A Tale of Two Start-Ups

A client recently shared a story of two start-ups with me. We spoke about their journey in building their business from start-up to where it is now, compared to a colleague who had started their business around the same time.

This client engaged my business advisory services very early on in their business and while we worked together, they achieved rapid growth year after year, beyond what they ever believed possible.

Their colleague’s business has grown a bit, but mostly it has stayed the same. During their conversation, from the outside looking in, it was clear that this colleague has never really had a strategy to guide their progress, or they had been unable to mobilize their strategy on their own.

There is a distinct difference between these two business owners and a financial divide that spans over 1M dollars in cumulative sales.

Let me explain what it was.

One of them engaged in expert guidance and support and continued to invest in their professional growth long term. By making this investment, they got very clear on their long-term strategy, were able to isolate the low-hanging fruit for quick wins to boost sales, and rapidly build the clarity and confidence they needed as the leader of the business to keep on growing.

This individual wasn’t afraid to ask for help, to vocalize where they were struggling, or to take action even when it was uncomfortable. They stayed clear on the final destination and the dual purpose they had for their business.

Through the combination of strategy, business advice on demand that reinforced their goals, decisions and thinking, and taking action, they were able to significantly scale their business.

They are not an exception—they are the norm.

Time and time again, business owners who engage in support and take action not only build their sales and profits, but they build their mindset and self-confidence.

If you’re someone who has been trucking along and wondering why you’re not growing as fast as some of your colleagues, there’s only one person to look to—yourself.

Do you…

• Have a clearly defined strategy?
• Take action on that strategy, or do you regularly allow your inner critic to stop you from doing what you think you should?
• Have someone you can ask for help when you get stuck, or you don’t know how to do something?
• Talk about your mistakes with someone who understands what it’s like to run a business in order to unpack what went wrong, so you can plan what you will do next time?
• Review your financials regularly and identify opportunities for growth and areas where you can save money to increase profits?
• Understand your financials and are you able to make smart decisions that allow you to be profitable and accumulate cash flow?
• Pay yourself a good wage and have you abandoned the shame that can come along with a desire to build real, lasting wealth?

If you’ve been in business for more than 3-5 years and you’re not able to say yes to all of these questions, I am going to predict that in another 5 years, your business will look the same as it does right now.

If you want things to change in your business, that change has to start with you. Find someone who can help you take a big bold step towards transforming your business into what you hoped it would one day be when you started it. Find someone who can not only see your potential, but who will be your champion and encourager when you need it, and who will give you honest and difficult business advice when you need it too.

Building a business is hard work, but it is not impossible to do. There are countless examples of people who have done it all that you can learn from and guess what? If it’s possible for them, it’s possible for you too.

They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result. You’re not insane, but if you keep doing things the way you’ve been doing them for the last few years, you’re not likely to change the trajectory of your business.

If you want change, it is one decision away, and that decision starts with you.

P.S. If you don’t know where to find a community of like-minded people like this, you should consider joining The Strategy Lab the next time it opens up. If you’d like to be the first to know when we open The Lab up for new members, click here to be added to the waitlist.