We’ve spent the last few years analysing SMEs across ten critical areas of growth – from strategy and brand to operations, finance, people and customer experience. It’s part of a tool we built called Perspective Analysis, designed to help businesses grow and build in a more agile, intentional ways.
Now that we’ve used it with dozens of founder-led teams, agencies, charities and commercial ventures, the data’s starting to speak. And the same themes keep showing up - they cut across sector, size and leadership style.
What’s most interesting is that what holds business back isn’t always obvious, even from the inside. Here are seven of the most common blind spots we’ve uncovered – and what they mean for growth-minded organisations today.
Everyone’s working hard, but not always in the same direction
This isn’t about whether a strategy exists. Most leaders have one. The issue is that no one else really knows what it is. When we ask teams to describe the current direction or vision, the answers rarely match. There’s often a slide deck, a vague memory of a planning day, or a “north star” that lives mostly in someone’s head.
One leadership team member told us: “I think we’ve said the strategy… I just don’t know if it landed.” Perspective Analysis data backs that up. Direction & Vision scores often sit between 45–55/100, with leaders rating their clarity much higher than their teams do. That’s misalignment and misalignment means wasted energy. Until the direction is consistently understood, decisions won’t align, and every step forward pulls slightly off course.
Your brand lives in your head, but no-one else's
You’ve built a strong reputation. Clients come back. Word of mouth is healthy. But from the outside, it’s often hard to tell what your business actually stands for or why someone new should choose you.
We hear this a lot: “We know what makes us different – we’re just not great at saying it.” Brand & Positioning scores typically land between 46–58/100. What’s missing isn’t a sense of identity it’s the articulation. The brand hasn’t been written down, codified, or consistently expressed. And that limits distinctiveness, recruitment power, and marketing effectiveness.
Most businesses aren’t boring. They just look that way.
You’re the safety net and the bottleneck
You’re still too involved in the day-to-day. Not because your team can’t handle things, but because you haven’t had the time or headspace to hand things over properly. You’re still the final check, the escalation point, and the one who steps in when it all gets a bit too messy.
One founder put it plainly: “I trust the team – but I’m still the one picking everything back up when it gets messy.” Human Potential scores often sit between 38 and 52/100. The team is capable, but delegation is patchy, structure is loose, and the founder still holds the big picture, the nuance, and the final say.
That’s not leadership, it’s survival mode.
You’re customising everything and it’s quietly costing you
Saying yes feels like a strength. Especially early on. But when every proposal is bespoke, every quote is different, and every delivery plan is tailored, you’re building complexity you can’t sustain.
As one project lead said: “Every job is a one-off – which means every job is a bit of a stress.” Operational Consistency scores often land between 42 and 54/100. Teams are working hard, but there’s no defined offer, no baseline, and no margin for error.
Flexibility might win business at the start. But long-term, it slows everything down.
You know the numbers but not what’s driving them
You know your revenue. You know what’s in the bank. But what’s actually making you money? What’s quietly draining it? What happens if your biggest client leaves?
One client told us: “Our accountant says we’re fine – but I couldn’t tell you where the margin is.” Finance & Commercial Insight scores are often the lowest of all – typically between 35 and 48/100. Not because the finance isn’t being managed, but because the numbers are buried. There’s no visibility on client-level profitability, product-level margin, or time versus return.
Without that clarity, pricing is guesswork and growth feels risky.
You’re focusing on the 5% and missing the 95%
Most businesses are busy with marketing. But it’s rarely working hard enough. It’s often designed to stay visible to people who already know you, not to reach new audiences or build a strong pipeline.
One founder said: “We’re active on all the platforms – but it’s mostly to stay visible, not to reach new people.” Marketing & Comms scores usually land in the 44–56/100 range. The effort is there, but it’s not adding up. Messaging is inward-looking, brand memory is low, and there’s no real strategy or structure.
You can’t grow if no one new is seeing or remembering you.
Your customer experience depends on individuals, not design
You’ve got great people and that’s what holds your customer experience together. It’s human, responsive, and thoughtful. But it’s fragile. When someone’s off or leaves, the cracks show.
A founder told us: “It works because they’re brilliant. But if they ever left, we’d be in trouble.” Customer Experience scores often start strong – sometimes in the 60s – but drop once we look at what’s actually designed. There’s no mapped journey, no onboarding or offboarding flow, and little feedback built in. That’s not a great experience. It’s just a well-intentioned one.
Where's your blind spot?
These blind spots aren’t unique. They show up everywhere, in strong teams, good businesses and experienced leadership. Most of the time, they don’t need a full reinvention. Just clarity. Focus. A proper reset.
That’s exactly what Perspective Analysis was designed to do and if you’re in that foggy, overloaded middle space where growth feels harder than it should, we can help. For as little as £1500 you can experience a Perspective Analysis reset day and scores dashboard and get more help. Find out more on the button below.
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