Are Small Wins Holding You Back?

When you’re running a printing business, progress usually comes in small, safe steps. You tweak a workflow here. Add a shiny new piece of equipment there. Maybe even shave a half-day off turnaround time.

Those are the “easy wins.” They feel good. But sometimes, it’s like winning against the B team: You celebrate, but deep down, you know the bar wasn’t that high.

The risk? Your business and your team can start believing that these tiny moves are true progress. Meanwhile, your competitors and your customers’ expectations are moving faster than you are.

I’ve seen it play out in customer surveys: You get an “8” on something important, and you feel okay about it. Then you find out your top competitor scored a 9 or 10 in the same area — and it’s a high-priority category for the customer. Ouch.

Hitting the Ceiling

I refer to this as the ceiling of complexity. It’s what happens when a business survives on small tweaks but avoids the bigger, uncomfortable changes that actually move the needle. It usually sounds like:

• “Let’s wait until next year to tackle that full MIS integration.”
• “We’ll just add another person to help with scheduling instead of fixing the process.”
• “Our clients seem happy, so let’s not rock the boat.”

Those fixes pile up, but they rarely break you through to the next level. One day you look up and wonder: Why isn’t growth happening like it used to?

Why Incrementalism is So Tempting

Let’s be honest: Big changes are hard. Reshaping your business model, investing in automation, redefining your sales strategy, or bringing in the next generation of leaders – it takes courage, conviction, clarity, and a stomach for discomfort. Incremental improvements feel safer. They let you avoid tough conversations and temporary chaos.

But here’s the reality: Comfort is not a strategy. And the longer you stay comfortable, the harder it gets to catch up when the market moves ahead. Now, I’m not saying blow up your whole business or bet the farm on “Silly Dancer in the 5th race.” (Please don’t.)

I am saying it’s about investing in your business, your people, and your customers in a way that keeps you moving forward — deliberately and sustainably.

Breaking Free from Incremental Mode

If you’re ready to move past small wins, here’s where I’d start:

1. Set a Bold (or Bolder) Vision
   If the vision lives only in your head, your team will default to safe steps. Show them what “great” looks like in 2-3 years.
2. Audit the Pain Points
   Be brutally honest about what’s slowing you down — manual processes, silos, or “the way we’ve always done it.” And yes, call out the elephants in the room.
3. Make One Big Move, then Commit and Follow Through
   Pick an initiative that forces the business out of its comfort zone.

• Full automation push
• Entering a new market
• Hiring or developing next-level talent

1. Measure What Really Matters
   Incremental thinking loves vanity metrics. Track the KPIs that reflect real transformation:

• Fewer touches per job
• New revenue from targeted verticals
• Faster sales cycles
• Happier customers

Bottom Line

Safe, incremental steps will keep the lights on. But if you want true, sustainable growth and to stay ahead of both competitors and customers you need to step out of the comfort zone.

So, here’s the question I leave you with: Are you truly improving the business, or just maintaining it?

The companies that break free from incrementalism do more than survive. They thrive. They energize their teams. And they deliver new value to customers who notice the difference. And that’s where the real growth happens.

Mike Philie can help validate what’s working and what may need to change in your business. Changing the trajectory of a business is difficult to do while simultaneously operating the core competencies. Mike provides strategy and insight to owners and CEOs in the Graphic Communications Industry by providing direct and realistic assessments, not being afraid to voice the unpopular opinion and helping leaders navigate change through a common sense and practical approach. Learn more at www.philiegroup.com, LinkedIn or email at mphilie@philiegroup.com.

The preceding content was provided by a contributor unaffiliated with Printing Impressions. The views expressed within may not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of Printing Impressions. Artificial Intelligence may have been used in part to create or edit this content.