How businesses can unlock better growth

With the economy at a turning point, companies should be thinking more critically about growth—concentrating on growing better rather than simply getting bigger.

For most businesses the urge to grow is written in their DNA. Growth is a key measure of success. Financial markets demand it. However, finding opportunities to expand has been difficult lately. As inflation and costs have risen, it has become harder for most businesses to grow.

Yet that is exactly what makes this the right moment to think critically about growth. “The fact is you can’t cut your way to growth,” says Andreas von der Gathen, co-CEO of commercial growth specialists Simon-Kucher. “If you want to find growth in a world where costs are rising, the key is to understand what customers really value today and what they will value in the future.”

That chimes with the mood of financial markets. Investors will always want to see higher revenues and profits—but increasingly they are…