Ready Equals Growth : Not the Other Way Around

“Ready Equals Growth” BUT Growth does not equal Ready.

Picture the start of a short-distance running event, like the 100 metre dash. The runners are lined up at the start line, waiting for their queue. Over the loud speaker comes a voice with a command to the Runners.

1. “On Your Mark” : Has the runners put their feet in to the starting blocks.
2. “Set” : Has the runners position themselves in their crouched stance, ready to spring forward.
3. GO! : The horn sounds and the race begins.

Being ready to start their race is an advantage to winning. Imagine another runner just standing, not in position, not ready to take that next step and pounce forward on the sound of the horn. Just because they are practiced and have qualified for their race, it is very unlikely they could win the race if they are not ready to run.

This is true for business growth as well.

When starting your business, and likely for many years after, you have been working to grow your business in different ways. You gathered all the information you needed, set up accounts, software, process, defined your product, hired, trained, developed marketing and markets, etc. Every new idea you came up with, every change in software, or update to your process, required a new readiness to happen. When you were ready to launch that new program, you had spent months working on getting all the pieces in place. When you were ready to take on more clients, beyond your own capacity to manage everything and everyone, you spent months, or more likely years to be ready.

Being ready makes the next step in growth possible.

People often say to me, “I’m not ready to think about leaving my business”, but the reality is, if you are ready, growth is possible, because preparing your business to run without you, also prepares your business to take on more.

But the opposite is not true. Just because you are growing, does not mean your business is ready for you to leave. Like the runner, in the analogy above, that had prepared to be in a race, was not ready to take the next step to pounce when the horn sounded. Being able grow your business does not ensure your business is ready to transition ownership.  But, being ready for sale or succession means you are in ‘THE’ race for your future.

• “On Your Mark” : Has the company positioned to be valuable enough for someone else to want to buy it.
• “Set” : Has the processes and systems in place to ensure the transition will happen smoothly, for the new owner, for your team, and for yourself.
• GO! : When you finally sign the deal, you be able to move forward with ease and confidence that you got what you needed from the sale, and you are getting what you need from the transition.

Don’t wait until you are too old, too tired, or too unwell to have your business ready for its next evolution and for your next adventure. Plan now to ensure you get what you need from both.

If you want to discuss your Business Readiness with Barb, book this free call.

This article is 100% original content – The articles you read in this blog are 100% created by Barb Stuhlemmer, not by AI. © 2026 Barb Stuhlemmer

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