We group the journey of a small business into five core stages. Click the link below to find your stage and see targeted resources.
| Stage | Primary Focus | Key Question |
|---|---|---|
| THINK (Idea/Pre-Venture) | Validating your business idea and conducting market research. | Is this idea viable, and who is the customer? |
| LAUNCH (Start-Up) | Establishing basic operations and securing your first sales. | Can the business survive and break even? |
| GROW (Expansion) | Scaling systems, hiring staff, and increasing market share. | How do we manage rapid growth and cash flow? |
| REINVENT (Maturity/Transition) | Adapting to market changes, improving efficiency, or pivoting the business model. | How do we stay competitive and prevent decline? |
| EXIT (Succession/Sale) | Planning for the owner's departure from the business. | How do we maximize the value of the business for transfer or sale? |
Is your business in the Think, Launch, Grow, Reinvent, or Exit stage?
Is your business in the Think, Launch, Grow, Reinvent, or Exit stage?
Tools and Advising
The Tools in this area, listed below and on the related pages, are resources that our advisors use on a regular basis, and are grouped to fit with the stages of the business life cycle. These may include templates for financial projections, market research databases, and planning worksheets.
Some of these resources may be self-explanatory, while others might require the assistance of a VI SBDC Advisor. If you need assistance, contact the SBDC office nearest you for free, confidential, one-on-one business advising.