Top 3 Barriers to Growth–and how to overcome them

A 6-MONTH PROGRAM FOR BUSINESS OWNERS READY TO GROW

As your business grows, sometimes—BOOM–you hit a speed bump. Or you feel like you’ve gotten stuck in a swamp. It might be that the way you run your business is getting in the way of further growth and profitability.

This can happen at different stages of growth. Three barriers are pretty close to universal.

Barrier #1. You’re a solopreneur, and you want to grow beyond what you can handle working by yourself. But you’re stuck in “The business is moi” trap.

Barrier #2. It’s you and the crew, as you grow and hire more, you must oversee so many people that it runs you ragged. You’re caught in the “Everybody reports to me” trap.

Barrier #3. You’re a successful, strategic CEO of your growing company. It’s time to move on to the next thing—sell, retire, start something else. But you’re so tied to the business, you can’t bear to turn it over to others. “I’m ready for change, but I can’t let go.”

I’ve been working with owners at all three levels for years. Here’s what they have in common: Their management style has worked well to get them where they are. But to get to the next level—and they definitely want to get there—they must change what works. “It works, but break it anyway!” And this is very painful.

Many can’t make the leap. They decide to stay the same, and they come up with very convincing explanations why further growth is not desirable for them. Alas.

There are straightforward ways to tackle these barriers. Once you see them laid out, you say, “Oh yeah, I could do that. I just need some guidance.”

Our Top 3 Barriers Program helps you, step-by-step, work through your barriers and come out on the other side, so that you grow to the size and profitability you want, and run your business with ease, balance, and satisfaction.

STEPS IN THE PROGRAM

1. Assessment. Where are you going? What is your desired growth track?

2. Your growth barriers. What gets in your way, slows you down? Recurring problems, dilemmas, uncertainties. How do these clump together?

3. Find potential solutions. What are your strengths to draw upon?

4.  Apply tools to tackle various parts of the problem, e.g., Vicious Circle to Virtuous Circle, The Problem Solvent

5. Lay out a program to overcome the problems and implement solutions.

6. Work the plan. Implement. Review. Refine. Repeat.

7. Completion. Celebrate. Reward yourself and your people.

8. Next phase? As you grow, you want to avoid the next barrier coming along.