With the recent London Marathon dominating the headlines and the fact I recently completed the Chester Half Marathon (for the fourth time!), it got me to thinking:

Running a business is a lot like running a marathon.

Race out the blocks too fast, and you can quickly run out of steam. But start too slowly, and you’ll never catch up with your competitors. The key is balance, timing, and preparation.

Today, the world of business is moving faster than ever before, and keeping pace – a steady pace – with your competitors as you pursue growth is incredibly challenging. And if you push your business too hard, too soon, you can crash and burn before you really get going.

That’s why, in this brief blog post, I’m going to share what you need to do to accelerate your business growth, without running out of puff.

Or, as they say in the world of endurance running, ‘hitting the wall’.

What is the ‘Wall’?

If you͛re unfamiliar with the concept of hitting the wall, it’s the sudden loss of energy experienced during a race, caused by a depletion of glycogen stores in the liver and muscles. In other words, you become very tired, very suddenly, and it’s all down to inadequate preparation before the race had even started.

Likewise, if you’re not ready when you begin scaling, you risk running face first into the business equivalent of the wall. And if that happens, sales could stagnate, expenses could grow, and suddenly you’re up against a real and concerning cash flow crisis.

That’s Why You Need a Plan

You know the old adage, ‘failing to plan is planning to fail’? Never has it been more apt than when discussing business growth – or running!

When running, you’ll pull up injured and be unable to complete the race if you fail to prepare and pace yourself properly. And in business, that lack of preparation while operating at the wrong pace can lead to costly mistakes, poor customer service experiences, unwieldy and ineffective internal processes, and the widespread wastage of time and resource.

So, how can you move your business forward at a pace without careering into the wall? You need a growth plan.

Unlike a traditional business plan, a growth plan’s purpose is to guide you through a shorter period of time as you pursue key growth milestones. It allows you to determine the right pace for your business so that you are able to meet short-term targets while laying the groundwork for long-term prosperity.

And just as the world’s top endurance athletes rely on a team of coaches, nutritionists, and other experts to see them through a race, I highly recommend you work with a specialist as you plot your business growth.

Grow Faster – and Safer – with Styles and Co.

Accelerating business growth is no mean feat. It takes careful planning and the introduction of the right systems into your day-to-day operations. That͛s, where our Super 6 service Accelerate Growth, comes into its own.

Our experienced team is ready to help you plan and achieve your growth milestones, without stretching your business too thin.

Contact us today to get started.