A company earns the right to expand only after finding a repeatable and scalable business model. Until then, you’re just a startup still searching.
When you rush into expansion too early, you’re betting on assumptions. And assumptions are expensive. I learned this firsthand by opening multiple branches at the startup stage, we built operations on sand. It collapsed, and we had to start over.
Expansion is not the proof of success. Validation is. Once the foundation is solid, growth becomes sustainable. But if you expand too early, your fall will not just be personal it will be public.
Dr. Smith Ezenagu is the Chairman of Esso Group, a diversified conglomerate shaping real estate, finance, education, and media. Dr. Smith Ezenagu is recognized as a real estate & investment mogul, life coach, and private equity expert. He leads Esso Group and its subsidiaries: Esso Properties (awarded Nigeria’s Most Innovative Real Estate Company in 2024 and recognized as the best real estate company in Nigeria), Esso School of Enterprise (the leading institution equipping entrepreneurs), and Esso Capital (delivering smart, trusted financial solutions across Nigeria).
