{"id":35047,"date":"2020-11-25T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-11-25T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/not-now-im-busy-three-smart-strategies-to-reduce-distractions\/"},"modified":"2025-03-13T06:22:22","modified_gmt":"2025-03-13T13:22:22","slug":"pitfalls-to-avoid-when-growing-a-startup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/us\/en\/blog\/pitfalls-to-avoid-when-growing-a-startup\/","title":{"rendered":"5 pitfalls to watch out for as your startup grows"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No matter how great <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">you<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> know your tech startup could be, there\u2019s always a little fear. Are you doing everything right? Are you missing anything? Are there some major pitfalls you\u2019re falling victim to?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That\u2019s because, despite your great idea, your funding, and your mission, you\u2019re probably dealing with some blind spots. These are the kinds of things you just can\u2019t see, despite your best intentions, that are holding you and your startup back all the same. (After all, if you could see them, you wouldn\u2019t allow them to hold you back.)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don\u2019t worry, though. Today, we\u2019re going to walk you through five common pitfalls we see among tech startups\u2014and how to overcome them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you take an honest look at this list, we know you\u2019ll glean some fresh ideas that will help you empower your team and overcome these obstacles to success.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a communications company that partners with all kinds of businesses everyday, we\u2019ve seen firsthand the importance of a strong vision when it comes to building a business. Today, we\u2019re building on that idea to share these top pitfalls\u2014so you can easily avoid them in the early stages of growing your startup.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here\u2019s a sneak peek of what we\u2019ll cover:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not having a digital strategy<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ignoring company culture until your team is bigger<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Missing opportunities for remote work<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not trusting your team<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Choosing tools that don\u2019t scale<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Avoiding these five things won\u2019t guarantee your success\u2014but it will keep you from making some simple mistakes that could have a major impact.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>What are the 4 key components of a successful startup?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">\n<div class=\"download-form-widget standart-download-form\" data-url=\"http:\/\/netstorage.ringcentral.com\/ebook\/smb_startup.pdf\" data-id=\"69f4f109f2b15\" id=\"69f4f109f2b15\">\n\t\t<button tabindex=\"on\"  on=\"tap:69f4f109f2b15.toggleClass(class='open')\" class=\"open-modal-download-action download-form-button\" type=\"submit\">\ud83c\udf1f Find out here<\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"download-form-modal\">\n<div class=\"download-form-modal-body\">\n<div class=\"download-form-modal-content\">\n<div class=\"download-form-modal-title\">Learn to bake success into the DNA of your startup<\/div>\n<form class=\"download-form SMB\" method=\"post\">\n<div class=\"download-form-part\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input class=\"download-form-input\" aria-label=\"Full Name\" aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" type=\"text\" name=\"fullname\" placeholder=\"Full Name\" data-dl-events-hover=\"true\" data-dl-element=\"text\" data-dl-additional-info=\"download form\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"download-form-part\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input class=\"download-form-input\" aria-label=\"Email (please enter a work email address)\" aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" type=\"email\" autocomplete=\"on\" name=\"email\" placeholder=\"Email (please enter a work email address)\" data-dl-events-hover=\"true\" data-dl-element=\"email\" data-dl-additional-info=\"download form\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"popup_form\" value=\"1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"Asset_ID__c\" value=\"ODAM-01423\" class=\"download-form-input\"><\/div>\n<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"Lead_Entry_Source__c\" value=\"RC Blog\" class=\"download-form-input\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"download-form-part\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"download-form-submit\" type=\"submit\" data-dl-element=\"button\" data-no-auto-dl=\"true\" data-dl-additional-info=\"download form\" data-dl-name=\"Get it now\">Get it now<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<button on=\"tap:69f4f109f2b15.toggleClass(class='open')\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\"  class=\"download-form-modal-close\"><\/button>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"download-form-modal-thank\">Happy launching!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1. Not having a digital strategy<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You&#8217;d think that every startup already has a digital strategy baked in nowadays, but you&#8217;d be surprised.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Having a digital strategy doesn&#8217;t just mean &#8220;Oh, we&#8217;ll be on X Y Z social media platform&#8221; or &#8220;We&#8217;ll <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/best-crm-for-small-business\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">use a CRM<\/a>.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It&#8217;s a little more involved than that.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your digital strategy helps you outline everything you do, keeps everyone on the same page, and gets team members excited about the projects they\u2019re working on.