Summary: Often, when it comes to growing a company, the trigger is a fear of investment, taking on debt, or ruining the status quo.

Have you ever had a significant amount of pain and decide to go for a massage to get it “fixed”? I recently discovered “trigger point massage” and learned that often the point in the body that is causing the pain is nowhere close to the pain. An experienced “trigger masseuse” knows how to find the root of the pain, and hopefully solve the problem.

“Trigger Points”, are prevalent in business also. Let’s face it, running and building a business involves a constant complex set of decision making. As entrepreneurs, we are constantly playing “offense” and “defense”. Our days and nights are filled with ups and downs as we deal with issues. What is clear today might be ambiguous tomorrow.

If you have a sore shoulder and go get a trigger point massage, you might be surprised if they spend the time working on a point in your lower back. In business, if you have a customer service issue, you may focus on hiring or firing the people in that department. But if they’re good people, and the issue is bad quality products – then you’re not focusing on the trigger point.

Always look for the “root” of the issue or the “trigger”.

Often, when it comes to growing a company, the trigger is a fear of investment, taking on debt, or ruining the status quo. If you know what you need to do to grow your business, have a strong thesis for the return on investment, can borrow the money to do it, and the expected return is higher than the cost of capital, what is holding you back?

If the answer is fear or risk aversion, that is alright. Understand the trigger and be comfortable with it. If you can overcome your fear, you can make a move and get your business growing.

Ami Kassar can be reached at: akassar@multifunding.com