时候，一切都靠我自己。而现在公司已经有一支才华横溢的精英团队，他们把客户的成功看得像自己的成功一样重要。在这个过程中，我学到了一个重要的经验，那就是当我看准了什么事情时，一定要相信自己的眼光。为了获得长期的利益，经历短期的挑战是值得的。

　　Scaling a company isn’t an exact science. Every company will take a different path to success. However, no organization grows and succeeds without taking some chances. Just starting your company probably seemed like a significant risk at one time. If you’ve had enough success to consider scaling up, why not take another?

　　如何将一家公司做大并不是一门严谨的科学。每家公司的成功之路都各有不同。但是没有一家公司是不用承担风险就能增长和成功的。有时候，单单是成立一家自己的公司，似乎也是一个重大的风险。如果你已经成功到了一定程度，正在考虑如何做大，那么为什么不再承担一次风险呢？

1 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

2 constructive   

adj.建设的，建设性的

参考例句：

• We welcome constructive criticism.我们乐意接受有建设性的批评。
• He is beginning to deal with his anger in a constructive way.他开始用建设性的方法处理自己的怒气。

3 bugs   

adj.疯狂的，发疯的n.窃听器( bug的名词复数 )；病菌；虫子；[计算机]（制作软件程序所产生的意料不到的）错误

参考例句：

• All programs have bugs and need endless refinement. 所有的程序都有漏洞，都需要不断改进。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The sacks of rice were swarming with bugs. 一袋袋的米里长满了虫子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 roster   

n.值勤表，花名册

参考例句：

• The teacher checked the roster to see whom he would teach this year.老师查看花名册，想了解今年要教的学生。
• The next day he put himself first on the new roster for domestic chores.第二天，他把自己排在了新的家务值日表的第一位。

5 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

6 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

7 veering   

n.改变的；犹豫的；顺时针方向转向；特指使船尾转向上风来改变航向v.（尤指交通工具）改变方向或路线( veer的现在分词 )；（指谈话内容、人的行为或观点）突然改变；（指风） （在北半球按顺时针方向、在南半球按逆时针方向）逐渐转向；风向顺时针转

参考例句：

• Anyone veering too close to the convoys risks being shot. 任何人改变方向，过于接近车队就有遭枪击的风险。 来自互联网
• The little boat kept veering from its course in such a turbulent river. 小船在这湍急的河中总是改变方向。 来自互联网

8 partnerships   

n.伙伴关系( partnership的名词复数 )；合伙人身份；合作关系

参考例句：

• Partnerships suffer another major disadvantage: decision-making is shared. 合伙企业的另一主要缺点是决定要由大家来作。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• It involved selling off limited partnerships. 它涉及到售出有限的合伙权。 来自辞典例句

9 deviating   

v.偏离，越轨( deviate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• I compromise by using a prepared text and deviating from it whenever I feel the need. 我搞折衷办法，准备一份讲稿，觉得需要的时候就自由发挥。 来自辞典例句
• Theories deviating practices are inane, while practices deviating theories are blindfold. 脱离实践的理论是空泛的，脱离理论指导的实践是盲目的。 来自互联网

10 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

11 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

12 silicon   

n.硅(旧名矽)

参考例句：

• This company pioneered the use of silicon chip.这家公司开创了使用硅片的方法。
• A chip is a piece of silicon about the size of a postage stamp.芯片就是一枚邮票大小的硅片。

13 passionate   

adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的

参考例句：

• He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。
• He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。

14 minimal   

adj.尽可能少的，最小的

参考例句：

• They referred to this kind of art as minimal art.他们把这种艺术叫微型艺术。
• I stayed with friends, so my expenses were minimal.我住在朋友家，所以我的花费很小。

15 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

16 inevitably   

adv.不可避免地；必然发生地

参考例句：

• In the way you go on,you are inevitably coming apart.照你们这样下去，毫无疑问是会散伙的。
• Technological changes will inevitably lead to unemployment.技术变革必然会导致失业。