A formula for growth after the start-up stage

A new report suggests a five-part model for second-stage companies to consider if they want stable, long-term success

Much attention is paid to how entrepreneurs create an innovative product or service and bring it to market, pivoting quickly to solve financial and logistical challenges along the way. But after the start-up buzz wears off, owners must figure out how to scale their businesses for long-term, stable growth.

Rather than simply working harder, a new report suggests, second-stage companies should consider a different strategy to reach the middle market, incorporating five conditions that were compiled and tracked by TrueSpace, a consulting firm, and the analytics firm Gallup.

They looked at nearly 2,500 entrepreneurs in the United States over five years to