Growth is a prerequisite for business success. To grow successfully, businesses need to build upon their success.  Likeable Media, a social media and word-of-mouth marketing agency, grew from $100,000 in revenue to more than $5 million in their first five years. How did they grow so quickly?

Dave Kerpen, co-founder and CEO, believes  his organizations success can be explained more by the company culture than strategies.” He recently shared five of those aspects in Inc.

Empower Your Employees

Kerpen says he developed “forums” with his team to allow them – at any level- to contribute to company-wide decisions. Every employee is on a forum that meets weekly on company time. Each forum has a focus such as philanthropy, marketing, office culture, health and wellness, or social events. He also gave all employees 12 percent of the company in option plans so everyone has a stake in its success. Kerpen gives his team a measure of control.

Open Communication

Kerpen holds “weekly all-staff huddles.” They give him and his management teams an opportunity to let their employees know about new activities and initiatives, discuss firm development and improvement, and recognize employees. You need to sit down with your team regularly and discuss what is going well and what isn’t. It’s important to analyze your losses and take note of your victories. Employees need to feel safe and trusted, to understand they can speak freely without fear of repercussion.

Be Transparent

Share your company goals, where it stands financially, and where it’s headed. Likeable even hangs it’s strategic and business plan on the wall in their offices. They can see quarterly priorities, one-year projections, and a three-to-five year plan. This makes your team understand how the company makes and spends money, and it gives them a sense of their place within the organization.

Have Fun

It can be good for morale to balance social interactions with business activities. A social calendar outside of the office can help your team bond and it creates an upbeat atmosphere in the office.

Your company lives, grows, and changes. Along with this, the culture will shift as more employees are brought on board. Establish and create a culture that makes you proud and you will attract a team that shares those values.

What other tips would you add to create a great company culture? How else do you plan to grow your business in 2013?

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