How the experts do it
Learn from those who have grown small businesses into global brands
It's worth looking at those who have successfully scaled up to see how they did it. As these case studies show, big brands don't grow and succeed by chance.
Getting clear is a game-changer
How clarity helped Tesla achieve the impossible
The situation:
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It’s 2011 and the entire global car industry is still focusing on fossil-fuelled vehicles. A relatively unknown entrepreneur called Elon Musk arrives on the scene with a very clear goal to accelerate the use of sustainable energy in car manufacturing.
What happened:
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Musk’s single-minded vision helps him stay focused and work towards specific milestones. Tesla launches the first mass-market electric vehicle and invests heavily in battery production by creating the Gigafactory in Nevada. Everything Musk does is a strategic step towards his goal.
The result:
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Musk succeeds in disrupting the industry to such an extent that Tesla becomes the leading electric vehicle manufacturer in the world. All other car giants are forced to follow suit. Musk's ambitious goal becomes a reality.
Which shows that having even the most unlikely goal can lead to powerful results.
Control underpins everything
How Starbucks' success relied on financial discipline
The situation:
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It’s Seattle in the late 1980s. Howard Schultz buys six Starbucks stores with a plan to expand the chain across the USA. He knows this is a huge challenge, so he appoints management consultant Orin Smith as CFO to help guide him on his mission.
What happened:
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Schultz learns financial discipline from Smith, who helps him scale operations while carefully managing profitability. Smith focuses relentlessly on cash flow and cost control. He brings much-needed balance to Schultz's fast-paced visionary style, ensuring they can always afford reinvestment. His methodical approach earns him the nickname 'the tortoise'.
The result:
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Schultz admits there would be no Starbucks without Orin Smith. With his careful control of the finances, they expanded a small regional coffee chain into a global brand. Today there are more than 10,000 stores worldwide.
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Which shows that keeping tight control of your costs can make all the difference.
Numbers are your key to growth
How AirBnB harnessed the power of financial data
The situation:
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It’s the early 2010s and Airbnb is a fledgling business, hungry for market traction. Its founders decide to analyse occupancy rates and average booking values to understand which locations and types of listings are generating the most revenue.
What happened:
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The insights they gain from their financial data helps them make big business decisions. They prioritise expansion in high-demand cities and invest in tools for hosts (like pricing algorithms and property management features) to increase profitability.
The result:
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The decision to heavily invest in data-driven tools makes Airbnb one of the fastest growing businesses in the world. Today it generates billions in annual revenue and scales over 190 countries across the globe.
Proving numbers can give you all you need to know – if you take time to look.