The S.C.O.R.E. Method for Scaling Businesses

Understanding S.C.O.R.E.

This program rests on a methodology that breaks down the various functions of business into 5 main areas:

1. Strategy
2. Capital Management
3. Operational Excellence
4. Revenue Management
5. Ecosystem

We do this because each area of focus has different aspects that you need to learn about and each can grow in it's own right.  That said, there's another method to this training which is that we learn about scaling in Levels. 

There are 4 levels of growth built into the Scaling Academy model.  We break it down as such because there are low-hanging fruit items that you can implement immediately (Level 1), intermediate-level additions that you can make, once you have Level 1 in place (Level 2 and 3) and high-level polishing steps that should only be attempted once you have completed all previous levels (Level 4).

The guidance for this program is to go through the sub-modules according to their level (S1, C1, O1, R1, E1, S2, etc.).  Depending on where your business is, you may already have some of the earlier level pieces in place.  It is for that reason that there are quizzes at the end of each sub-module. 

Components of S.C.O.R.E.

Understanding and improving each of these components is crucial for effectively scaling your business and achieving significant growth.

Strategy

Strategy is specifically speaking to what you, and others, as leaders in your business need to focus on to direct your business to higher levels of success.  Many new business owners remain in the Operator perspective and see things from the lens of what will get us through this day, week, or month.  In order for your business to scale we need to get you into the Strategist perspective so that you are looking forward and planning from the lens of months, quarters, and years.

Capital Management

Capital Management is another way of saying Finances.  At the operator level, this can be viewed as Accounts Payable (paying expenses) and Accounts Receivable (income for products/services rendered), but it can be so much more than that.  A key piece is looking at your Cashflow, which is the lifeblood of your business.  It represents the money on hand to pay your people, your expenses, and yourself.  Additionally it can go into Payment Terms, Loans, Investors, and Financial Partnerships.  No business survives poor capital management for long.

Operational Excellence

You'll often here this phrase, "Scaling isn't about building bigger, but building better" in these trainings.  The chief advantage that small businesses have over large businesses is their ability to adapt quickly.  Part of this is because you have a smaller workforce and less complex systems.  The other part is that it is easier to know, catalog, and change your end-to-end processes when you have a handful of people using them vs. having 100s of people using them.  So being able to know your standards and to pivot to change, if needed, means that you can take advantage of new opportunities faster than your larger competition.

Revenue Management

Where Capital Management is largely about what income is coming in, Revenue Management is about how and why that income is coming to you.  This would include Sales, Marketing, Branding, and Advertising, How does your business get customers and how can we get you more?  How does your business get customers to come back, and how can we make that happen more?  How do we get your customers thinking about your business first when they have a problem you can solve?  How do we get your customers to become advocates for your business and its brand?

Ecosystem

Ecosystem refers to all the people that contribute to, or possibly detract from, your company's success?  Whether those are your...

1. Internal team (leaders, employees, and volunteers),
2. External teams (suppliers, facilities, service providers, delivery partners),
3. Financial partners (banks, investors, franchisees) or
4. Customers (both direct and indirect)

...it's in your business' best interest to cultivate a positive relationship and be focused on a singular vision of creating, or receiving, as much value as possible.

Each of these areas touch on the other four, but they should have a particular focus while you are scaling your business.  Don't assume that improving one means you are improving the others.  More often than not, businesses improve 1 or 2 at the expense of the others and pay a very steep price from the fallout of what was left behind.

Our goal is to get you and your business to your destination in as healthy a position (financially, communally, emotionally, mentally, economically, and personally) a manner as possible, but also one that is robust enough that you can continue growing without endangering what you've created.