Have you ever wondered why your business isn’t growing, even though you’re doing everything right? You’ve hired experts, reworked the strategy, and cut costs—but nothing seems to work.

Here’s the thing: The real reason probably isn’t out there. It’s not the market, your competitors, or even your team. It’s closer than you think.

It’s you.

The biggest barriers to business growth are usually internal, tied to our mindset as leaders.

Not convinced?

The chances are extremely high that you have a competitor, facing the same economic issues, the same hiring challenges—and they are killing it. The difference?

It’s probably how they think.

The Real Story: Andrew’s Business Growth Barrier

Take Andrew, for example.

Andrew had recently started a small business. It seemed he had the Midas Touch—he could make money grow. In a few short years, he grew revenues to $4 million annually. He built a strong foundation with multiple revenue streams, a solid client base, and a unique service so innovative it gave him a near monopoly in his space.

He was positioned to easily double his revenue within a year or so—and that would just be warming up.

But his business wasn’t growing. Month after month, his revenue remained stagnant.

When we dug deeper, I discovered something surprising. Andrew had made a large investment in property and equipment to serve a major client. This new service alone would have generated $35,000 a month in steady revenue. Everything was ready to go—except for one thing.

He hadn’t paid the $5,000 inspection fee to get started. For six months, he delayed. Finally, one day, Andrew was out, and I was meeting with his management team. I asked them why this project was stalled. They told me Andrew didn’t want to pay the fee. Made sense to them—it’s a chunk of change.

I pointed out that the delay had cost him over $200,000 in lost revenue over six months. They were shocked, “Well, when you put it that way…”

What was happening?

Andrew wasn’t bad with money—he was afraid of it. Despite having multi-million-dollar deals in place, he hesitated to spend money where it mattered. I later discovered that he avoided invoicing. Why? Because he didn’t trust himself to manage the cash flow.

His fear of losing money ironically cost him millions.

Andrew’s story illustrates a common barrier called the Scarcity Mindset—one of several business growth barriers that keep leaders and their businesses stuck. These barriers aren’t always obvious, but they’re powerful. Let’s explore some of the common ones and how to overcome them.

The Mindset Barriers to Business Growth

1. The Trust Barrier

This barrier sounds like: “If I don’t do it myself, it won’t get done right.”

Leaders who struggle with trust end up micromanaging, creating bottlenecks in their businesses. Their teams can’t step up because they’re not given the chance to prove themselves.

Solution:
Start by delegating small, low-risk tasks. Build your confidence in your team by creating clear processes and benchmarks so you can verify their success without constant oversight. Trust, like any skill, grows with practice.

2. The Scarcity Barrier

The fear of not having enough (money, resources, opportunities, etc.) can paralyze leaders. Andrew’s hesitation to spend $5,000 to unlock $35,000 a month in revenue is a perfect example of this.

Solution:
Sometimes this requires deeper work, but many people can make significant changes by:

• Spend time with people who have an abundance mindset. These individuals don’t worry about where the next dollar will come from—they know they can go out and get it.
• Practice gratitude. Shift your focus from worry and lack to appreciating what you do have.
• Practice generosity. The fastest way to kill scarcity is to pick up the tab, give gifts, or donate to charity.
• Change your story. You may have experienced times of lack, but you’ve also had times of plenty. Reflect on what created abundance in your life—your actions or the support of others.

3. The Identity Barrier

This barrier often shows up as the need to be the smartest or most valuable person in the business. Leaders who hold onto this identity stifle their teams and create dependency instead of growth.

Solution:
Issues with identity are often tied to comparison: “I’m not as successful as…” or “I need to stay more successful than…”

Spend time with people who are successful without straining and who accept you for who you are. Their confidence will help you feel comfortable in your own skin.

4. The Burnout Barrier

Working harder instead of smarter is a common trap for leaders. When systems and teams aren’t optimized, growth feels exhausting or even impossible.

Solution:
Start building systems to handle repetitive tasks. Delegate operational work and focus on high-level strategy. Regularly review your calendar and ask:

• “What doesn’t need to be done?”
• “What can someone else do?”

The $10, $100, $1,000 rule is helpful here: Avoid $10/hour or even $100/hour tasks if your time could be spent making $1,000/hour decisions.

5. The Follow-Through Barrier

Great ideas don’t mean much if they aren’t completed. Leaders who struggle with follow-through often leave projects unfinished, frustrating their teams and stalling momentum.

Solution:
Pick one priority and stick to it. Break large projects into smaller milestones with clear deadlines. Completing one thing at a time builds confidence and momentum.

Create accountability with someone you don’t want to disappoint. Share your goals and deadlines, and check in regularly. Many of my clients hire me specifically for this purpose.

6. The Patience Barrier

Success often takes time, but impatience can lead leaders to abandon effective strategies too soon. Constantly switching directions undermines progress and creates chaos within a team.

Solution:
Develop a feedback loop to assess progress before making changes. Remind yourself of the long-term vision and trust the process.

Accountability can also help here—a coach or mentor can remind you that growth often takes time and keep you focused.

Unlocking Business Growth

Andrew’s story reminds us: The biggest barriers to business growth are often internal. Trust issues, scarcity, and burnout aren’t just mindset blocks—they’re growth killers. The good news? Every one of them is within your control to overcome.

Start by addressing one barrier at a time. Delegate a task, make a donation, or focus on completing a single project. Growth is about taking consistent, intentional steps forward.

The question is: Which of these barriers is holding you back?

Let me know—I’d love to hear your story.