A successful business is often compared to a shark but not always because this sea creature is a ruthless and efficient predator.

A shark’s pulmonary system requires that it moves through the water steadily to keep water flowing through its gills. That’s the way it breathes. If a shark stops or stagnates, it could suffocate.

A business that has reached a stage of stagnation faces the same danger. Even if a company is not exactly going backward, the fact that it is not growing places it at grave risk. This is especially true if the economic climate takes a sudden turn for the worse – as it did during the COVID-19 pandemic. Companies that were already treading water could not absorb the blow and rapidly folded.

How do you prevent your company from becoming stagnant or charging it up if it already is flailing in the water?

Consider:

1. Marketing

Even stagnating firms have marketing plans, but if calcification is setting in, it’s time to ramp up the marketing effort. Better yet, create a whole new approach or implement an all-new strategy. Many business owners resist this task because it can cost money, takes time, requires planning and simply envisioning a new plan can be elusive. However, a revitalized marketing thrust is often the cure for business stagnation.

2. Decide to Scale Up

Make the decision to scale up. A lot of businesses become comfortable with treading water. They’re selling X number of products quarterly or handling X amounts of clients. They’re making payroll and keeping the lights on. This latter descriptor is perhaps the definition of stagnation. Thus, make a proactive decision to scale up the enterprise to a higher level by setting new and bigger quarterly sales goals – and cobble together a solid plan for how you can make it happen.

3. Energized Leadership

Let’s face it. If a company is stagnating, the blame rightfully belongs to company leadership. If the CEO is not going to drive growth, who will? Billionaire Mark Cuban said he strives to spend three hours every day learning something new. He does that specifically the counter the tendency of successful entrepreneurs to stagnate once they achieve success.

Blowing a company out of a state of stagnation requires that leaders make concerted efforts to stay fresh, learn new things and challenge themselves – and their teams – to constantly move the ball forward.