{"id":4932,"date":"2026-03-19T14:55:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T12:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ban.co.za\/ban-clients\/?p=4932"},"modified":"2026-03-26T08:04:43","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T06:04:43","slug":"issue-14-october-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ban.co.za\/ban-clients\/issue-14-october-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Issue 14 | October 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

WHAT DO WE MEAN BY BUSINESS GROWTH?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Business growth refers to the measurable expansion of a company over time \u2014 most notably through increasing profits, whether by boosting revenue, expanding the customer base, or capturing a greater share of the market. Growth is driven by deliberate strategies such as product development, services development, market expansion, and operational improvements. It reflects a company\u2019s ability to become more profitable \u2014 and, in the case of entrepreneurs, not only more profitable but often significantly larger in scale and impact.<\/p>\n

Article by:\u00a0 Monique Sharland (CEO)<\/em><\/p>\n

WHAT TYPE OF BUSINESSES CAN (AND CANNOT) BE SCALED?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Businesses with high scalability are typically in tech sectors, offer digital products and services, or use online platforms, such as software-as-a-service (SaaS), eCommerce (especially drop-shipping), online education, and digital content creation. These models can grow revenue significantly with minimal proportional increases in costs and resources by leveraging automation, outsourcing, and digital reach to serve a larger audience.<\/p>\n

Businesses that cannot be scaled are typically service-based businesses where the owner’s time is the primary resource, such as a local accounting and tax firm or a consulting service, and businesses that rely on a limited resource or a unique, fixed location.<\/p>\n

Examples of Businesses That Struggle to Scale<\/strong><\/p>\n

Personal Service Businesses: <\/strong><\/p>\n

These are businesses where the owner’s time and personal expertise are the core offerings, making it difficult to serve more clients without hiring and training more individuals. If the owner cannot delegate core functions or processes, the business is capped by their individual capacity.<\/p>\n

Businesses with Limited or Unique Resources: <\/strong><\/p>\n

This can include a business tied to a particular, exclusive location or a business with a finite supply of a specific product or raw material.<\/p>\n

Businesses with Inadequate Systems: <\/strong><\/p>\n

A lack of repeatable systems, such as a lack of scalable marketing, sales, customer service, and operational systems can prevent a business from handling increased volume. A scalable business has processes that can be replicated and applied to more customers without starting from scratch each time.<\/p>\n

Businesses Requiring High Capital Investment for Each New Customer: <\/strong><\/p>\n

If each new client requires a large capital outlay or significant new resources, the business will grow rather than scale.<\/p>\n

Businesses Lacking a Vision for Scaling: <\/strong><\/p>\n

Some owners may not have the vision, skillset, or desire to change their business model or operations to accommodate growth.<\/p>\n

KEY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ENTREPRENEURIAL GROWTH AND BUSINESS OWNER GROWTH<\/strong><\/p>\n

The key distinction between how entrepreneurs view business growth and that of business owners can be summarised as follows:<\/p>\n