Business Coaching Reboot
Let’s be honest – no one talks about this.
You built something great. You fought for growth. You hustled, hired, pivoted, and pushed through.
And for a while, it worked. The business grew. Revenue climbed.
Success seemed inevitable.
But now? It’s different.
Growth has slowed – or worse, stopped. You’re doing the same things that once worked, but they aren’t moving the needle.
You feel the pressure. And your stakeholders all expect momentum, but you’re stuck.
You know the old saying: doing the same thing and expecting a different result is insanity.
Of course, you’re awake to the fact that you need a plan to get the business moving again. But here’s the kicker: you can’t stop keeping the lights on. Your team, your customers, your reputation – they all depend on you to maintain output and service standards while you figure this out. It’s a real challenge!
Here’s the part no business book will tell you: this is normal. Almost every founder or CEO hits this wall at some point. The key isn’t to work harder; it’s to work differently.
Let’s talk about why this happens and, more importantly, how to fix it.
Why Businesses Stall – And Why It’s Hard to See from the Inside
There are dozens of reasons why a business might flatline. Some are external – market shifts, economic downturns, or aggressive new competitors. Some are internal – operational inefficiencies, leadership misalignment, or a failure to innovate.
The insight is that when your business stalls, it’s rarely just one thing. It’s usually a mix of factors – external pressures, customer shifts, internal hiccups, and strategic misfires – all playing off each other like a bad symphony. Pinpointing the root cause isn’t just important; it’s everything. Without it, you’re swinging in the dark.
And here’s the tricky part: when you’re in the business every day, it can be tricky to see the full picture – the range of variables.
You’re putting out fires, keeping the team moving, and making sure customers stay happy. You don’t have time to step back. You don’t have a process.
20 of the Most Common Reasons Businesses Stall
A robust process needs a framework to shape your understanding. We’ve identified 20 of the top reasons why businesses hit a plateau. They typically fall into four key areas:
External Pressures (Out of Your Control, But Not Beyond Your Influence)
- Market Saturation – No more room to grow in your current space
- Economic Downturn – Customers tighten their budgets
- Increased Competition – New players are stealing market share
- Supply Chain Disruptions – Delays or shortages are hitting hard
- Shifting Consumer Trends – You’re missing changes in what customers want
Customer Challenges (The Silent Growth Killers)
- Customer Churn – You’re losing customers too fast
- Brand Reputation Damage – Bad buzz is eroding trust
- Poor Customer Insights – You don’t fully understand what your customers need
- Ineffective Marketing – Your message isn’t resonating
- Pricing Missteps – Too high and you scare customers away; too low and you kill profit margins
Internal Operations (The Hidden Bottlenecks)
- Operational Inefficiencies – Internal processes are slowing you down
- Talent Shortages – You can’t find or keep the right people
- Poor Cash Flow Management – You’re short when you need money to invest
- Overexpansion – You grew too fast, and now it’s backfiring
- Weak Sales Execution – Your team isn’t closing deals effectively
Innovation & Strategy (The Long-Term Game)
- Failure to Innovate – No new ideas, no evolution
- Lack of Strategic Focus – You’re chasing too many things at once
- Technological Obsolescence – Old tools and outdated systems are holding you back
- Leadership Misalignment – The leadership team isn’t on the same page
- Burnout – Your team is exhausted, and it’s showing
Twenty reasons. One business. Your business.
The challenge isn’t just spotting these – it’s figuring out which reasons are the drivers and how they’re feeding off each other.
Sound familiar?
Here’s the truth: there’s rarely just one reason.
Most companies dealing with stalled growth face a mix of these challenges.
And unless you take the time to diagnose them properly, you risk treating the symptoms, not the disease.
Best Practice Approach to Help You Find – and Fix – the Growth Problem
We recommend you follow a three-phase process to get your business back on track:
1} Diagnose the Root Causes
Most Founders and CEOs assume they already know the problem. Usually, this hypothesis is totally accurate. Validating this thinking and considering the impact and interplay of other variables builds confidence and alignment. A systematic process here helps you focus on the reasons behind your stalled growth.
This isn’t a gut-feel exercise – it’s a structured, data-driven approach. Every business is unique and faces its own particular circumstances. This diagnosis phase needs to flex around information that’s readily available and feedback that needs to be independently generated:
- External data sources
- Internal performance data/KPI metrics
- Voice of the Customer
- Research with staff (Leadership team, functional heads, sales team)
No guesswork. No fluff. Use tools and approaches with independence that strip away the chaos and zero in on whether it’s one factor or multiple working in tandem.
2} Understand & Explore the Underlying Factors
Once the causes are pinpointed, understand what’s really driving them. Dig deep. What’s behind them? How are they showing up in your numbers, your team, your customers?
Listen – really listen – to your people and your market. Ideally, use creative, practical ways to get the full picture.
Deep and structured understanding of the problem will facilitate the crafting of solutions that actually work.
3} Create an Actionable Plan That Drives Results
The ambition is clear. Action plans that take each of the drivers of stalled growth and tackle them head on in a unified strategic plan:
✔ Clear, measurable action plans
✔ Simple, no-fluff tools that drive execution
✔ Whiteboard-friendly strategies that your team can rally behind
Working on the business not in the business
Here’s the brutal reality: businesses that stall for too long don’t recover.
Your company is either growing or it’s shrinking. There is no standing still. You’ve heard it before and you know it is true: you must work on your business, not in it.
But let’s be real – when you’re under pressure, stepping back feels impossible. You’re too busy putting out fires, keeping clients happy, and making payroll. The irony? That’s exactly why you’re stuck.
And here’s the emotional truth no one talks about: you’re carrying the weight of your vision. You’ve poured your soul into this, and flatlining feels personal. We see that. We feel that. That’s why our process isn’t just about numbers – it’s about reigniting what got you here in the first place.
Herald Strategy bridges this gap. We partner with you to make it happen. We have different models to help. We can coach you as you lead your own process, we can consult with you on the diagnosis and planning; or we can use a combination of the two approaches.
Whatever works best for you.
Our approach is practical.
It’s about getting traction, not just making recommendations.
Here’s why it works: our tools are designed for companies like yours.
They’re low on academic jargon and high on practicality. Each one can be explained in a sentence, sketched on a whiteboard, and turned into a discussion that sparks ideas and delivers next steps.
Think of it like a playbook for a team that’s ready to win again
Ready to Get Unstuck? Let’s Talk.
This isn’t about theory. It’s about execution.
If your business has stalled, you don’t have time for generic advice. You need a clear plan, fast.
You know you need a change. You know the old playbook isn’t working. And you know you can’t afford to let the business coast while you figure it out. Partner with us, and we’ll help you see your situation for what it is, build a plan that works, and get your business back to what it’s meant to be: growing, thriving, and yours to lead.