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That\u2019s why it\u2019s important not only to have a general idea of your digital strategy but to actually sit down, take notes, and create a polished version you can share.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To help get your ideas moving, think about:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How is your team expected to communicate with each other? Do they prefer phone calls? Video conferencing?\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How do your customers or clients want to communicate with you? Are you in a client-based business that expects you to be on-call and responsive all the time?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/user-persona\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Who exactly is your customer<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and how do you help them through different channels, whether it&#8217;s social media or live chat or phone (or all three)?\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What&#8217;s your approach to using software? Will you try to have whatever is newest on the market, or will you be strategic about streamlining your tech stack? Caution: shameless plug incoming\u2014we designed a product that&#8217;s meant to help businesses reduce the number of tools they have to pay for and manage. That&#8217;s why RingCentral&#8217;s desktop and mobile app comes with team messaging, video conferencing, and a phone system, all in one app:<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"rc_custom_video\"><a class=\"rc_custom_video__link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtu.be\/9xaL89hYeFs\">\n\t\t            <picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi_webp\/9xaL89hYeFs\/maxresdefault.webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"rc_custom_video__media\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/9xaL89hYeFs\/maxresdefault.jpg\" alt=\"\">\n\t\t            <\/picture>\n\t\t        <\/a><br \/>\n\t\t        <button class=\"rc_custom_video__button\" aria-label=\"Play video\"><svg width=\"68\" height=\"48\" viewBox=\"0 0 68 48\"><path class=\"rc_custom_video__button-shape\" d=\"M66.52,7.74c-0.78-2.93-2.49-5.41-5.42-6.19C55.79,.13,34,0,34,0S12.21,.13,6.9,1.55 C3.97,2.33,2.27,4.81,1.48,7.74C0.06,13.05,0,24,0,24s0.06,10.95,1.48,16.26c0.78,2.93,2.49,5.41,5.42,6.19 C12.21,47.87,34,48,34,48s21.79-0.13,27.1-1.55c2.93-0.78,4.64-3.26,5.42-6.19C67.94,34.95,68,24,68,24S67.94,13.05,66.52,7.74z\"><\/path><path class=\"rc_custom_video__button-icon\" d=\"M 45,24 27,14 27,34\"><\/path><\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t        <\/button>\n\t\t    <\/div>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How many employees will you have in one year? Five years?\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Where do your team members work? Do you plan to have a fully distributed team? How will this impact your tools and how you market\/sell?\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sure, your digital strategy may change over time, but getting clear on it at the beginning will give you a head-start in avoiding most of the other pitfalls on this list.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p class=\"p1\">\ud83e\udd1d Is your tech startup&#8217;s team collaborating as effectively as it could be? What should you look out for before you start scaling in earnest?<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">\n<div class=\"download-form-widget standart-download-form\" data-url=\"https:\/\/netstorage.ringcentral.com\/documents\/checklist_for_startups.pdf\" data-id=\"69f4f109f2c50\" id=\"69f4f109f2c50\">\n\t\t<button tabindex=\"on\"  on=\"tap:69f4f109f2c50.toggleClass(class='open')\" class=\"open-modal-download-action download-form-button\" type=\"submit\">\ud83c\udf1f Download the checklist to find out<\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"download-form-modal\">\n<div class=\"download-form-modal-body\">\n<div class=\"download-form-modal-content\">\n<div class=\"download-form-modal-title\">\ud83d\udc40 Get this free checklist to evaluate if your startup's current approach is working for you. <\/div>\n<form class=\"download-form SMB\" method=\"post\">\n<div class=\"download-form-part\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input class=\"download-form-input\" aria-label=\"Full Name\" aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" type=\"text\" name=\"fullname\" placeholder=\"Full Name\" data-dl-events-hover=\"true\" data-dl-element=\"text\" data-dl-additional-info=\"download form\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"download-form-part\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input class=\"download-form-input\" aria-label=\"Email (please enter a work email address)\" aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" type=\"email\" autocomplete=\"on\" name=\"email\" placeholder=\"Email (please enter a work email address)\" data-dl-events-hover=\"true\" data-dl-element=\"email\" data-dl-additional-info=\"download form\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"popup_form\" value=\"1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"Asset_ID__c\" value=\"ODAM-01420\" class=\"download-form-input\"><\/div>\n<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"Lead_Entry_Source__c\" value=\"RC Blog\" class=\"download-form-input\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"download-form-part\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"download-form-submit\" type=\"submit\" data-dl-element=\"button\" data-no-auto-dl=\"true\" data-dl-additional-info=\"download form\" data-dl-name=\"Get it now\">Get it now<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<button on=\"tap:69f4f109f2c50.toggleClass(class='open')\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\"  class=\"download-form-modal-close\"><\/button>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"download-form-modal-thank\">Enjoy! <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2. Ignoring company culture until your team is bigger<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here\u2019s the reality: if you put off defining your <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">company culture<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> until your team is bigger, it&#8217;ll be much harder to build a resilient startup that can withstand the (many) changes on the horizon as you grow.