Whether you’re attempting to increase market share, improve profitability or build your team, every company is trying to grow. Unfortunately, business owners will inevitably encounter challenges and experiences that will trigger pain points and create potential barriers during the business’ growth process. 

In this article, we will walk you through the five stages of business growth that almost every company will go through. 

Development stage 

If your business idea is worth developing, the next step is to put together a business plan. 

A good business plan is one that sets the course of a business lifespan. Every successful business runs on a constantly reviewed set of plans, which ensures that it continues to meet its needs. This also helps the business spot new measures for strategic growth. 

After a review, key target areas are identified, then the business plan is revisited, and this becomes the milestone for the next iteration of the plan. A continuous business cycle enables the entrepreneur to maximize their chances of success. Business plans are also a vital tool for entrepreneurs seeking outside investment. 

At this stage, entrepreneurs should be asking themselves the following questions: 

• Does this concept/product/idea fill a need in the market? 
• Will it be acceptable in the market? 
• How do I establish a business structure? 
• Will this idea yield profit? 

Start-up stage 

Business at this stage is extremely risky and stressful, and many entrepreneurs pull out. The actual budget may even exceed what was originally allocated. Challenges at the start-up stage include: 

• Raising money/seeking investments 
• Hiring staff 
• Managing expectations from sales and cash reserves 
• Establishing customer base and market presence 
• Managing accounts 

Growth stage 

Companies that reach the growth stage have overcome the intense start-up stage and are now generating revenue and growing their client base. While profits have increased, however, competition is catching up. 

But if you really want to scale your business, you should focus first on fine-tuning your business model by identifying ways to improve operational efficiencies and improve profitability before thinking of expanding through instilling methodologies such as sales and marketing models. 

Challenges at the growth stage include: 

• How to deal with increasing customers and revenues 
• Streamlining operations 
• How to deal with the market competition 
• Increasing profit volume 

Expansion stage 

Characterised by a new season of growth and increasing distribution channels, businesses in the expansion stage are faced with the need to gain a bigger market share as well as looking for ways to stream in new revenues and profit. This stage calls for a streamlined plan and research before moving into new markets. 

Challenges at the expansion space include: 

• The increasing market competition 
• Acquiring competitors 
• Addition of stock as well as services 
• Expansion of the already existing entity 

Maturity stage 

When a company reaches the maturity stage, the idea that was once just a thought is now alive and kicking, with stable profits thanks to the strategies employed during the four previous stages. This stage relies on a financial source to help overcome the challenges and keep the business up on its booming record. 

Although maturity is the final business growth stage, it isn’t where you want your business to stay. Companies that languish in the maturity stage might still be growing, but in a sluggish manner. If this is the case, you may need to go back to the drawing board to see how to get your business back in the expansion stage or think of an exit strategy. 

Here’s what entrepreneurs whose companies are in the maturity stage are focused on: 

• How long the business can maintain and manage a negative cash flow 
• Expanding the business 
• If necessary, finding and executing an exit strategy 

How EFM can help your business grow…. 

EFM are passionate about helping business owners grow their companies, take better care of their employees and plan a higher quality of life after exit. 

What sets us apart from other outsourced business advisory firms is our ability to create bespoke, scalable service offerings that meet your organisation’s current needs, and also have the ability to grow as your business grows. 

Our team of experts are here to support you and provide the best solutions to help your business achieve sustainable growth. Get in touch by email or call 01582 516300.