#173 – When Growth Knocks, and You Say No

Colleen Budde unpacks the real costs hiding inside “can’t-miss” expansion deals, the hiring math most owners overlook, and why a debt-free stance keeps every option open.

Tune In Now

• Test any new location against your true time and hiring bandwidth
• Spot debt traps inside “cheap” franchise build-outs
• Use debt-free discipline to keep long-term flexibility

And much, much more!

Chapters

00:00 Why Colleen turned down a second site despite full occupancy
02:10 Financing, SBA loans, and the real two-year runway
05:30 How preferred-vendor mark-ups eat early profits
07:15 Leaving six-figure engineering jobs for uncertain ownership
10:00 Building “ohana” culture inside a coworking space
14:20 Twins arrive—bandwidth and priorities reset
18:05 Staffing realities: why two sites need three employees
23:00 Pro forma expectations vs day-to-day operations
27:40 Debt-free living as a strategic growth filter

“I’d rather go bankrupt than sacrifice my family.”
~ Colleen Budde

Read Colleen’s weekly behind-the-scenes business lessons at https://BuddeConsultingGroup.com.

Primary Website: https://BuddeConsultingGroup.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleen-budde-5417991a/