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By the time it&#8217;s too late, your company culture will be mostly a reflection of your personal work style as founder or CEO (if you make a habit of working late, your employees will think that\u2019s the norm) combined with whatever habits employees have been able to get away with.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The time to define your company culture is when your business is small, so you can build a strong foundation that gets reinforced over time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If it feels restrictive to define your company culture, remember that by setting clear boundaries and expectations, you\u2019re actually creating peace of mind for your team.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And while it might seem silly when there\u2019s just a few of you, embedding collaboration and communication into your daily processes from the beginning is key to ensuring your success in the long term.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Startups that have a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/collaborative-culture\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">culture of collaboration<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can count on:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employees feeling free to share big, bold, out-there new ideas\u2014the kind of ideas that push the envelope and help your company innovate and grow.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A freedom to critique and offer differing perspectives, helping your executive team find and address their own blind spots.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Teamwork that combines the best of everyone\u2019s skill sets to create the greatest possible outcome.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And those are all things startups really need.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In fact, this step is so crucial for tech startups that we made you a collaboration and communication checklist to simplify the process of building these pillars into your culture. Click here to download it now.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes, building your company culture is about writing down a clear (and, ideally, catchy) outline of what your ideal work environment is like. But be sure to put your money where your mouth is, too.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re going to prioritize communication, for instance, be sure to invest in great chat and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/best-video-conferencing-for-small-businesses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">video conferencing tools<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, schedule regular <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/how-to-gather-and-implement-feedback\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">opportunities for feedback,<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and create spaces where employees can feel connected to each other and the team as a whole.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3. Missing opportunities for remote work<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Those opportunities for connection are especially important if your team works remotely\u2014and, if you\u2019re like most modern companies, that\u2019s going to be your reality at least some of the time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Especially in 2020, remote work has become so normalized that it\u2019s more or less expected among job applicants. (Especially at hip new startups like yours.)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In fact, with so many startups having distributed teams, it wouldn&#8217;t be surprising if many <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>don&#8217;t <\/em>return to\u00a0office life after the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And it makes sense\u2014as you\u2019re growing a small, agile team, flexibility in location can lower your <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/operating-expenses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">operating expenses<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/how-to-increase-productivity\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">increase productivity<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/employee-retention-strategies\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">improve employee retention<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Remote work also gives you the opportunity to recruit the very best talent, regardless of location\u2014a great perk since every hire is a huge investment in the early days of a startup.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As you grow, go a step beyond simply offering remote work, and really optimize for it to work for your business. Offer diverse communication options for your team (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/video-call.html\">video calls<\/a> can build rapport just like in-person socializing) and encourage a healthy work-life balance even as team members sign on from home.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As you create the systems that support a remote work environment, you need to be a bit more intentional about <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">fostering a connected culture<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Depending on the position, it might not come as naturally to team members to stay in that collaborative flow state.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Be sure to build in lots of opportunities for connection, encouraging informal conversations, and, if possible, in-person team building a few times per year.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4. Not trusting your team<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don\u2019t take this the wrong way, but founders can be a little controlling\u2014it makes sense, since you\u2019ve invested a lot in your startup. But you can\u2019t do it all on your own forever.