What separates good businesses from great
Yesterday, I keynoted to a room full of ambitious SME owners at the East Yorkshire Expo. The kind of people who’ve built real momentum but feel like they’re running at full pace, working every hour and compromising their lifestyle and relationships. Burnout and overwhelm was rife and many mojos were struggling. I shared what separates good businesses that flatline versus the great ones that break through the £1M mark.
Less than 5% of businesses ever hit £1M. Not because the market’s against them, but because the owner stays stuck in "do-er mode." They’re still the chief marketer, salesperson, decision-maker, fire-fighter and bookkeeper.
Long hours, short tempers, and a business that only grows when they work harder and longer.
The difference between a c£200K business and a £1M business isn’t luck, it’s leadership. Great business owners learn to step out of the chaos and build a structure that can thrive without them.
Here’s what they do differently:
1. Simplify - they cut distractions and double down on what actually moves the needle. Not every shiny new marketing idea is worth chasing, clarity beats complexity every time.
2. Systemise - they document, automate and delegate. Repeatable processes turn firefighting into flow, freeing the founder from the day-to-day grind and delivering best in class service levels.
3. Empower - they build a team that owns outcomes, not tasks. When a team is trusted to lead, the business scales faster and the founder gets their evenings and weekends back.
4. Lead - they make the shift from reacting to intentionally driving growth. Instead of asking, "What do I need to fix today?" they ask, "What do we need to achieve this quarter?".
There is a transformation from operator to leader. When your vision is dialled in, you know your numbers, you plan for scale better, nail your sales and marketing and are held to account (using my GROWTH model), you don’t just build a bigger business, you build a better one. One that allows you to do more of what you love.
As well as the GROWTH model I use with my 1-2-1 clients to help them scale, I shared the unique single page planning tool we use.
So, if you’re serious about hitting £1M turnover (or indeed any financial goal higher than the one you are currently hitting), stop doing everything and start leading. The systems, team, and plan are what make the leap possible and they’ll give you your life back in the process.
What’s the biggest challenge holding your business back from hitting its next milestone? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.