Sam Shar on

Building and scaling a business

Growing an established company, launching new brands alongside it, and choosing the right route to scale.

1 newsletter, 2 videos. Updated 30 Oct 2026

Sam's approach

What I do

I run Trend-Setters Consulting, the family consultancy that has been going four decades, and I took it from a boutique shop to an enterprise partner. Alongside it, my wife Krista and I are launching Freezer Society, a frozen treat brand, and we are looking for its first location. We are testing the brand with pop-ups before we commit to a permanent site, because a lease is a bet and a pop-up is a question. Consulting, consumer and property businesses run side by side in my week, and each one teaches the others something.

How I work

What I want from a scaling a business expert is a straight answer on the difference between growing and scaling. Growth adds revenue. Scale adds revenue without adding the same cost and the same risk, and most founders I meet are paying full price for both. The harder judgement is deciding what not to scale. Personal service, the kind that makes a customer come back and tell a friend, is a growth engine at any size, and it is usually the first thing that gets engineered out. Krista and I still serve at the Freezer Society pop-ups ourselves.

When to bring me in

Bring in a scaling a business expert when the company is growing and every new dollar of revenue costs about the same as the last one, or when you want to launch a second brand without dropping the first. That is the point to choose a route, whether you keep it company-owned, license it, or franchise it. Franchising is new to me and a long-term aspiration, so what I have there is the questions I am asking. The lessons I would pass on are these. Test cheaply before you sign a lease. Protect the service people recommend you for. Know what scale is meant to buy you.

Questions about building and scaling a business

What is the difference between growing and scaling a business?
Growing means adding revenue, usually by adding people and cost at the same pace. Scaling means adding revenue faster than cost, because the systems, brand and processes can carry more without being rebuilt. A business is ready to scale when its core offer works reliably and someone other than the founder can deliver it. Scaling before that point multiplies the problems along with the sales.
Should you franchise your business or grow it yourself?
It depends on what you are trying to protect. Franchising lets you grow faster with other people's money and energy, but you give up some control over how customers are treated, and your brand is only as strong as your weakest operator. Growing it yourself is slower and needs more capital, but you keep the standards, the culture and the client relationships in your own hands. Before you franchise, ask whether your model is written down clearly enough for a stranger to run it well. If it only works because you are in the room, it isn't ready.
How do you launch a new brand while running another company?
Protect the business that pays the bills, then give the new one its own space to grow. Keep the new brand small at first, with a clear purpose and a limited budget, so a bad month doesn't put the main company at risk. Put someone trusted in charge of day-to-day work in one of the two, so you aren't the bottleneck for both. Decide in advance what you will share, such as people, systems and contacts, and what must stay separate, so the two brands don't confuse customers or compete for the same hours.
Is a pop-up a good way to test a new brand?
Often, yes. A pop-up lets you put a product in front of real customers for a short time and a small cost, and you learn quickly what people notice, what they ask about and what they will actually pay for. It works best when you decide what you are testing before you open, whether that is price, location or the message, and you measure it. It is less useful if you treat it as a launch party. A good turnout proves people were curious, while repeat visits and sales show whether they care.
What is it like building a business with your spouse?
It brings a level of trust that is hard to build any other way, and it also makes it hard to switch off. You share the wins and the worries, and you know the other person is as invested as you are. The risk is that work follows you home, so agree on clear roles, who has the final say on what, and times when business is off the table. Disagreements will happen, and having a way to settle them without it turning personal matters more than avoiding them.

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