114-The 8 Critical Mistakes Founders Make That Prevent Scaling, Exiting or Stepping Back (And What to Do About Them) (Part 2 of 2)
This week, Sean returns with Part 2 of the 8 critical mistakes Founders make—and how to avoid them. Learn from the missteps of others to better position your business for success and achieve your goals.
In today’s episode, Sean continues his deep dive into the 8 critical mistakes that holds Founders back from scaling, exiting, or stepping away from their business. These stumbling blocks not only hinder growth but can also jeopardize long-term success, keeping you from achieving the financial freedom you’ve worked so hard for.
Whether you’re looking to attract investment, step back from day-to-day operations, or prepare your business for sale, understanding these mistakes—and how to avoid them—is key.
Key Discussion Points
- Mistake #5 - Financial visibility and working capital: How poor financial visibility and insufficient working capital hinder growth, decision-making, and investor confidence.
- Mistake #6 - Offer design and margins: Strategies for creating a differentiated, bold offer to maximize margins and lifetime value.
- Mistake #7 - Lead generation and sales process: Building a scalable lead generation and sales ecosystem to support predictable revenue growth.
- Mistake #8 - External advisory and peer support: The importance of building a strong external network to navigate strategic challenges.
- Bonus mistake: The value of mentorship and peer support in avoiding costly missteps and accelerating growth.
Tune in to discover actionable insights to avoid these common pitfalls and position your business for success!
Missed Part 1? Catch up now to hear the full series.
ABOUT OUR GUEST:
Sean’s not a start-up guy; he’s a growth guy. He is an expert in buying, building, and scaling businesses.
With his teams, he developed growth strategies and execution plans that led to the creation of over $100 million in new revenue for 4 companies over 8 years.
These companies included both large and small businesses, so Sean is uniquely positioned to understand the challenges Founders face at different stages of their scaling journey.
Sean now shares his methodology and frameworks for preparing for investment, installing management and full exits for 1m-30m businesses through his advisory services, podcasts and education programs.
The founders Sean mentors personally grow revenue by an average of 43%, EBITDA by 94% and enterprise value of 111% over the first two years.
He brings over 15 years of experience in growing businesses to the table. He’s integrated 7 brands into larger structures, scrutinised over 200 acquisitions, and consulted with ASX-listed companies on their acquisition strategies.
Sean is also the host of the ScaleHQ Podcast where he shares his methods, interviews successful entrepreneurs, experts on scaling, and Founders striving to scale.
About Sean Steele
Sean has led several education businesses through various growth stages, including $0-3M, $1M-6M, $3M-50M and $80M-$120M. He's evaluated over 200 M&A deals and integrated or started seven brands within larger structures since 2012. Sean's experience building the foundations of organisations to enable scale uniquely positions him to host the ScaleHQ podcast.
