Expanding a business in Cuba: growing with strategy, creativity and collaboration

Dr. Lourdes Sánchez

Talking about expansion in the Cuban context means changing many traditional ideas about business growth. In other markets, expansion is usually associated with more money, more infrastructure, more employees, or more locations. However, for Cuban entrepreneurs, expansion doesn’t always begin with large investments, but rather with strategic intelligence, optimization, and adaptability.

In an environment marked by economic limitations, resource scarcity, and constant operational challenges, expanding a business is not a luxury: it’s a survival strategy. The key is learning to grow without burning out, without going bankrupt, and without waiting for perfect conditions.

Smart Expansion: Growing Without Multiplying Expenses

Let’s start with an essential concept: smart expansion. This model proposes multiplying a business’s impact without multiplying costs.

Expanding doesn’t necessarily mean opening another location or hiring more people. It can also mean:

● Reaching more customers.

● Generating more value.

● Optimizing processes.

● Making better use of existing resources.
● Create new revenue streams
● Collaborate with other businesses.

From this perspective, expansion becomes a strategic decision based on clarity, organization, and creativity.

First phase: Invisible Expansion

The first stage of growth is one of the most important and, at the same time, one of the least visible. It’s about invisible expansion: the internal process of optimizing the business.

This phase doesn’t require large investments. What it really needs is clarity.

Many businesses waste time and energy repeating tasks daily:

● Answering the same questions via WhatsApp.

● Writing messages from scratch.

● Organizing processes haphazardly.

● Solving repetitive tasks without defined systems.

The solution doesn’t necessarily involve buying expensive software. Often, simple and functional tools are enough:

● Templates.

● Saved responses.

● Basic forms.

● Checklists.

● Scheduled messages.

● Broadcast lists.

The goal is to automate as much as possible, using the creativity and ingenuity characteristic of Cuban entrepreneurship.

Hidden Business Assets

Another key point in this phase is identifying the hidden assets the business already possesses but isn’t yet monetizing.

Many businesses constantly generate value without charging for it. Some examples are:

● Baking businesses that can sell recipe books, workshops, or kits.

● Individuals who offer services and can create templates or provide quick consultations.

● Educational projects capable of monetizing audio, mini-courses, or downloadable materials.

Every business has potential byproducts. The challenge lies in recognizing them and transforming them into new revenue opportunities.

Second Phase: Collaborative Expansion

The second stage of growth is based on a powerful idea: growth doesn’t come from having the most resources, but from connecting with others.

Collaborative expansion allows businesses to broaden their reach by leveraging the strengths of other individuals and ventures.

Ways to Collaborative Expansion

There are multiple ways to implement this model:

1. Alliances between complementary businesses

For example:

A bakery partnered with a coffee shop.

A culinary venture linked to event planners.

Coffee brands collaborating with artisanal ceramics projects.

These alliances allow for shared audiences and the creation of more comprehensive value propositions.

2. Service Exchange

Professional bartering remains a valid and functional tool within the Cuban entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Design, photography, promotion, production, or logistics services can be exchanged without requiring significant monetary investment.

3. Shared Spaces

Collaborative models based on the following are becoming increasingly common:

● Pop-ups.

● Corners.

● Shared display cases.

● Collaborative trade shows.

These formats allow for increased visibility and sales while reducing operating costs.

4. Referral Networks

Many businesses expand thanks to customers who recommend, promote, or even sell their products.

Referral and brand ambassador systems can become a very effective tool for organic growth.

Third Phase: Structural Expansion

The final stage occurs when the business has achieved a certain level of stability, regular customers, and a steady flow of revenue.

At this point, the venture ceases to be merely a business that “solves a problem” and becomes a sustainable and scalable project.

Converting Individual Services into Replicable Models

Structural expansion involves creating systems that can be replicated without depending exclusively on the founder’s constant presence.

Some strategies include:
● Transforming individual services into group formats.

● Creating subscriptions, bundles, or special editions.

● Designing clear and replicable processes.

● Documenting basic procedures.

● Establishing quality standards.

It’s not necessarily about creating formal franchises, but about building models that other people can execute correctly.

The Importance of Delegating

One of the biggest obstacles to growth is trying to do everything alone.

Therefore, we highlight an essential question:

What tasks could someone else perform with 70 or 80% effectiveness, freeing up my time to expand?

Delegating doesn’t mean losing control. It means freeing up energy to focus on strategic tasks.

The first functions that are usually delegated are:

● Basic customer service.

● Repetitive processes.

● Logistical tasks.

● Operational organization.

To achieve this, complex manuals of hundreds of pages are not necessary. Often, the following are sufficient:

● Clear instructions.

● Simple templates.

● Documented basic processes.

● Functional checklists.

Creating an Expansion Map

As a practical exercise, we suggest you create an expansion map divided into four quadrants:

1. Where is the business today?

This involves honestly evaluating the current situation.

2. What can be expanded without money or at the lowest possible cost?

This is where invisible expansion comes in.

3. With whom can the business grow?

This corresponds to collaborative expansion and strategic alliances.

4. What structure does the business need to sustain growth?

This stage relates to processes, delegation, and structural expansion.

This map serves as a first, realistic draft of the business’s growth model.

Expand Before You Burn Out

One of the most important messages of the conference was that many businesses don’t disappear due to a lack of potential, but because their founders burn out prematurely.

Expansion doesn’t begin when the perfect resources appear. It begins when you decide that the business deserves to grow and needs to grow.

In Cuba, entrepreneurship means waking up every day to constant challenges. That’s precisely why smart expansion becomes a fundamental tool for building sustainable, creative, and resilient businesses.

Because growth doesn’t always mean having more. Often, it means better organization, greater collaboration, and making the most of what you already have.