When you’re ready to expand your project or organization, follow these practices and key fundamentals for effectively growth into new markets and locations. Determine which resources you need to expand in a scalable and sustainable manner.

Project Expansion

1. Ask yourself: Why do I want to "go national?" Is there a real need for my program in that other community? Or is my ego just really into the idea of running a gigantic thing?
2. Is your program simple, unique, relevant, , consistent, and truthful? Your brand should have nailed all elements before you even think about expansion.
3. Do you have enough money in the bank for 1 year to run the original location? Because the minute you start working on expansion, you’re going to take your eyes off that original program…and it will suffer. Make sure you’ve got the money to keep it alive and strong.
4. Do you have the right people in place to manage another location? You're going to have to give up primary control over that program if you want the expansion to succeed.
5. Make sure you have a strong Board of Directors in place. No matter how awesome you are, you can’t do this alone, and cloning still isn’t perfected. You need a group of really engaged people, with clear expectations and responsibilities, attending regular meetings to help you manage this growth.
6. What are the 5 things that are core to your program? If you walked into the satellite office in another state, what must be there for it to be familiar to you? Write them down. Have everyone agree.
7. What are the 5 things that would make you say, “Whaa? That’s not our program!” For example, if the program left out curriculum or if it imposed a fee. It’s kind of like if you saw soccer being played somewhere and they were all using their hands. Your policies should represent what your organization stands for.
8. Where do you want to go? Choose markets that interest you and be able to list why. Consider potential partners and possible funders that are there.
9. If nobody is already doing your program in that new market, why not? Are you sure there is a need for it? Who is going to use your program?
10. Is this new entity/location going to be a franchise (separate legal entity) or “owned & operated” by you? Franchising is faster. Owned & Operated gives you more control—but also more responsibility.
11. Work with counsel. Everything should be papered up—from a tight application process to the legal agreements overseeing the expansion entity.