Small businesses, with their varied structures, management styles, and sizes, have historically been considered difficult to categorize or understand through a unified lens. However, by zooming in on the journey of numerous small enterprises, a tangible commonality surfaces—each goes through identifiable stages of growth and related challenges. Rooted in the foundational work of Steinmetz and Greiner, this article ventures into exploring the utility and relevance of the growth stage framework amidst the eclectic dynamism of contemporary small businesses.