So here’s the deal — I have a fancy checklist I could sent you. We’re talking branded, color-coded, highlighter-worthy kind of checklist. The kind of document that says, “Yes, I help people run their businesses with spreadsheets and style.” No those two things aren’t mutually exclusive.
But let’s keep it simple here.
Here are 5 key moves I use with service-based businesses (consulting agencies, coaching firms, SMEs and knowledge-based companies) to
Scale to $5 Million — without cloning yourself.
Or burning out. Or sacrificing every weekend to “just one more client.” I could do this all day.
1. Productize Your Service
Let’s be real: Custom 1:1 work is rewarding and you’ve already been good at it… until it becomes the very expensive jobyou created to escape your old one.
Fix it like this:
- Package your brilliance: frameworks, templates, tiered offerings. I know, I know, it doesn’t sound sexy. But its easier than ever to do.
- Example: “90-Day Accelerator to XYZ Outcome,” “Fix Your Finances in a Month,” or “Dental Practice Clean-Up Before Year-End,” “Small Business Law in 10 Steps”, you get the idea.
- Bonus: It doesn’t always have to be YOU delivering it. That’s the beauty of leverage, and that is how you clone yourself.
2. Raise Your Prices — Like, Yesterday
You are probably undercharging. Not in a cute “I overdeliver” way — in a “this is why you’re stuck and not scaling” way. I know so many influencers online talk about serving others, and eventuallyyou will get served too. That is not what I’ve observed over my 25+ year career, you just sit at the table being hungry.
How to fix it:
- Use value-based pricing (you charge for results, not minutes). If you aren’t familiar with this- oh, is it gonna blow your mind!
- Create premium/VIP tiers for clients who want more access.
- Use testimonials and data to anchor new prices with confidence.
Stop being the best-kept secret. You’re not a speakeasy. You’re the expert.
You can’t just “build it and they will come”. Yes, yes Field of Dreams lied to us all.
You need to tell people about you. Remind people about you. Send them a calendar invite to you. Text them 5 minutes before. Or… automate the snot out of the process.
3. Build a Scalable Delivery Team
If you’re the product, you’re the bottleneck.
How to fix that:
- Build SOPs and a training library — it’s not as hard as you think. If you want my less than 15 minute podcast on this- let me know.
- Be clear about who you want on your team (no more hiring “Swiss army knife” people and expecting them to do 7 jobs). Been there, done that. The poor gal was TIRED and I was a red flag…
- Teach others how to deliver your method, so the business doesn’t collapse if you take a vacation (imagine that?) No, taking your laptop “just in case” doesn’t count. Been there done that. (I would pack my “laptop bag” before I would pack my vacation suitcase. Anyone else?)
4. Stop Relying on Referrals
Referrals are amazing- and spoiler alert- they are the CHEAPEST way to create sales. Even Jay Abrahamreiterated that when he was on my PivotMe podcast. However, getting to 5 Million a year will need more.
Build your own sales pipeline:
- Create evergreen (doesn’t grow old, unlike Christmas trees) lead magnets like quizzes, webinars, or checklists, or guides for your ideal clients.
- Publish content that positions you as the go-to expert (no TikTok dancing required- everybody wins!)
- Nurture leads with automated systems, not only phone calls from you. This doesn’t require tech staff- its easier than ever- even if you are still carrying around an iPhone from 6 years ago.
5. Own Your Thought Leadership
In high-trust industries like consulting and coaching, people don’t hire strangers — they hire people they’ve been secretly stalking on LinkedIn or IG.
Stand out by:
- Speaking on stages, even small ones. Don’t forget to get some good photos while you are doing it. Your niece and her iPhone (which is likely newer than yours) will work just fine at first.
- Podcast guesting (again easier than you think), and writing helpful content (write it only for your ideal client. Don’t try to reach everyone).
- Sharing client success stories like they’re your proudest report cards.
If being this “seen” is hard for you- you are not alone. I experienced that when I switched away from the Corporate world. I was a Business Adviser to Big Business and Feds – it was all grey pantsuits and stale headshots. The idea of showing up online and talking about my journey felt, at best unprofessional, at worse downright cringey. But I found my lane and helped other business owners find theirs.
Ultimately you will want to be known for a signature concept, tool, or transformation. Thought leadership isn’t just marketing — it’s trust-building at scale in your space.
Want the Full 10-Point Checklist?
These are just the first five. The next five cover how to create recurring revenue, build a sales engine, install a leadership team, and escape founder burnout for good.
Want them?
I’ll send them over, no paywall, no weird funnel where I make you watch 47 minutes of me pacing in a loft I rented to look impressive.
Just helpful stuff you can execute on today.
Comment below or send me a message. I’ll also throw in a few podcast episodes from PivotMe where I break these steps down.
You’re doing the hard thing. You’re building something out of nothing — I see you. But scaling smart? That’s where it gets really good.
April
You can find this article in my LinkedIn page too: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/5-easy-ways-scale-your-service-based-business-5m-its-april-1emcc