Are You Really Ready for Change?

Illustration by Brian Stauffer

If you're an entrepreneur, you may well want to grow your business. That said, I know plenty of entrepreneurs who want to achieve a certain level of income, then keep their business ‘steady as she goes’. No judgement from me, every entrepreneur has their own definition of success. 

Either way, the word ‘Growth’ means different things to different people - for example more revenue or more profits or more people or more products or services, or more offices, or wider impact. Some want to get their business to the point where they can step back and leave the day-to-day to others they’ve developed or hired in.

But here's the uncomfortable question most entrepreneurs don't ask themselves: am I actually ready to change my business to achieve that growth? And not just on paper — am I emotionally, operationally, and mentally prepared for what it really takes to scale?

Because wanting growth is one thing. Being willing to do what it takes is something else entirely.

The Comfort of What You Know

Let’s start with a truth few like to admit: founders are often the biggest blockers to their own company’s growth.

In the early stages, you're everything — the builder, the seller, the decision-maker, the brand. You hustle, you innovate. Whatever it takes, you somehow pull it out of the bag. But, eventually, what got you here won’t get you there.

To grow, your business has to evolve — and so do you. That means letting go of control, it means building systems, and maybe even changing your role. And for many entrepreneurs, that’s where the resistance sets in. It's not easy to step back. It’s even harder to admit that your company might outgrow your current way of leading it.

Ego and Evolution

Now let’s talk about ego. It’s not always the puffed-up arrogance people associate with the word ‘ego’. Sometimes ego shows up quietly, in the belief that “no one can do this as well as I can,” or “we're different, those rules don’t apply to us.”

That mindset might have served you well  in the early days. But, as your business grows, that same thinking can silently kill your momentum.

The founders who succeed long-term are the ones who outgrow their ego just as quickly as they outgrow their first office. They recognise that building something sustainable often means stepping into new shoes — the ones that focus more on vision, leadership, and culture than daily operations.

Ask yourself honestly: are you still operating from founder instincts, or are you changing into another role the business needs?

Hustle is Not a Long-Term Strategy

It’s easy to idolise the early-stage grind — late nights, big wins, adrenaline-fuelled progress. But as your company matures, hustle starts to wear thin. You can’t keep patching holes and calling it progress.

Growth demands infrastructure. That means systems, processes, accountability and, yes, a bit of ‘boring’ consistency. These things may not be sexy, but they’re what allow a business to scale without falling apart at the seams.

And here’s the catch: most founders resist this shift. Systems feel slow, like they’re getting in the way of creativity. But without them, you're stuck reinventing the wheel every time, probably acting inefficiently and, eventually,  your team burns out.

If you find yourself constantly putting out fires or being the bottleneck in decisions, chances are your business isn’t ready for the next stage. The good news? You can change that. But it starts with shifting your mindset from ‘move fast and break things’ to ‘move smart and build things that last’.

When Was the Last Time You Talked to Your Best Customers?

As you grow, your customers evolve too. Their expectations, pain points, and buying behaviours don’t stay static — so why should your messaging, product, or pricing?

If you haven’t revisited your customer strategy recently, now’s the time.

What worked to attract your first 100 customers probably won’t land the next 1,000. Businesses that thrive at scale are the ones that regularly get out of their own bubble and talk directly to their customers,  especially the ones that are paying the most.

It’s not just about feedback forms or net promoter scores. It’s about real conversations. What do they love? What frustrates them? What made them hesitate before buying?

These insights are pure gold — and they often point the way to your next leap forward in successful business growth.

Are You Still the Right Person to Lead?

This is a tough one. As the company grows, so does the complexity of leadership. You're no longer just managing tasks — you're managing people, culture, strategy, and a vision that's bigger than yourself. That transition isn’t for everyone.

Some founders thrive in the early chaos but struggle in the structured environment that growth demands. And that’s okay. Not every great founder makes a great growth-stage CEO.

But pretending you're still the best person to lead when maybe you aren’t can stall your business more than any market shift.

Growth might mean you delegating certain roles. Your most courageous move might be to hire leaders who are better at scaling than you are. Your evolving role might be to empower, not execute.

That kind of humility isn’t easy — but it might just be the breakthrough your business needs.

Data Over Gut Feel

Founders are intuitive. That instinct is often what sparks the original idea, finds early customers, and senses when it's time to pivot. But, as you grow, you need more than gut feel — you need clarity.

That means embracing data. Metrics. Forecasts. Trends. Not because you're trying to ‘corporatise’ your company, but because your decisions now affect more people, more money, and more moving parts.

If you don’t have a dashboard that tells you, in real time, how your business is doing — start building one. If your team is flying blind on goals, give them instruments. Make data your ally, not your afterthought.

Culture: From Family to High-Performance Team

One of the hardest but most necessary shifts during growth is the cultural one. In the early days, your team feels like family — tight-knit, loyal, bonded by long hours and shared sacrifice. But families don’t scale. High-performance teams do.

That means clarity on roles, regular feedback, tough conversations and, sometimes, parting ways with people who helped you start but can’t help you scale. It doesn't make you heartless — it makes you responsible.

You owe it to your team, your customers and to your mission to build a culture that sustains excellence, not comfort.

So... Are You Ready?

This isn’t about questioning your ambition. If you’ve read this far, you already have that. This is about challenging your readiness.

Because growth won’t happen just because you want it to. It will happen when you're willing to face the hard parts:

• Letting go. 

• Evolving your leadership. 

• Building systems. 

• Trusting others. 

• Embracing structure. 

• Listening more. 

• Changing faster.

  
  

True readiness isn't about having all the answers. It's about being willing to change; changing yourself so that you can change your business.

So, are you ready? Really? Let’s chat and find out. I look forward to hearing from you!