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unless you\u2019re willing to give up control and trust the people you hire, there\u2019s no way for your business to grow. You\u2019ll eventually hit the limit of what you can personally do\u2014and you\u2019ll be exhausted and overworked when you get there.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s hard to do, but it\u2019s crucial to hire people you trust and then give them the freedom to do their jobs. Of course, that\u2019s easier said than done, so it\u2019s important to create a structure that gives you peace of mind in delegation:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1. Give time and energy to the interview process<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It can be really hard to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/7-questions-to-ask-when-hiring-remote-employees\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">prioritize hiring<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> when you have a million more pressing tasks on your to-do list. But neglecting the interview process will only lead to expensive hiring mistakes and ultimately, more tasks on your list as you train your new hire or find a better fit.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2. Share your vision<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s easy to assume you\u2019ve shared enough information about what has to get done, but try to dig a bit deeper. Unless your new hire understands the bigger vision of what you\u2019re building, they won\u2019t truly be empowered to work independently\u2014or know how to deliver great results.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3. Create a framework for checking in<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hopefully, you have the type of culture where team members feel comfortable checking in with questions or roadblocks that come up. But creating a formal schedule for checking in with them\u2014even if it\u2019s just a reminder on your calendar\u2014can ease your worries and keep you abreast of new developments.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5. Choosing tools that don\u2019t scale<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We get it\u2014you want to get the functionality you need without adding a bunch of unnecessary expenses that bog you down as you\u2019re trying to grow.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But by choosing the cheapest technology tools now, you might be compromising on your growth later and creating headaches for yourself and your team.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As your startup grows, you need to stay focused on the larger vision of success\u2014not get hung up on little issues like mistakenly choosing disparate tools that don\u2019t integrate with each other or keep everyone on the same page.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sure, in the beginning, you might only need one phone number. But someday (hopefully) you\u2019re going to need all sorts of communication tools\u2014business phone lines, messaging apps, email automation. Think long-term with your <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/saas-tools-for-startups\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">startup tech solutions<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to avoid wasting time shopping around later.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We recommend getting versatile, all-in-one software like <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RingCentral<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from the beginning, with functionality that grows with you.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Right now, you can have a professional <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/business-phone-numbers.html\">business phone number<\/a> for each team member, even if you\u2019re answering it on your cell phone. As <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/scaling-a-startup\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">your business scales<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, though, you\u2019ll be able to add video meetings, team messaging, and even customer support features without any hiccups or headaches.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Avoiding early stage pitfalls to grow your startup<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These are a few common pitfalls we\u2019ve seen startups fall victim to, and now that you\u2019re aware of them, you can avoid your company doing the same.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plus, by addressing these issues early on, you\u2019ll build a resilient startup that can withstand other challenges as they come up.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And don\u2019t forget\u2014if you\u2019re ready to build a foundation for your startup to grow on, we\u2019ve got the communication and collaboration checklist you need. Click here to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/netstorage.ringcentral.com\/documents\/checklist_for_startups.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">download<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> it now.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>No matter how great you know your tech startup could be, there\u2019s always a little fear. Are you doing everything right? Are you missing anything? Are there some major pitfalls you\u2019re falling victim to? That\u2019s because, despite your great idea, your funding, and your mission, you\u2019re probably dealing with some blind spots. These are the &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":44856,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17901,18669,18722],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35047","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-leadership","category-verticals","category-startups"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v19.3 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>5 pitfalls to watch out for as your startup grows | RingCentral Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"No matter how great you know your tech startup could be, there\u2019s always a little fear. Are you doing everything right? Are you missing anything? 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