029: Scaling Up Part II

My email last week sparked some really cool conversations. 

In particular, I wanted to highlight the reply I got from Jason Francis of Strength Haus (he kindly gave me the permission to share).

In his message, Jason said the following:

“So… maybe we also need a definition of ‘scaling’? Is it essentially replicating our business on a wider scale so we have more turnover, more purchasing power so we can buy at lower rates and improve our bottom line and therefore make more money? Particularly if the goal is to sell a ‘large house’ rather than a small one and cash out. Or is it to grow our businesses a bit to give us the resources to serve more people better and make a bit more money in the process? 

I remember eating at ‘The Real Greek’ in London around 15 years ago when there were maybe two restaurants. Years later it comes to Norwich as part of a chain. Was the food, service and ‘ambience’ (!) better? I think you know the answer.”

Jason’s message really resonated with me. It helped me to see the perspective I was missing.

You see, thoughts about ‘scaling up’ can often come from a selfish place (about us as business owners and the benefits to us). Rarely, do these thoughts come from the perspective of what's best for our customers.

The idea of having different definitions for what might be universally accepted is really interesting to me. And it means the real question is not": “When do I scale?” But is instead: “Does ‘scaling up’ provide a better or a worse experience for my customers?” 

For me, that seems like a really good place to start. 

James