Resource allocation is an area I believe many startups pay inadequate attention to. It does not matter if you are bootstrapping or have just received a massive cash injection, planning resource allocation is a critical function. A startup without proper allocation of resources, ends up in difficult situations, which may result in layoffs, discontinuing product/services, drop in quality, overburdening of some assets and may even require shutting the business down as a whole. I have personally witnessed repercussions of misallocation of resources, this has made me realize even more, the vital importance of this function. 

During your startup journey, you will need to make several key decisions regarding resource allocation. Some key ones are hiring, purchasing of equipment,  investment in new products/services, upgrading of office premises, expansion, marketing and staff development. Apart from this, there will be a constant flow of new proposals and investment opportunities, these will make the allocation process even more challenging. As a leader, it will be your responsibility to manage the expectations of the business, stakeholders and your team, to reach an allocation mix, aimed at satisfying each one of them. In my experience, aiming for a perfect equilibrium is a great challenge, difficult sacrifices will need to be made and not everyone will be completely satisfied.

I like to keep things as simple as possible, here are a few basic steps I take when thinking about resource allocation:

1. Planning: If you are at an early stage in your business, use the business plan to give you a holistic picture of goals, and a time frame for achieving them. Use that as your guide plan for resource allocation to various segments. If you are already well into your business, take a look at the historic performances of your products/services, evaluate your cash flow positions for the coming year and allocate resources appropriately. It is important to be in a position to see the bigger picture before any resource allocation is done. 

2. Analysis: During the planning stage, there will undoubtedly be several options for resource allocation. It is important that all the opportunities are carefully evaluated. Conduct feasibility studies and market research before making any substantial investment. It is important to look at future requirements the investment will have as well. Overlooking future implications of current investments, can result in massive cash flow problems which can literally bring business to a halt. Where necessary, use a ranking matrix to evaluate your decisions.

3. Consensus: It is important to get feedback and have open discussions during the resource allocation exercise. Wherever possible, use experts in their respective areas to help guide and educate the rest of the team. The last thing you want to do as a leader is to appear to make key decisions such as resource allocation autonomously. As a leader, it is your responsibility to present all available options and give your point of view for the optimal course. 

The objective of this post is to emphasize the importance of proper resource allocation. The steps outlined should help in developing a basic framework to help you during this process. I intend to do a more detailed post regarding various resource allocation strategies soon for specific types of businesses.