After more than 35 years in business across the corporate world, consulting to SMEs, and running my own ventures, I’ve learned one powerful truth: growing a business isn’t just about systems, business plans, or cash flows. It’s about who you are and how you behave.
There’s no shortage of technical advice out there, spreadsheets, marketing funnels, AI tools, and growth frameworks. But in my experience, the real difference between the ordinary and the extraordinary business lies in the mindset, values, and daily habits of the people behind it.
So let’s talk about what really drives business growth, the human side. I’m going to discuss the role of passion in business and the associated attributes and practices that support a passionate approach to doing business in an SSME environment. I’ll also share some practical insights and real-life examples from clients, colleagues, and my own business life to prove that success has more to do with character than capital.
1. Passion – the engine of growth
Let’s be honest, if you don’t love your business, it eventually becomes a grind.
Passion is what gets you up early and keeps you going late. It’s what helps you push through the tough clients, long hours, and occasional disasters. Without passion, the obstacles seem bigger. With it, even the setbacks feel like part of a larger story.
More importantly, customers can feel your energy. If you’re excited, they’ll be excited. If you talk about your business with a spark in your eyes, people will want to be part of that energy.
I’ve seen this countless times. One of my clients runs an Italian gourmet food business. He’s obsessed in the best possible way, especially with the authenticity of his products. His passion for traditional recipes, family heritage, and the love of sharing food is contagious. He doesn’t just sell Italian food; he sells joy, nostalgia, and family connection. And that’s why his customers keep coming back.
Ask yourself honestly: Do I light up when I talk about my business? If not, it might be time to reconnect with your ‘why’, your reason for being in business.
2. Clarity of purpose – know why you’re doing it
Passion is the fuel, but purpose is the map. Without purpose, you’ll move fast, but in circles. Every business needs a clear reason for existing that goes beyond money. Maybe it’s about creating financial security for your family. Maybe it’s to give back to your community. Or maybe it’s about building a legacy that outlives you.
When you know why you’re growing, decisions become easier. You stop chasing every shiny opportunity and start focusing on the ones that align with your mission.
A few years ago, I helped a young man start a sparkling natural drink. He didn’t need the money, he was married into a wealthy family. But he wanted to prove something to himself: that he could create something real, something with meaning. His business purpose wasn’t financial, it was personal growth and independence. That purpose gave him focus, grit, and authenticity that people resonated with.
Businesses built on purpose attract loyal customers and committed staff, because people want to be part of something that matters.
3. Values – the foundation for trust
Values are the compass of your business. They guide you when the situation isn’t black and white when you have to choose between short-term gain and long-term reputation.
Values keep you steady during growth, chaos, or change. They also attract the right customers and employees, people who share your beliefs and feel aligned with what you stand for.
If you haven’t already, define your top three to five core values. Then make every decision, such as hiring, marketing, and partnerships, through that lens.
I once worked with a client, an accountant who refused to bend tax rules for clients, even when it meant losing business. One of his core values was ethical service. He stayed true to it. And guess what? Years later, he’s thriving. His honesty built a reputation money can’t buy.
That’s how you build a brand that’s trusted, consistent, and authentic.
4. Be people-driven – not just products
In today’s market, people don’t just want a transaction they want a connection. Even online, customers want to know there’s a real person behind the website that they can talk to.
The businesses that thrive are those that listen, care, and communicate. They share stories, not slogans. They show personality, not polish.
When I needed synthetic grass installed in my backyard, I got three quotes. The first company was technically fine, but cold and transactional. The second never called back. The third, the one I hired, took the time to ask about how I use the space, what I wanted it to feel like, and even how the grandkids might use it. They sold me a result, not a product. They connected.
Customers remember how you make them feel more than what you sell. So don’t just promote what the products and services that you sell and all their wonderful features, focus on the customer’s problem or need and then match your product and service accordingly.
5. Adaptability – the superpower of modern business
The business world is changing faster than ever. Technology, customer expectations, and regulations, almost everything that is constantly evolving quickly.
The most successful small businesses aren’t the biggest. They’re the most adaptable.
Adaptability isn’t about panic or constant change. It’s about curiosity. It’s being open to feedback, trying new ideas, and letting go of what no longer works.
Adaptable businesses stay relevant. The resistant and stubborn ones fade. Adaptability is the superpower of any modern business.
