For women entrepreneurs, scaling up is still a summit to be climbed

For women entrepreneurs, the path to scaling their businesses can sometimes feel like a challenging summit to climb. However, in the heart of this challenge lies an opportunity for growth and innovation.  Claire Colvin, a local entrepreneur, and the co-founder of Simple Scaling, is leading the charge in supporting business leaders to scale their companies with a clear sense of purpose.

Simple Scaling's vision is to build a thriving global community of ambitious SME leaders who achieve significant and purposeful growth.  To guide entrepreneurs on this journey, Claire and her business partner, Brendan McGurgan, have developed a globally recognised scaling framework called ScaleX™. This framework acts as a roadmap, helping business leaders to navigate the complex terrain of scaling.

With a background spanning various sectors, including hospitality, technology, and engineering, Claire's experience has given her invaluable insights into the art of scaling. She co-authored the book "Simple Scaling; 10 Proven Principles to 10x Your Business," in an effort to share the ScaleX™ source code with the world.
“Scaling, as defined by the OECD, is a strenuous task: achieving 20% growth year-on-year for three consecutive years, whether in terms of revenue or employee numbers. Shockingly, fewer than 2% of SMEs globally ever accomplish this feat. My journey began with a burning curiosity about why this percentage was so low.”

To address this challenge, Claire and Brendan introduced the ScaleX™ Accelerator Programme, a 12-month initiative open to Managing Directors, CEOs and Founders of SMEs regardless of industry or background. This programme provides not just the conditions and structure for growth but also the vital support and know-how to help SME leaders realise their scaling ambition.

Women-owned businesses continue to make substantial contributions to the UK economy, yet they face unique hurdles when it comes to scaling up. The underrepresentation of women in CEO positions, the struggle to balance work and home life, the dearth of female role models and mentors, and the lack of investment and support all play a role in hindering their growth.

Claire's approach at Simple Scaling is inclusive, recognising that entrepreneurs come from a diverse range of backgrounds.  She highlights the importance of having women like Alison McFadden, Clare Vallely, Joanne Nolan, Karen Trainor, and Gillian McLean in the ScaleX™ community, ensuring that the conversations are always forward-thinking and inclusive. The ultimate goal is to provide all business owners, regardless of gender, the opportunity to join the collective journey of scaling.

Claire firmly believes that scaling doesn't have to be complicated; in fact, simplicity is often the key to success. She emphasizes that every entrepreneur should possess the knowledge and tools to execute their scaling goals effectively. Claire will be sharing this source code for success at the upcoming ScaleX™ Summit on November 15th at the ICC in Belfast, demonstrating its impact on local businesses.

For Claire, the journey of entrepreneurship has been invigorating, even starting in her mid-40s. She finds immense fulfilment in sending the elevator back down to help others climb to success. Simple Scaling doesn't just provide advice and step back; they actively walk alongside their participants, applying their own tools and guidance to their scaling journey.  The team at Simple Scaling is working tirelessly to expand the ScaleX™ Accelerator Programme globally. Partnerships in Dublin are in progress and plans for further programmes in Scotland, London and the US are on the horizon, with the aim of helping even more leaders to achieve scaling success.

Claire acknowledges that self-doubt is a common companion on the entrepreneurial journey, not only for women.  She encourages all entrepreneurs, regardless of gender, to recognize their inner critic and take a step forward. “If it works out, then we know we can do more than we think.  If it doesn’t, then we know we can handle more than we think.”  The ScaleX™ Accelerator Programme places a strong emphasis on the psyche of the leader, in particular mental preparedness and resilience, recognizing that decisions made along the path of scaling are pivotal to a company's success.

While gender equity remains a challenge, Claire isn’t convinced that the system is actually working for anyone.  “Research shows only a staggering 6% of CEOs in the UK are female.  90% of non-binary people are reporting harassment or discrimination at work and three times as many men as women die by suicide.  The global spend on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives is estimated to be in the billions and it’s going to take another century at least to achieve real change in the workplace.   The path to change requires a collective and inclusive effort from all of us – as individuals, organisations, and society as a whole.”

On a personal note, Claire aspires to be a woman who wakes up every day loving her work, having adventure, collaborating with others and being at peace with her choices. Her dedication to her family and her commitment to continuous learning underscore her journey. Claire recognises the importance of female role models and aims to pave the way for future generations of female leaders. 

“There aren’t enough female MDs and CEOs out there and I admire those who have paved the way for others.  If we can inspire more women to step into these roles and improve the success rate of female owned SMEs that would be a huge win for us at Simple Scaling.  We make sure everyone leaves every interaction with us, more inspired, more prepared and more confident.  A friend described the ScaleX™ community as one ‘full of ambition, where everyone has an easy confidence and the only people you’re competing with is yourself.’  This fills me up with with pride. I thought, that’s exactly the room that I want to be in and it’s the room I would like my own children to be in.  Surrounding yourself with the right people is a critical part of the scaling journey.  The right people will hear you differently.  They show up differently, support you differently and nourish you differently.  That’s how you know you’re in the right room.”

Claire Colvin and Simple Scaling are shining examples of how women entrepreneurs are not just scaling their businesses but also empowering others to reach greater heights. Through dedication, resilience, and a commitment to inclusivity, they are rewriting the narrative of entrepreneurship and gender equity in the business world.