Why So Many Businesses Feel Stuck

Business Growth

7 Apr

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to speak at two events across Yorkshire:

SNAPS Yorkshire’s Corporate Catch Up in Leeds
Meet the Expert Session – in association with Pathways to Work at the Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber of Commerce

Both sessions brought together a range of business owners, from those just starting out to those already generating strong revenue.

And despite the different audiences, the same challenges kept coming up.

1. LinkedIn Confusion Is Holding People Back

At the LinkedIn workshop in Leeds, the biggest takeaway wasn’t a lack of effort, it was a lack of clarity.

Business owners aren’t short on advice. If anything, they’re overwhelmed by it.

Post every day.
Don’t post every day.
Be professional.
Be personal.
Follow trends.
Ignore trends.

The result?

People are overthinking everything to the point where they stop showing up consistently. Several attendees even described feeling a sense of LinkedIn burnout. And when that happens, momentum disappears.

The Real Issue

LinkedIn itself isn’t the problem.

The issue is trying to use it without a clear, simple strategy.

When there’s no structure behind what you’re doing:

Content feels random
Engagement feels forced
Results feel inconsistent

And over time, it becomes draining rather than effective.

2. The Fundamentals Are Being Ignored

One of the more surprising insights was how many business owners have shifted too much focus onto LinkedIn at the expense of what already works.

Things like:

Email marketing
Picking up the phone
Networking and real conversations

These are still some of the most reliable ways to generate business. But because LinkedIn feels more visible and “current,” it often takes priority.

What Happens Next?

When LinkedIn doesn’t immediately deliver results, frustration builds. Not because LinkedIn doesn’t work, but because it’s being relied on in isolation.

The most effective businesses aren’t choosing one channel.

They’re combining:

Consistent LinkedIn activity
Direct outreach
Relationship-building
Ongoing communication through email

It’s the combination that creates momentum.

3. Even Successful Businesses Are “Winging It”

At the Meet the Expert Session, a different, but equally important, theme emerged.

Many business owners, even those performing well, didn’t have a clear handle on their numbers.

We’re talking about:

Revenue targets
Costs and margins
Budgets
Growth plans

In many cases, these simply weren’t defined. And the phrase that came up repeatedly? “I’m kind of winging it.”

4. Why This Becomes a Problem When You Try to Grow

When you don’t have clarity on your numbers, scaling becomes difficult. Because growth decisions end up being reactive rather than strategic.

This often leads to:

Working more hours instead of working smarter
Hiring too quickly (or at the wrong time)
Throwing money at problems without understanding ROI

One interesting point that came out of the session was around resourcing. Many attendees hadn’t considered using freelancers as a way to grow capacity without committing to full-time hires. But once explored, it became clear how effective that approach can be - especially in the early stages of scaling.

5. So What Are the Businesses Getting Right?

Across both events, the businesses that were progressing more confidently had a few things in common.

They weren’t doing anything overly complex.

They were just doing the right things consistently.