I had a client, a medical specialist, who was one of the best in Australia. He’s embraced robotic-assisted surgery, not because it’s ‘cool tech’, but because it makes sense for certain complex procedures. That’s adaptability. He’s future-proofing his practice by embracing smarter tools. His reputation increased within the profession because of this skill in the use of modern technology
6. Resilience – the art of getting back up
Running a small business is like playing a game of Snakes and Ladders. Some days you’re flying high; other days, you slide back down.
Resilience isn’t about never falling; it’s about rising anyway. It’s about seeing setbacks as detours, not dead ends. Turn setbacks into opportunities for growth and adaptability.
I worked with a husband-and-wife team in the concrete products industry. They started in the 90s and weathered everything, including recessions, mining booms, pandemics, and supply chain chaos. Every time they hit a wall, they improved, such as product design, customer service, operations and staff management. After decades of persistence, they finally sold the business and retired comfortably. That’s resilience in action.
The most successful entrepreneurs aren’t the luckiest, they’re sometimes the ones who simply refused to quit.
7. Innovation – the everyday edge
Innovation doesn’t always mean creating a technological breakthrough. For SMEs, it’s about the one-percenters, the many but small improvements that make life easier or better for your customers.
How does innovation work in reality? Well, you will need 100 ideas to get 10 good ones, and 10 to get one brilliant one. However, to get those good ones and the one brilliant one, you need the 100. These are figurative figures of course, but they help demonstrate that innovation is a numbers game and involves lots of people contributing. These people include staff, customers, suppliers, colleagues and anyone else willing to help.
I will share a simple example of small business innovation. A client of mine once serviced evaporative air-conditioning units, tough, physical work up on rooftops. He started recording short videos of his maintenance process to reassure customers of the quality and safety of his work. Simple idea, big impact. His customer trust and referrals increased significantly after this small but powerful change.
8. People valuer – business is a team sport
You can have the best product, process, and technology in the world, but if you can’t lead people, you’ll struggle to grow.
Great business leaders value people. They hire for belief and attitude, not just skills. They share their vision and bring their team into the journey.
I’ve seen what happens when that doesn’t occur. A colleague who bought a beauty salon inherited a long-time manager with over 10 years of service. When new ideas were introduced, the manager resisted. Tension rose. But instead of pushing her out, my colleague took time to listen, include her in the change process, and explain the ‘why’, the reason for the changes. The result? The manager turned into a champion of the new vision.
People want to feel valued, not used. When you nurture trust and purpose, productivity follows naturally.
And remember, value extends beyond staff. Appreciate your suppliers, partners, and peers too. Business is a web of relationships, not a solo act.
9. Networking – growth through connection
We’ve all heard the saying, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” In a small business, that’s not a cliché, it’s a fact. Networking isn’t about collecting business cards. It’s about building meaningful relationships that lead to ideas, referrals, and opportunities.
Most of my consulting work has come through networking. Conversations at events, introductions through clients, even chats at school or local community functions. The best opportunities often come from unexpected connections. One of the best and long-term clients came from attending an industry function completely unrelated to the industry my client came from.
Another previous client, who is in the print business, devotes several hours per week to attending networking groups of various forms, eg business associations. Over the years, he has built a significant collection of clients, many of whom have become long-term customers, including myself!
Growth happens faster when you’re not doing it alone. So get out there, talk to people, and let your energy open doors.
10. Growth mindset – expecting abundance
Growth isn’t linear. It’s messy, unpredictable, and sometimes painfully slow. Some months, you sprint. Others, you crawl. That’s why mindset matters more than motivation.
A growth mindset means expecting good things. It’s about believing that effort pays off. This may not happen immediately, but inevitably. It’s learning from mistakes, adapting, and staying hopeful.
I’ve watched clients hold this mindset through incredibly tough years. One of my business clients assembles and installs energy-monitoring equipment. They struggled for 14 years to find traction due to constant government policy changes, supply chain disruptions, and loss pf skilled staff. But they stayed the course, and eventually demand for their products and services exploded, and they became successful including exporting overseas.
If they’d quit five years earlier, none of it would’ve happened. The moral? Stay in the game long enough for your luck to find you.
Summing Up
When you boil it all down, growing an SME isn’t just about savvy marketing, great products and services, and access and cash flow, the long-term success grows from being the most passionate, adaptable, and resilient.
When you pour your passion into what you do, when you stay clear about your purpose, and when you lead with authenticity, growth becomes a natural outcome. Because of your passion, you will naturally seek solutions to challenges and consistently seek ways to improve your business.
Because your passion isn’t just fuel for your business, it’s fuel for the people you serve, the team you lead, and the community you’re part of.
John Tedesco
Business Innovation Services
Mob 0402 84 314
