8 Things to Watch Out for When Your Business Is Growing Fast
Congratulations! If you’re here, there’s a good chance your business is growing faster than you expected—and that’s an incredible place to be. With fast growth comes new challenges, many of which can catch even the smartest business owners off guard.
I’ve helped scale a business from $50M to $350M in just three years, and I’ve seen firsthand the growing pains that can come with rapid success. In this post, I’m sharing the eight most important things to pay attention to so your business not only survives the surge—but thrives for the long haul.
1. Build Scalable Systems
When you’re growing quickly, it’s tempting to “just get it done.” Inconsistent delivery leads to unhappy customers and lost revenue. Start documenting repeatable processes and identifying where technology can replace manual work. Invest in systems that can grow with you—and talk to someone who understands how tools can work together before making big purchases.
Pro tip: Use Loom to record your process, then run the transcript through AI to turn it into a standard operating procedure (SOP). Easy, fast, and scalable.
2. Don’t Hire Reactively
When the pressure’s on, you might be tempted to hire a “warm body” to take something off your plate. Reactionary hiring leads to skill gaps, role confusion, and costly misalignment.
Instead, pause and ask:
What do I actually need help with?
What level of expertise is required?
What will this person’s role evolve into?
Hiring intentionally now will save you big headaches (and dollars) later.
3. Track Your Data
Revenue isn’t the only number that matters. You need to track:
Profit margins
Cost of goods sold
Churn rate
Customer acquisition cost
Retention metrics
Understanding your data helps you double down on what’s working, cut what’s not, and grow more predictably. High churn and low churn call for completely different growth strategies—know the difference and plan accordingly.
4. Make Time for Financial Planning
Having cash in the bank doesn’t mean you’re safe. Real financial health means:
Reviewing your profit and loss statement regularly
Creating financial forecasts based on real-time data
Setting and updating a financial plan and budget
Don’t skip this. Lack of financial clarity is one of the top reasons growing businesses crash. If you don’t know how to do this, get help. It’s worth it.
5. Protect the Customer Experience
As you scale, you may not be able to personally respond to every email—and your customer experience still has to feel amazing. That means:
Consistent communication
Smooth delivery processes
Proactive problem-solving
Your first hire during high client volume? A customer experience lead. Bad reviews will kill your momentum—great experiences will multiply it.
6. Get Out of the Weeds
You can’t scale if you’re doing everything. Let your team own their work. Delegate, then trust.
If managing people isn’t your thing, hire someone who can. You don’t have to do it all—but you do have to get out of your own way. Staying in the weeds slows growth, creates confusion, and fosters distrust in your team.
7. Stop Skipping Strategic Planning
Fast growth can trick you into chasing the next win without a clear direction. Hit pause and ask:
What kind of business are we building?
What’s our place in the market?
What do we want long-term—sell, pass it down, go public?
Your exit strategy (even if it’s far off) shapes how you build today. Strategic planning helps you focus, filter out distractions, and build something meaningful and lasting.
8. Don’t Underestimate Culture
As your team grows, culture becomes everything. Misalignment leads to burnout, conflict, and turnover.
Get crystal clear on:
Core values
How you work
What success looks like
Culture is what happens when no one’s watching. It shapes how your team shows up, how they treat customers, and how they talk about your brand when you're not in the room.
Final Thoughts
Rapid growth is exciting— it’s not a reason to get sloppy. These eight areas are your foundation. Ignore them, and your success may be short-lived. Prioritize them, and you’ll be setting yourself up for sustainable, scalable growth.
If this resonated with you, I’d love for you to share it with other business owners in your circle. And if you’re looking for a partner to help you navigate these growth stages, you know where to find me.
