The Scale-up stage: overview
After having passed through the hardest transitions — the growth stages that feel like a caterpillar building a cocoon then emerging as a butterfly — the agency now enters a phase where growth is less about big-bang changes and more about embedding constant change and growth as a process. Scaling up is about reliably repeatedly replicating what you do.
Characteristics of the scale-up stage
- You pass 75(ish) people
- You have a full leadership team including senior leaders of HR, finance, accounts/sales, delivery
- You have solid processes that mean the agency runs smoothly
- You're financially solid with at least 3 months of cash in the bank (preferably more) and a good pipeline
- The agency can repeatedly do everything it does without any involvement from the CEO and other directors who can focus on improving the business and being ambassadors