According to INE, Portugal's national statistics office, there were 7,801 high-growth companies in Portugal in 2024, 12.3% more than the year before. They accounted for 13.5% of companies with 10 or more paid staff, yet provided 21.7% of the employment, 16.1% of the turnover and 20.3% of the gross value added of that group. Within it were 670 gazelles, young high-growth firms, up 0.8% on 2023.
Roughly one in seven companies with at least ten people generates more than a fifth of the jobs in that population. The question I put to the business owners I work with is a simple one: what would it take for your company to join that group?
What INE measures (and what it does not)
It pays to be precise. INE's statistics tell us how many companies grew fast and how much they weigh in the economy. They do not tell us how they did it. I know of no official study listing the practices of these 7,801 firms, and I will not pretend otherwise. What I can share is what I see, over my years of coaching, in companies that move from erratic growth to predictable growth. The practices below come from that experience and from the ActionCOACH methodology, not from a statistical survey.
One figure does help to frame things, though. INE shows that in 2024 only 47.7% of companies were still alive three years after being founded. Fast growth is the exception; survival is already an achievement. That makes it all the more useful to understand what separates the companies that grow from those that merely hold on.
Five practices I see in companies that grow consistently
1. They choose a niche and say no to the rest
In ActionCOACH's 6 steps to business success (Mastery, Niche, Leverage, Team, Synergy, Results), Niche comes straight after Mastery for a reason: you cannot grow profitably by selling everything to everyone. Companies that grow know exactly which customer they serve better than the competition, and they turn down work that pulls them away from that focus, even when it would pay the bills in the short term.
2. They manage by numbers, every week
A fast-growing company cannot wait for the quarterly accounts to discover that something went wrong. Those that grow sustainably track the 5 Ways to increase profit every week: number of leads, conversion rate, number of transactions per customer, average sale value and margin. Each of these numbers has an owner and a target.
3. They grow margin, not just revenue
Selling more at the same margin, or a lower one, is a quick route to more work and less cash. Companies that grow well treat margin as a front-line indicator. They review prices regularly, know the true cost of each product line and drop whatever does not contribute.
4. They build the team before they need it
According to the 2026 Eurobarometer, 35% of SMEs in Portugal say they find it very difficult to recruit people with the skills they need. A growing business cannot rely on finding the right person at the last minute. So companies that grow invest early in recruitment, onboarding and training, and create roles before the founder is completely worn out.
5. They plan in 90-day cycles and execute with accountability
An annual plan that is never reviewed is just an intention. Growing companies break the year into 90-day cycles, with three to five clear priorities, one owner for each and a short weekly check-in. Anything that is not moving gets discussed, not ignored.
Growing in a changing environment
The wider context explains why these practices matter now. According to the Informa D&B barometer, 2025 set a 20-year record for company formation, with 53,030 new businesses. But in 2026, up to July, company formation fell by 4.2% and insolvencies rose by 5%, with 1,216 new proceedings. Informa D&B describes a slowdown since the start of 2026.
When the economy cools, the gap between companies with systems and those without becomes far more visible. Those who know their numbers adjust in time. Those who manage by instinct usually find out too late.
Checklist: is your company ready to grow?
Answer these questions honestly. Every "no" is something to work on, not a verdict.
- Can I describe in one sentence our ideal customer and why they choose us?
- Do I know, off the top of my head, last quarter's proposal conversion rate?
- Do I know the gross margin of each product or service line?
- Is there a scorecard the team looks at every week?
- Are the company's three most critical processes written down?
- Is there at least one person ready to step into each key role if someone leaves?
- Are the priorities for the next 90 days set, with owners and dates?
Picture a hypothetical 15-person company that answers "yes" to two of these questions. It does not need to change everything at once. It needs to pick the question with the greatest impact and work on it for one 90-day cycle.
Your action for this week
This week, choose one of the 5 Ways (leads, conversion, transactions per customer, average sale value or margin) and measure its current value using real data, not estimates. Write that number somewhere the team can see it and set a target for the next 90 days. Measuring is the first step in moving from the companies that hold on to the companies that grow.
If you would like to structure this work, the ActionCOACH Porto team can support you, through 1:1 Coaching, the Clarity and Alignment Workshop or the 90-Day Planning Workshop. An initial conversation is a chance to understand where your company stands and which lever has the most potential.