Growth doesn’t happen by accident. It takes strategic planning and focused execution to make it a reality. Learn the basics on how to prepare your company for growth. Ideal for CEO’s, CFO’s, VP’s of Marketing. VP’s of Sales, and VP’s of Customer Experience.

1. 5 Things to Prepare Your Company For Growth
Welcome to the Webinar

2. Thank you for joining us!
Matt Peterson
2-Time CEO - Growth Strategy Advisor

3. Thank you for attending today
Embarking on a growth initiative in your company
before a well vetted strategy and plan is in place is a
little like taking an engagement ring on a first date.
Your may be incredibly optimistic with good
intentions but it is a flawed strategy with a high
probability of failure

4. Thank you for attending today
5 Things to Prepare Your Company For Growth

5. Preparing for Growth
1. Determine Why
2. Build Financial Model
3. Product/Service Upgrade
4. Right People Onboard
5. Scalable Process
• What is your growth objective?
• Bigger market share?
• Compete with the “big boys”
• Improve valuation?
• Increase profits?
• Just to get bigger? (not recommended)
• Important considerations
• What impact will growth have on
margins/profitability?
• Buyoff from investors/board?
• Growth should be accompanied by healthy
contribution margins to be sustainable
• Fast growth can be dizzying
Why Do You Want To Grow?

6. • Get an experienced CFO to build the financial model
• Prove out the model before committing resources
• Growth requires capital. How will you finance it?
• Current investors, New investors, Angel, Seed, LOC,
VC’s?
• Secure financing upfront
• What is your planned growth trajectory? What is the cost?
How fast will impact how much $$$ needed
• Share the model with the appropriate stakeholders - get
everyone’s buyoff
• Be prepared for questions, justifications, and
modifications
• Space considerations – Will you need more room?
Build a Financial Growth Model
Preparing for Growth
1. Determine Why
2. Build Financial Model
3. Product/Service Upgrade
4. Right People Onboard
5. Scalable Process

7. • Does your product need a facelift or overhaul?
• Do you understand your customer and their needs?
• Determine your core competencies. Who you ARE vs.
who you ARE NOT
• Is your product innovative?
• How big is the addressable market?
• How well do you know your competitors?
• Update your competitor analysis – once a year
• Do you have a current product/service 12-month
roadmap?
• Pricing evaluation: are you priced right?
Product/Service - Need an Upgrade?
Preparing for Growth
1. Determine Why
2. Build Financial Model
3. Product/Service Upgrade
4. Right People Onboard
5. Scalable Process

8. • Is the CEO leading the charge? If not, it will fail
• Key people: CEO, Board, Investors, CFO, COO,
VP/Sales, VP/Marketing, VP/CX
• Do you have the right organizational structure?
• Different skill sets required at different company growth
stages – Who do you need to hire?
• What skills will you need from outside of your team?
• Work out sales projections with the sales leader
• Sales & Marketing leadership in alignment?
• Are your comp/incentive programs aligned with the
company growth objectives?
• Measure results with real time analytics – Executive
dashboards
Do You Have the Right People?
Preparing for Growth
1. Determine Why
2. Build Financial Model
3. Product/Service Upgrade
4. Right People Onboard
5. Scalable Process

9. • Timing: is it the right time/season to scale?
• Evaluate your lead gen process. You will need more leads!
• SQL’s vs. MQL’s
• Know your cost per lead
• Know your lead conversion rate
• Be careful of run away costs in the name of lead gen
• Carefully evaluate the sales team/leadership/sales operations
• Sales pipeline management improvements
• Can you handle the influx of new customers? What is your CX
model?
• Right technologies in place: CRM, Marketing Automation, CX
platform, data dashboards, etc.
Is Your Process Scalable?
Preparing for Growth
1. Determine Why
2. Build Financial Model
3. Product/Service Upgrade
4. Right People Onboard
5. Scalable Process

10. • What are you trying to do with the company?
• Lifestyle/family business?
• Get bought by a competitor or PE firm?
• Go public?
• Seek to build up the equity value before you seek
a buyer
• When to sell? If you haven't thought about this,
you should
• Seek out an experienced M&A firm (not a
business broker) long before your anticipated sale
What is Your Exit Strategy?
5.99 Preparing for Growth
1. Determine Why
2. Build Financial Model
3. Product/Service Upgrade
4. Right People Onboard
5. Scalable Process
6. Exit Strategy

11. Take Time Along the Way
• Growing is never easy – know this going in
• Growth is both a journey and a destination
• Conduct regular reviews on how you are doing – be flexible to changes
• Determine how you will measure and acknowledge success
• Celebrate milestone victories
• Acknowledge your staff both privately and publicly
• Share the spoils with the people that make your company run
• Take time away from the office – recharge your batteries
• Encourage your staff to do the same

12. Thank you for joining us!
Matt Peterson
2-Time CEO - Growth Strategy Advisor
mpeterson@advancedcfo.com
801.616.1585