Growth Hacking: How to Scale a Business

People often ask me, "Where did these 7 Stages come from? Did you pull them out of thin air?" Well, kind of. I'm a big business nerd and always have been. I've spent countless hours geeking out on all the "formulas for growth" that attempt to explain "How to grow my business." Many are actually quite sound. Others sound impressive but deliver little. 

Let me tell you, one of my biggest pet peeves is the recent obsession with "growth hackers" that are really just gimmicks trying to masquerade as legit business growth strategies. You know the type—those promises of a quick fix, a shortcut, a “magic bullet” that’ll supposedly skyrocket your business from “meh” to “Oh My God” overnight. They try to create quick and easy ways to increase sales or to explain how to get more customers.

Everywhere you look, there’s some secret formula claiming it’ll revolutionize everything about your operations, sales, or profits. They make it sound like one tiny tweak will have investors knocking down your door and customers lining up around the block. Maybe it promises to reveal foolproof marketing strategies for small businesses, how to scale a business in three days, or how to improve business revenue in two easy steps.

The truth? Real, sustainable business growth doesn’t come from hacks or gimmicks; it comes from a steady, strategic approach that actually builds a solid foundation. All these growth hacks do is distract you from the big picture. So, if you’re looking for an “instant transformation,” let me just say—you’re better off looking elsewhere or get ready to be disappointed.

How to Scale a Business

In my decades of wrangling wayward businesses and trying to convince owners that maybe, just maybe, their scattershot strategies weren't working, I saw a clear need for a roadmap. A practical one, the kind that didn't have entrepreneurs pinballing through random initiatives while wondering why success hadn't magically shown up at their doorstep. I was creating a real roadmap with actual business expansion strategies.

After watching too many companies make a mess by "growing out of order"—like attempting a penthouse before the foundation—something clicked. They thought success was just around the corner if they kept juggling, but I knew better. So, I created a roadmap to save these businesses from themselves.

Years ago, I helped a particularly confused client (bless their heart) visualize a clear process. When I put it all down, even I was a bit impressed. This wasn't just a list; it was a survival guide. I turned it into the first edition of 7 Stages of Small Business Success in 2010, and while I could’ve called it done, my growing business kept proving that this was far from a one-and-done. Thousands of companies wanted to scale. They wanted business growth strategies and legit, proven paths to business expansion.

Growth Hacking Can't Work if You Don't Grow in Order

One thing I’ve learned through years of trial, error, and watching others crash and burn is the importance of following a sequence. There’s a reason for doing things in order. You can’t jump from step one to step six and expect a fairytale ending. I’ve seen plenty of folks try to skip ahead, and the results are rarely pretty.

When you ignore the natural progression, chaos is practically guaranteed. Your staff ends up overworked, stretched thin, and frustrated while your customers start noticing the cracks—and trust me, they will. Suddenly, your competitors don’t just seem smarter; they’re outmaneuvering you in every way because they’ve laid a solid foundation. Skipping steps isn’t a shortcut; it’s a fast track to headaches, inefficiencies, and a business model held together with duct tape. It turns out that growth hacking isn’t about rushing; it’s about mastering each stage before moving on to the next. But that doesn't mean growth has to be slow.

The Magic of Continual, Sequential Progress

The beauty of the 7 Stages is that it is designed as a cycle for continual, sequential progress. Each stage has a specific purpose, guiding you to build a business that runs smoothly—or sets you up for a profitable sale.

And I can't stress this enough: the order in which you grow matters tremendously when scaling a business. If you do the right thing in the wrong sequence, you will NOT get the result you are after. You need to be doing the right things, in the right order at the right frequency, and for the right duration.

But here's the kicker - different businesses will use different sequences. It's not one-size-fits-all. The process and sequence are going to be different based on what you want, what you can do, what kind of business you're in, and how you want your role to change (or stay the same) as you grow.

For example, some companies, like the Rolling Stones, have stayed comfortably in Stage 2 for decades. They still need Mick on stage to make money, but they’re okay with that model. Mick wants to perform, so that's how the business model was built.

Then there are businesses like the Beach Boys, who found a way to keep the cash rolling in without needing all (or any) of the original members on stage every night. This is what you can achieve when you understand exactly where you are in the cycle. Knowing the right stage for your business lets you make smart choices that fit your goals and keep the momentum going.

How Fast Can You Drive?

People ask, "How long does it take to build a successful business?" My answer: How fast do you want to go? If you've got cash to burn, you might blast through the stages in three years. Most don’t, so they take the scenic route, which is fine as long as they don’t lose their way.

How to Scale a Business

Every time I tell business owners to stop working so hard, I get the same look. But hear me out: Long hours aren’t a golden ticket to success. Just because you're burning the midnight oil doesn't mean you're growing your business; it often means you’re covering for broken processes or lack of direction. Instead of working more, work on scaling your business up.

Instead of doing every menial task yourself—because let's face it, that’s what a lot of overworked business owners do—focus on building systems that make it easier for others to do the work and allow you to do less, or at least focus on the big picture. After all, the owner with 100 grocery stores isn’t working 100 times harder than one with a single shop. They’re just working smarter.

Are You Ready to Talk About the Big Picture?

The 7 Stages of Business Success give you the framework to avoid burning out in a Sisyphean cycle of overwork. This framework is full of growth hacks, but it's also full of strategies, systems, and scaling techniques. I've used it to help thousands of business in dozens of countries succeed, so I know it works. I challenge you to stop rolling up your sleeves to tackle everyone else’s job, and let me show you how to stop being your own worst enemy and finally get some rest. If you want growth hacks, I've got 'em, and, oh yeah, I'll help you build an amazing, profitable company at the same time. Shoot me an email and let's start talking.