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
The Ecommerce Roadmap
BusinessEntrepreneurshipMarketing

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

Official website RSS
instagramyoutube
The Ecommerce Roadmap
Podcast Episodes
265: How to Stay on Track in Uncertain Times [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:28
When things feel uncertain— tariffs, rising costs, economic shifts—it's easy to spiral or freeze. But uncertainty doesn't mean failure. In this episode, we're sharing a grounded, step-by-step process for staying focused…
264: Jen's Coaching Call: The Plan for $20K Months [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:56
Jen is a maker who runs her business with minimal help—and she's already a multi-six-figure store owner. But last year, her sales started slipping. In this episode, Susan and Jen walk through the exact plan she's using t…
263: What To Do When You Need New Customers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:38
Getting new customers shouldn't feel like throwing spaghetti at the wall. In this episode, we're digging into a repeatable, long-term strategy you can use to consistently bring new people into your store—without burning…
262: Coaching Call: What to Do When You Have More Time Than Money [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:57
When you're wearing all the hats in your business, it's easy to hit a point where you wonder: Should I be hiring help? Or should I just figure it out myself? That's exactly where Inner Circle member and ceramic artist Sa…
261: Growing your sales: what you must know first [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:44
I'm sharing one of the smartest (and simplest) ways to grow your ecommerce sales—without a big ad budget. But be warned: this strategy only works up to a point. If you miss the signs that it's time to shift, your sales c…
260: Do This If You Aren't Reaching Your Goals [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:36
Episode 260: Do This If You Aren't Reaching Your Goals If you've ever felt like everyone else is growing while you're stuck, this episode is for you. You're not failing—but the way you're setting your goals might be. In…
259: How Trisha Built a High-Converting List for Her Product Launch [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:10
What if you could grow your email list, create viral content, and sell more—without spending on ads? That's exactly what jewelry designer Trisha Flanagan did with a brilliant product tester campaign inspired by our previ…
258: The piece of the puzzle you've been missing [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:24
I still remember how I felt when I was growing my first Ecommerce business, Wee Squeak. For a long time, I was frustrated because I just couldn't figure out what I was missing — what it was that was stopping me from gett…
256: How Pivoting and Consistency Doubled Sales for Wendy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:39
In this episode, we're learning from Wendy's incredible journey of doubling her sales within a year. After a motivating comment in our Inner Circle group, we invited Wendy to break down her success into actionable steps…

«12345678910»