You’ve built your business to €1 million through pure drive and direct sales. Your product works, your customers are happy, and you’re ready to scale. But here’s the challenge: the strategies that got you to €1 million won’t get you to €10 million. Your sales team is maxed out, your personal network is tapped, and you’re stuck in a growth plateau.

Sound familiar? As a CEO, you’re facing a critical decision. You know you need strategic marketing to break through, but the investment in a full-time marketing executive feels premature. After all, you’ve reached €1 million without one. Yet something needs to change – your current approach isn’t delivering the growth you know is possible.

“I knew we needed strategic marketing leadership,” shares Ciara, CEO of a Dublin-based software firm. “We were profitable at €1.2 million, but our growth had stalled. I couldn’t justify a full-time executive hire, but I also knew we were leaving money on the table without proper marketing guidance.”

This is the paradox many Irish CEOs face at this stage. Enterprise Ireland’s latest Growth Index highlights a stark reality: 72% of companies between €1-3 million in revenue identify marketing strategy as their biggest growth bottleneck. Yet only 15% feel they can afford the expertise needed to break through.

The real challenge isn’t whether you need strategic marketing – it’s how to access that expertise without burning through your profits. You need someone who can:

– Transform your successful sales approach into scalable marketing systems

– Open new market segments beyond your network

– Build lead generation that doesn’t rely on your personal involvement

– Make every marketing euro work harder for your bottom line

According to Enterprise Ireland’s recent Digital Marketing Capability Report, Irish SMEs that invest strategically in marketing leadership while keeping operational costs lean are twice as likely to achieve their growth targets. Yet surprisingly, 68% of businesses in the €1-10 million revenue bracket report being underserved in terms of strategic marketing expertise, often caught between needing senior guidance and being unable to justify a full-time CMO salary.

This is where the fractional model makes perfect sense. Think of it as having a senior marketing leader who sets strategy, guides implementation, and builds systems for growth – but only when you need them. It’s about getting the expertise without the expense, the guidance without the overhead.

For most CEOs, the decision comes down to smart scaling. A fractional CMO becomes an integral part of your executive team, bringing the strategic oversight and leadership your business needs. They’re a true partner in your growth journey – developing your marketing strategy, ensuring effective execution, measuring results, and continuously adapting for optimal ROI. You get the same dedicated, executive-level marketing leadership and commitment as a full-time hire, but with a more cost-effective model that makes sense for growing businesses.

“The methods that built your first million rarely build your fifth,” notes David McWilliams, Irish economist and business commentator. This insight often marks the moment when savvy CEOs realise they need a different approach to reach the next level.

The journey from €1 million to €10 million isn’t about doing more of the same – it’s about working smarter. You need marketing leadership that can build on your success while creating new pathways for growth. Whether that means entering new markets, developing stronger lead generation systems, or building a brand that opens doors before your sales team makes the first call.

Think of it as adding a strategic layer to your existing success – keeping what works while developing new approaches that can scale. This might mean turning your expertise into content that reaches thousands of potential customers, or developing sales processes that maintain your personal touch while working at scale.

At this stage in your company’s growth, every investment needs to count. You can’t afford expensive mistakes or unfocused marketing efforts. A fractional CMO brings the experience to help you make the right moves at the right time, ensuring your marketing investment drives growth rather than just activity.

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About the Author

Jenny Martin is a fractional CMO who helps businesses break through growth plateaus. With over two decades of experience, she specialises in helping companies move from founder-led sales to scalable marketing systems, bringing senior marketing expertise without the cost of a full-time hire.

Ready to add strategic marketing leadership to your growth journey? Book your free consultation today, and let’s discuss how a fractional CMO can help guide your business through its next phase of growth.