Barriers to growth

A 2013 research paper from the now defunct Department for Business Innovation and Skills identified reasons why small businesses – those employing between 0 and 9 staff – didn’t want to grow much bigger, if at all.

Here are two that struck me:

1. “I’d lose too much control of the business.”

2. “I’d have to spend too much time managing other people.”

These can be solved quite simply, but not easily:

1. Create a framework for “what we promise to our clients” and “the way we do things round here” that enables you to:

2. Let people manage themselves.

That way you get the best of both worlds.