4 tips on how to successfully scale a business (from 4 real-life companies)

What does scaling a business mean?

Even though some people think "scaling up" is just a buzzword, it's a necessary step that growing startups have to take.

And it does have a real meaning: it’s when you equip your business to handle increased demand without incurring extra expenses. Basically, when you're scaling up, it means you're bringing more money with less effort.

It’s about responding to growth, and adjusting your business model accordingly. Google is probably one of the most famous examples of a company that scaled successfully, as it generated lots of new customers with little additional investment.

The differences between scaling and growing a business

People often use “scale” and “growth” interchangeably, but although they’re related, they are actually two different things.

Growing a business means increasing revenue, but you're likely also using more resources (such as hiring more staff to deal with more customers or try to win more prospects).

Scaling is when revenue increases without a substantial increase in costs, meaning you can support further growth—you could look at it as a more sustainable way of growing.