The “I Can’t Afford It Now” Trap

Growth is the lifeblood of business, yet many mid-market firms hit a plateau that feels impossible to break. Even companies that reach tens or hundreds of millions often stall again, as early momentum gives way to stagnation. Two common culprits are revenue concentration and under-investment during good times. If one client, product, or market makes up too much revenue, the business becomes fragile. Investors flag SaaS firms where a single customer accounts for more than 15–20% of revenue[2][3]. Some deals have collapsed when buyers discovered a company relied on one client for 30–50% of sales[5][6]. Even firms with broader bases falter if they stop funding R&D, new markets, or scalable operations while times are good.