279: How to Scale Without Borrowing (or Breaking Your Business)

279: How to Scale Without Borrowing (or Breaking Your Business)

Author: Susan Bradley: E-commerce Expert August 5, 2025 Duration: 38:56

Thinking about scaling your store? This episode is your checklist. Susan and Inner Circle coach Melissa Davies break down what most store owners get wrong when they try to grow—and the five things you need to do before you scale.

If you're not profitable now, scaling won't fix it. It'll just magnify the problem. Tune in to hear how to prepare your business to grow without burning out or running out of cash.

You'll Learn:

 ✅ Why your first step isn't marketing—it's accounting
✅ How to know if you're really ready to scale
✅ What to look for in a bookkeeper (and how to know if they're doing it wrong)
✅ How to calculate your cost to acquire a customer
✅ How to set aside a "growth fund" so you're not scaling on fumes

Mentioned in This Episode:

Episode 167 – Price to Maximize Profit https://thesocialsalesgirls.com/pricing-to-maximize-profit-episode-167/

Episode 165 – How to Scale Your Sales https://thesocialsalesgirls.com/how-to-scale-your-sales-episode-165/

Episode 262 – What to Do When You Have More Time Than Money https://thesocialsalesgirls.com/what-to-do-when-you-have-more-time-than-money-in-your-business-episode-262/

Episode 187 – What It Costs to Get a Customer https://thesocialsalesgirls.com/do-you-even-know-what-it-costs-to-get-a-new-customer-episode-187/

______________________

Are you constantly asking yourself how to make your website better or questioning your prices? Do you wonder if you're missing something? If you have made sales in person or on a site like Etsy, I know you can sell more on your site.

Get my FREE mini-course that will show you our step-by-step process to grow your sales without spending a fortune on risky ad strategies or discounting your products here: https://learn.thesocialsalesgirls.com/conversion-school/

"Insightful, actionable and engaging! I learn so much every single time I listen. I can't believe this information is free!" - If you feel like this too, I'd love it if you would leave us a review. Reviewing the show will help us reach even more store owners, so we can help them grow their sales.

Click here, tap to rate with 5 stars and select "Write a review". Let us know what you find most helpful about the podcast!

Also, if you haven't already make sure to follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode! Follow here!






 


Susan Bradley has spent years navigating the twists and turns of online retail, and in The Ecommerce Roadmap, she shares that hard-won expertise directly with you. This isn't about vague theory; it's a practical guide built from the ground up for Shopify store owners who are tired of guesswork. Each episode pulls back the curtain on real stores, dissecting what actually moves the needle for growth and profitability. You'll hear a data-driven blend of overarching strategy and the specific, actionable tactics you can implement immediately. The focus is always on building a business with predictable, profitable sales, not just fleeting traffic. As an e-commerce expert, Susan structures every conversation to cut through the noise, offering clear direction whether you're just starting out or looking to scale an established brand. Tune into this podcast for honest conversations that feel like consulting with a trusted advisor, all aimed at providing you with a reliable map for your unique journey in online commerce.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Ecommerce Roadmap
Podcast Episodes
316: Website Compliance: How To Protect Your Business [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:06
In the last few months, three members of our community — store owners just like you and me — have faced lawsuits over website compliance. So I sat down with my favorite lawyer, Tannia Ospina, to talk about what you actua…
315: Brandon doubled his sales AND cut ad spend by 90% [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:23
Brandon Love is the founder of Bewilderment.com — a fragrance and art studio in Columbus, Ohio. He started the business at 17 and is now in his 11th year. When tariffs hit last year and his Facebook ad performance collap…
314: Getting Help Vs. Going It Alone [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:42
Bergen Anderson is the founder of Lila Barn Clothing — a Chicago-based brand making bold, colorful clothing for kids and adults who love adventure. She's been in business for 14 years, runs a physical storefront, and rec…
312. Do this and 2x your next Product Launch [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:46
If you're like most store owners I talk to, you probably put a ton of time into finding the perfect product, invest in inventory, get excited about having something new to offer… and then the results are a little underwh…
311: The habits I see that lead to success [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:49
Wondering what the difference is between a store owner who feels confident and sees steady growth — and one who's working hard but spinning their wheels? It's usually not a great product or a beautiful website. It's a fe…
310: The real reason your sales are unpredictable [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:21
Recently, I've been working with a group of eCommerce owners who have great products. They're probably much like you! They have good weeks - and some not so good weeks - and over time it feels like a lot of effort to get…
309. Do you have the right traffic? Take these 5 steps and find out. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:29
Wondering why your sales are stuck—even though you're doing "all the right things"? In this episode, Susan and Melissa walk through how to use your own Shopify and Klaviyo data to figure out if your traffic is the proble…
308. What you need to know about Reliable Revenue [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:35
Reliable Revenue is a once-a-year intensive course focused on building a long-term conversion system to maximize customer lifetime value through email marketing strategies and automations. It does not cover traffic, ads,…
307: Disaster proof your Business - here's how [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:09
Join us in this episode as we explore Sam Gilhooley's remarkable journey from bed rest to business boss. Sam, owner of Magnetics and a student of our Reliable Revenue course, shares what happened when illness took her ou…