Entrepreneur Conversations
Growing fast is usually presented as the goal, and rarely as a problem
More orders, more customers and more staff sound like good news, and mostly they are. They also stretch cash, quality, people and the founder's own time all at once. In this session a practising entrepreneur describes a period of rapid growth candidly: what strained first, what broke, what they said no to and what they would handle differently. Then the room asks.
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Growth is celebrated in public and struggled with in private.
A business that grows quickly has to pay for stock, staff and space before the extra money arrives. Quality can slip, delivery can slow and the people who built it can burn out. Owners often feel they should not complain, since growth is what they wanted.
Business writing usually covers growth in general terms. A founder can say what it felt like in the middle: which problem arrived first, which they ignored and what they gave up to keep going.
The session does not claim that growth should be chased or avoided. It gives the room an honest account, and a chance to ask how the founder would think about the choices the room faces.
What the speaker is briefed to be candid about
35 topics across 7 areas. Seven parts of a period of fast growth, in the order owners tend to meet them.
What Growth Looked LikeIn concrete terms, without needing figures.5
- What changed, such as orders, customers, locations or the team
- Whether it was planned or arrived unexpectedly
- How fast it felt, and how long it lasted
- What they were pleased about
- What they were worried about from the start
What Strained FirstUsually not what they expected.5
- Where the first crack appeared, such as cash, quality, delivery or people
- How they noticed it, and how late
- What they did first, and whether it helped
- What they put off, and what it cost to put off
- What turned out to be a bigger problem than the first one
The speaker describes their own experience, which will not match every business.
Money During GrowthWhere growth often becomes risky.5
The speaker is not asked for figures and is not recommending any lender, scheme or product. Funding decisions depend on the facts and are best made with a qualified adviser.
- How they funded the extra stock, staff or space, in broad terms
- What they learned about the gap between orders and cash
- What they would not borrow or commit to
- How they decided what they could afford
- What they would check in the numbers earlier
Quality and CustomersKeeping what made people buy.5
- What happened to quality or service when volume rose
- A customer they disappointed, and how it was handled
- Orders or customers they turned down, and why
- What they refused to compromise on
- What they would let slip if they had to choose again
People and Hiring in a HurryThe team under pressure.5
- Hiring faster than they would have liked, and what followed
- How the original team coped
- What they did about training when there was no time
- How they kept people from burning out, or did not
- What they changed about how they communicated
The Founder's Own RoleWhat had to change in them.5
- What they did before growth that they could no longer do
- What was hard to hand over
- What it did to their time, health and family
- When they realised they were the bottleneck
- What help they asked for
What They Would Do DifferentlyAnd whether to grow at all.5
- What they would slow down or sequence differently
- What they would put in place before the next jump
- What they would say no to sooner
- Whether they would choose the same pace again
- What they would tell an owner offered a large opportunity
What the founder prepares
- A plain account of one period of fast growth, in order
- What strained first, and what they did about it
- One thing they turned down and why
- A clear statement that the pace of growth is a choice, and that others choose differently
What the room can ask
- What was the first thing that went wrong?
- How did you decide which orders to take?
- How did you manage the money while it grew?
- What did it do to your own work and life?
- Would you grow at the same speed again?
How the session runs
The founder describes the period in order for about fifteen minutes, and the rest of the time goes to questions. Before the day, the speaker is briefed to describe what happened and what they would change, to leave out figures unless they choose to share them, not to recommend any lender or product, and not to promote their business. A facilitator keeps the conversation focused and can ask the first question if nobody does. The length and group are agreed with the host in advance.
What your students leave with
- A realistic picture of what fast growth demands from an owner
- An understanding of what usually strains first, from one practising founder
- Ideas for deciding what to say yes and no to when demand outpaces capacity
- A clearer sense of how the founder's own role has to change
- Questions to ask before accepting a large order or expansion
- A balanced view that growth is not always the right aim
Scheduled sessions
Nothing scheduled yet
Sessions are arranged with a college once a date is agreed. Ask us and we will find the right person for it.
A student rather than a college? See what is coming up, or ask your placement team to host this.
Hear what fast growth demands, from somebody who lived through it.
Tell us who your students are and what stage they are at. Sessions are free for participants.