Scaling and Growth Strategies

This unit guides students through decisions and tools needed to grow, protect, finance, and present a venture beyond the startup stage. Students synthesize prior work to evaluate growth pathways, design protection and organizational plans, model financing and customer acquisition, and prepare a professional growth-focused plan or pitch that is ready for mentors, incubators, or investors.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze and compare multiple growth strategies (e.g., incubators/accelerators, SPACs, international expansion, franchising, nonprofit revenue models) and recommend two evidence-based options for a chosen venture using market benchmarks and risk/benefit analysis.
• Evaluate financing alternatives (bootstrapping, angel/VC, debt, crowdfunding, SPACs, grants) and calculate their impacts on ownership, projected cash flow, and growth capacity, including customer acquisition cost (CAC) and payback-period estimates.
• Apply intellectual property and organizational planning by developing an IP protection strategy (patents, trademarks, trade secrets, licensing) and a management transition plan for moving from a founder-led to a professionally managed organization.
• Demonstrate the ability to prepare and present a polished, growth-focused business plan or pitch that integrates online market strategy, benchmarking data, measurable milestones, and mentor/incubator/investor feedback.