You Don’t Have To Scale

I wrote a post on Facebook, which you can read here, about scaling. You don’t have to scale if you don’t want to.

However, I made a mistake.

You see, I’ve bought into the belief many people have when it comes to scaling: Scaling means more customers, more resources, more energy, more team members, more systems, and more money. It can feel exhausting, except this is not the true definition of scaling.

According to Investopedia, scalability refers to an organization’s ability to grow without being hampered by its structure or available resources when faced with increased production, whether in a financial context or within the context of business strategy.

So, while setting your business goals for next year, I encourage you to consider whether you want to scale. If so, consider how can you do it without compromising how you want to live your life.

If your version of scaling requires a ton of time, energy, and resources and impedes you from having the type of life you want, there is no point in doing it.  Who wants to be rich and successful if you don’t have time to enjoy life and the relationships that matter most to you?

There is an expectation within society that if you own a business, it should grow every year. You should also want to do whatever it takes to grow. Business coaches will make you feel less than if you haven’t hit the coveted 1M mark, and that is unfair.

You started your business because you wanted freedom and control. You didn’t start it for society and other so-called influencers to tell you what it should look like.

A business needs new customers to survive, but it doesn’t necessarily need to scale unless. Of course, scale if you want to and you have a product or service offering that is actually scaleable.

Build a business that brings you joy, work with people you like being around, and protect your time, energy, and health along the way, too.

You’re in charge, not someone else. Make your goals for the new year for you and only you.