Money and people are the two big drivers of and sometimes constraints to growth. Smaller and younger companies need revenue, profits, and positive cash flow. They also require the right talent to get them to the next level, and they need to compete with bigger companies (with deeper pockets) to get that talent.
Too many start-ups fail to invest in the systems that will help them manage money and talent until it’s too late. They focus on software that will help them build and track customer relationships; create, manage, and analyze their website; send (way too many) marketing emails; perhaps even run a small call center. Finance is left to manage through spreadsheets, and talent acquisition is run through email, LinkedIn, and paper processes.