While there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, an overriding piece of advice would be to ensure that you have adequate resources at your disposal to underpin the scaling-up. Subjecting your systems and processes to rigorous stress testing on a regular basis can help you home in on any previously unidentified cracks and mitigate risk – before things get tough. In particular, the elasticity of organisational systems and processes needs to be carefully assessed to ensure that they can be scaled without causing a spike in costs. The increase in revenue should outpace that in costs, coupled with a stable profit margin.

Here are a few relevant questions to consider:

• What are the implications of a turnover rise for your operations and availability of resources (i.e. finances, people, inventory and space).
• Is your cashflow healthy enough to handle the delay between incurring costs and receiving payment?
• Is there sufficient demand for your product or service?
• Are all your processes running more or less like clockwork with minimal hiccups?
• Is your operating model fit for purpose?
• Do you have the right team with the right set of skills?
• Do you have the right strategic alliances and partnerships in place?
• Which digital competencies and new technologies do you need to acquire to support your scaling-up ambitions?