Growth is usually seen as the ultimate goal for any business because after all, it means more customers, more sales, and more opportunities. But what people don’t often talk about is how messy that growth can feel when you’re in the middle of it, and that’s not all that much fun.
When you’re growing, processes that worked perfectly when you were smaller suddenly don’t fit anymore, communication breaks down, orders take longer, and you basically feel like you’re just trying to keep up, and it’s exhausting. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone, and the good news is, it doesn’t have to stay this way. With that in mind, keep reading to find out more.
Recognise The Signs
The first step is admitting that things are messy, which isn’t always an easy thing to do, and it’s not comfortable either. The reality is that it’s easy to put off making changes because you think this is just a busy season, and so on, but if every day feels like firefighting, that’s a sign something deeper needs addressing.
Some common signs that there’s a problem include staff working overtime just to keep up with basic tasks, customers waiting longer than usual for responses, or a backlog of unprocessed orders or admin; these are red flags that your systems aren’t keeping up with your growth.
Step Back A Bit
When you’re in the thick of it, it’s easy to keep pushing through and hope it’ll get better, but often, the best thing you can do is pause and take a (sometimes big) step back and look at the bigger picture.
Where are things breaking down? Is it your ordering process? Your internal communication? Your supply chain? Once you know where the problems are, you can start focusing on the solutions that will actually make a difference instead of just fixing small things here and there.
Bring In Better Systems
At a certain point, growth requires you to outgrow the DIY solutions you started with because the fact is that spreadsheets, email chains, and paper-based processes can only take you so far.
This is where smarter tools can help. For example, if stock management is one of your pain points, investing in stock control software can streamline the whole process, and instead of relying on manual updates or guesswork, you’ll have real-time data on what’s coming in, what’s going out, and where the gaps are. That’s good because it cuts down on errors, speeds up your operations, and frees your team to focus on more important tasks.
Involve Your Team
Something important to remember is that growth doesn’t just affect you – it impacts your whole team, which is why it’s crucial to ask them what’s working and what isn’t. Often, they’re the first to spot inefficiencies and can offer practical ideas for fixing them, so involving them is going to help massively, and it also helps build a sense of ownership in the changes you make.
Final Thoughts
Messy growth is a sign of progress, but it’s also a signal that it’s time to evolve, and growth should feel exciting, not overwhelming. However, with the right approach, it can get back to being just that.
