Scaling Up... Without Scaling Back the Fun

Our May 2026 Common Grounds covered growing your business and was hosted by Stephanie Rose-Locke, owner and event planner at Locked on Balloons.

The session focused on business scaling and growth strategies while maintaining fun and authenticity. Stephanie presented her framework for scaling up operations, outlining key principles like automating routine tasks, consolidating vendors, creating trust between team members. These are her key ingredients for expanding without losing the personal touch that makes her local businesses special. The discussion included questions about timing for hiring, managing seasonal fluctuations, and the tools Stephanie uses for automation including Shopify and BusinessFly.

Participants shared their personal "whys" behind their businesses, revealing common themes around creating memorable experiences and helping people, which connected across different industries from photography to spirits retail to event planning.