If you’re running an ambitious small to medium-sized business and struggling to grow – even though demand exists – you’re not alone.

We work with UK and EU-based SMEs every day, and many of them share a similar story:

• They’re working harder than ever, but margins remain thin

• The team is stretched, distracted, or misaligned
  Strategy feels theoretical – not operational

• Despite everyone’s best efforts, results are inconsistent

We call these symptoms “strategic drag”.

But the root causes are deeper -and more predictable – than most leaders realise.

Strategy Is Not a Document – It’s Solving Four Problems

There’s no shortage of books, models and gurus offering opinions on strategy.

But most get bogged down in jargon, theory, or tools that never quite translate into action.

What we’ve learned from over years of working with founders, boards, and senior teams is this:

If you want to grow a business sustainably, you have to solve four strategic problems – consistently, and in parallel.

– These four problems are universal.

– They apply to start-ups and scale-ups.

– To professional services and digital agencies.

If you’re not solving them – or not solving them well – your business will stall.

Problem One: The Future

Your business must succeed in a future that is different from the past.

Most teams keep doing what made them successful previously.

That’s a mistake. The future changes faster than most businesses do.

– Customers evolve.

– Competitors shift.

– Technology and regulations disrupt.

You don’t need a crystal ball – but you do need to:

– Observe the present using structured tools (SWOT, PESTEL, competitor analysis)

– Extract insights that are specific and useful – not generic

– Envision multiple plausible futures (scenario planning), so you’re not caught unprepared

If you’re still reacting to today’s problems using yesterday’s playbook. 

This is where your growth problem starts.

Problem Two: Focus

Knowing what you could do isn’t the same as knowing what you should do.

– Many leadership teams have no shortage of ideas.

– But ideas alone don’t drive growth – decisions do.

The real challenge is:

– Prioritising the smallest number of things that will deliver the greatest impact

– Saying no to initiatives that distract or dilute

– Stopping some things to create space for the things that matter

– Sequencing actions so teams don’t burn out

Focus isn’t just about efficiency – it’s about leverage.

Problem Three: Alignment

If your team doesn’t understand or believe in the plan, it won’t happen.

Even well-thought-out strategies fail without buy-in.

And that failure often looks like:

– Miscommunication

– Conflicting agendas

– Reversion to old habits under pressure

– Quiet resistance or passive disengagement

Solving this means:

– Being crystal clear on what needs doing, by whom, and when

– Explaining why the chosen path matters – not just what it is

– Repeating the message often

– Adapting quickly when the facts change

Alignment is built, not assumed.

Problem Four: Results

If you’re not measuring, you’re not learning.

– And if you’re not learning, you’re not growing.

This is where too many businesses fail.

They:

– Measure activity, not outcomes

– Avoid honest feedback on what’s not working

– Keep executing a plan, even when it’s clearly off course

The solution?

– Define KPIs that actually test your assumptions

– Monitor them regularly (weekly/monthly)

Let results inform what needs to change – in strategy, focus, or execution

Strategy isn’t linear – it’s circular

– Results should continuously shape your next move.

– Want a Deeper Dive Into These Four Problems?

Watch our FREE Webinar

We’ve created our FREE Primer for Business Growth Webinar to take leaders like you through these four strategic problems in more detail – and, crucially, how to start solving them.

– It’s practical.

– Clear.

– No jargon.

– And it’s FREE

Watch our FREE Business Growth Primer Webinar Here:

https://sixsess.org/training/primer-for-business-growth-masterclass/

Then What?

If what you’ve read – or seen in the video – resonates, then you may be ready for our Business Growth Masterclass for Founders and Leaders of Small to Medium-Sized Businesses.

It’s a hands-on, structured programme designed for leaders who are serious about:

– Gaining strategic clarity

– Building a real plan

– Aligning their team

– And turning insight into measurable progress

Explore the Masterclass Here:

https://sixsess.org/training/business-growth-masterclass-for-smes/

This is not theory.

It’s the work of real transformation.

And the first step is understanding the four problems you must solve.