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Strategy · 10 June 2026 · 6 min
Why most small businesses don't have a strategy.
Not because they aren't smart, but because their strategy is a wish list, not a series of decisions about what to refuse.
Strategy is not a growth plan. Strategy is a decision about what you will not work on. That's exactly why it's hard - it demands refusal.
The difference between goals and strategy
"We want to grow 40%" is a goal. Strategy is: "We'll stop serving small clients, focus on one segment, raise price 15%, and invest the freed-up time in a partner channel." The second contains sacrifices - that's why it works.
A four-question test
- Which client are we saying no to over the next 12 months?
- What's the one thing we'll be obviously better at?
- Which three numbers prove we're right?
- What are we stopping to free up resources?
If your strategy doesn't upset anyone inside the company, it isn't a strategy - it's a wish.
About the author
Nikolay Kirilov
Nikolay Kirilov is an entrepreneur, business mentor and founder of NK Academy. He works across strategy, sales, operations and technology.
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