In this episode of the Lead with Levity podcast, host Dr. Heather Walker speaks with Margo Crawford, the CEO of Business Sherpa Group, a management consulting firm that helps small and mid-size enterprises close operational and strategic gaps that limit growth. They discuss outsourcing and how to maintain company culture when considering an outsource model. Margo shares her insights on outsourcing, and how it can be a great solution for businesses looking to expand, while also providing tips on how to ensure a smooth transition and maintain company culture.
Here are three takeaways from our conversation:
- Embrace a human-centric approach: Companies that prioritize their employees’ well-being and allow for a work-life balance tend to have a more positive culture. Margo shares some examples of companies that go beyond the traditional workday and allow employees to bring their whole selves to work.
- Reinforce what you want to see: It’s not enough to just talk about company values and culture. Leaders need to model those behaviors and actions consistently. Tone from the top is crucial in creating a strong company culture.
- Leverage technology: Business Sherpa Group has developed a focus on how to best leverage technology to support companies and get their functions working efficiently. By embracing technology, companies can streamline processes and free up time for employees to focus on more meaningful work.
Overall, this episode provides valuable insights into how businesses can navigate the transition to an external partnership while maintaining their company culture. Be sure to check out the full episode on our website and follow Business Sherpa Group on LinkedIn for more thought leadership content.
About Margo Crawford
Margo Crawford is a Canadian thought leader on small and mid-sized enterprises (SME), including SME leadership, succession and strategy. She values knowledge sharing and often speaks both as a keynote speaker and panellist for national events.
In her previous role as President and CEO of the Business Sherpa Group (BSG), she grew BSG to support over 500 small and midsized businesses throughout Canada and internationally by building a team of strategic and operational professionals who provide flexible consulting services in Human Resources, Cloud Based Accounting, Managed Recruitment, and Executive Solutions.
Prior to BSG, Margo was co-founder of Meriton Networks, an optical telecom start-up, and was instrumental in building a company with locations around the world, raising over $75M in equity financing and expansion strategies through M&A. Currently, she sits on the Boards of Digital Opportunity Trust, the Ottawa Network for Education and the Canadian Museum of Nature Foundation. She is a member of the ICD Executive Committee – Ottawa Chapter, the Venture Development Committee of Invest Ottawa and the Ottawa Board of Trade SME Council. She mentors several business peer groups and individual CEOs’ who are scaling and transitioning their businesses.
Margo was named Business Woman of the Year, Women’s Business Network and HR Professional of the Year by the HR Vision Awards.
