THE TOP FIVE MISTAKES TEAMS MAKE BEFORE SCALING
Scaling a business is exciting—but also risky. If the foundation isn’t strong, growth doesn’t solve problems, it multiplies them. Think of it like adding a second story to a house without checking the foundation—you might get more space, but you’re also inviting cracks.
In working with entrepreneurial leadership teams, I’ve seen the same mistakes surface repeatedly. Left unchecked, they stall momentum and create frustration (and more gray hair than you bargained for).
Here are the top five mistakes to avoid before scaling:
1. No Clear Processes (or Training & Inspection)
Every business has a “secret sauce” that makes it unique. But if you don’t write it down, train it, and check it, that sauce gets watered down. Before long, customers are tasting ketchup instead of steak sauce. Growth only multiplies the mess unless you lockdown the basics.
2. People Issues Get Ignored
Leaders often tolerate poor behavior or underperformance, especially from top producers. It’s like keeping a star quarterback who refuses to learn the playbook. Sure, they might score a touchdown or two, but the rest of the team is left frustrated and off balance.
3. Sunk Cost Bias
Entrepreneurs are wired to persevere, but grit sometimes looks a lot like stubbornness. Too many teams keep throwing money at a product or service that’s clearly not working—like still paying for a gym membership you haven’t used since 2020 because “one day” you’ll go back. Sometimes the smartest move is to walk away.
4. Fixed Mindset & Poor Knowledge Transfer
When all the know-how lives in the owner’s head, the team can’t grow. It’s like being the only one with the Netflix password—you get to binge, but the rest of the family is locked out. Sharing knowledge and shifting to a growth mindset gives the whole team access and frees the owner from being the bottleneck.
5. Misalignment with Personal Vision
Perhaps the most overlooked mistake: growth for growth’s sake. If a leader isn’t clear on their personal vision, scaling just adds stress. It’s like signing up for a marathon when you hate running—you might finish, but you won’t be happy about it. Growth only works when it aligns with what the leader really wants.
The Takeaway
These five mistakes are avoidable—but only if you confront them head-on. Scaling magnifies both strengths and weaknesses, so now is the time to shore up your foundation.
If your leadership team is feeling the weight of these issues, let’s talk. Schedule a discovery call with me, Craig Andrews, and we’ll explore how to set your business up for healthy, sustainable growth in 2026 and beyond—without the watered-down ketchup, bad quarterbacks, or dusty gym memberships.