In the broader business world, the term “growth” is primarily associated with revenue and head counts. While revenue, customers, and employees are undeniably critical aspects of growth, it only scratches the surface of what growth truly encompasses.
In this blog, we’ll dive into the essential aspects of growth beyond revenue that are necessary to work smart, have fun, and make money.
The Growth Mindset
At Zebulon LLC, we work hard to expand the meaning of growth for outdoor outfitters, moving beyond just growing revenue and user days. Through our strategic initiatives, our clients adopt a growth mindset for harnessing the multifaceted goodness of scalable, sustainable growth.
Traditional growth metrics may revolve around revenue and volume, but authentic growth extends beyond the income statement. True growth encompasses all facets of business development – and goodness knows every business has plenty of facets!
Profit Growth, Not Just Revenue
Revenue may be the lifeblood of a business, but profit is its sustenance. As a true financial executive might put it: revenue is essential but can be misleading, and profit is the legitimate indicator of a business’s financial health.
At Zebulon, we emphasize the critical distinction between revenue and profits. We also focus on creating healthy, sustainable profit growth, which is about so much more than short-term gains.
Sustainable, healthy profit growth is about financial resiliency: it’s building a business that can withstand seasonal and economic fluctuations, changes in market conditions and weather, and other unforeseen challenges that are familiar to the outdoor adventure industry.
To put it another way, profit growth is the true path toward long-term prosperity and financial independence.
Growing Your Leadership Team
Growth influences not just the bottom line, but also the people who drive the business forward. A business unlocks the best opportunities for scalable growth when its team members are united in sharing a sense of ownership in the outfit’s success.
For outdoor outfitters, this means not only thriving financially but also fostering a thriving organizational culture. Behind every successful outfitter lies a cohesive, empowered team.
True growth includes nurturing leadership skills within an organization. Effective leadership training propels businesses forward using employees’ personal and professional motivations as catalysts for new initiatives and innovations. By cultivating a culture where leaders emerge at every level, not just at the top, you’re setting up your outfit for scalable success.
Personal, Professional, and Spiritual Growth
For business owners and leaders, an individual’s personal, professional, and spiritual development is intrinsically tied to business growth. In fact, the way we see it, business growth is a trailing indicator of each leader’s personal, professional, and spiritual growth.
At Zebulon, we understand that growth via self discipline and steadfast education is a surefire pathway toward business improvement. The regenerative properties of the personal, spiritual, and professional trifecta fuel one another.
Aligning spiritual values with business goals leads to better decision-making and a deeper sense of purpose. Nurturing spiritual growth can lead to more responsible and intentional business practices. Although we don’t consult on spirituality, we fully support and encourage spiritual cultivation.
Balancing personal, professional, and spiritual growth can be challenging, especially on top of all the other balancing acts involved with running a seasonal business. However, giving personal, professional, and spiritual growth equal (or greater) weight than all other facets of business growth is a key way to reach scalable growth.
Measuring Growth – Beyond the Numbers
Many aspects of growth require looking beyond financial indicators to truly measure them. Metrics like customer satisfaction and employee engagement are two examples of non-financial metrics that contribute to healthy, holistic growth.
At the risk of sounding repetitive, we can’t emphasize this enough: the true meaning of growth extends far beyond revenue and head counts.
In addition to top and bottom lines, growth encompasses the development of individuals, teams, financial resiliency, and a commitment to values. For outdoor outfitters, redefining what growth truly means and embracing a “beyond-the-numbers” mindset leads to sustained success.
Zebulon’s Unique Perspective
At Zebulon LLC, our purpose is the pursuit of healthy growth: growing businesses, growing leadership teams, and growing wealth.
We measure our growth by the strength of our partnerships, including our ability to elevate the industry’s most innovative outfitters by blending practical education with professional servitude.
Zebulon empowers businesses to achieve scalable, sustainable growth through a range of services tailored to their needs. From our outsourced CFO and leadership development services, to our suite of cutting-edge tech tools, to curating exclusive peer groups of like-minded outfit leaders, we provide the guidance and skills necessary for outfitters to grow in every aspect of their business.
To thrive in the short and long run, outfitters must look beyond revenue and head counts alone. By prioritizing profitability, leadership team development, and each leader’s personal, spiritual, and professional growth, outfitters will grow in a truly scalable and sustainable way.
If you’re ready to join the ranks of innovative, growth-minded outfitters who have partnered with Zebulon to skyrocket their growth potential, join our waitlist.
To keep your finger on the industry pulse, sign up for our newsletter or register for our bi-weekly Groover Gab – we’d love to have ya.
