How to Use the BCG Matrix to Prioritize Like an MBA

Business isn’t just about doing more—it’s about doing what matters most.

And when you’ve got multiple products, services, or ideas on the table, the real challenge becomes:
Where do you invest your time, money, and energy?

That’s where one of the simplest tools from the MBA world comes in:
The BCG Matrix.

It helps you stop guessing and start prioritizing.

What’s the BCG Matrix?

Developed by the Boston Consulting Group, the BCG Matrix is a classic MBA framework that helps you sort your business offerings based on:

1. Market Growth Rate – Is the industry or demand growing?
2. Market Share – How strong is your position compared to competitors?

You get four categories:

• Stars – High growth, high market share
• Cash Cows – Low growth, high market share
• Question Marks – High growth, low market share
• Dogs – Low growth, low market share

Each one points to a different strategic move.

Why It Matters

The BCG Matrix helps you:

• Decide where to invest or cut back
• Avoid spreading yourself too thin
• Identify products to scale, maintain, or eliminate
• Balance short-term profit and long-term growth

It’s a simple but powerful way to make smarter decisions—fast.

Quick Breakdown

Stars

• These are your big opportunities.
• They’re in fast-growing markets where you have real traction.
• Double down. Scale them up and defend your position.

Cash Cows

• These are your reliable profit generators.
• They’re in slow-growing markets, but you dominate.
• Maximize margins and use the cash to fund growth elsewhere.

Question Marks

• These are risky bets.
• The market is hot, but you’re not a leader yet.
• Test before you invest. Kill fast if it’s not working.

Dogs

• These are dragging you down.
• Low growth and low share = low returns.
• Let them go. Reclaim your time and resources.

How to Use It

1. List your products or services
   Pick 3–10 core offerings.
2. Estimate market growth
   Is demand for this kind of product rising, steady, or declining?
3. Estimate market share
   Are you a top provider or playing catch-up?
4. Plot each one in the matrix
   Be honest. Use rough data if you need to.
5. Decide how to act
   Invest in Stars. Maintain Cash Cows. Test or cut Question Marks. Drop the Dogs.

Real Example (Small Business)

Let’s say you run a business with these offers:

1. Live Strategy Workshops – High growth, high demand
2. Retainer Clients – Stable income, but little room to grow
3. Online Courses – Big market, low sales
4. Branded Workbooks – Low sales, low interest

Breakdown:

• Workshops = Star
• Retainers = Cash Cow
• Courses = Question Mark
• Workbooks = Dog

Now you know:

• Invest in workshops
• Maintain retainers
• Test and improve your course funnel
• Kill or repurpose the workbooks

Clear. Simple. Strategic.

Avoid These Mistakes

• Holding on to Dogs out of nostalgia
• Trying to grow everything at once
• Ignoring market data
• Spending time on low-value offers because they’re familiar

Try This Today

1. Write down 3–5 offers or ideas.
2. Ask: Is the market growing? Do I have a strong share?
3. Drop each into one of the four BCG categories.
4. Make one decision this week: scale, maintain, test, or kill.

That’s thinking like a strategist.

And it’s one of the ways we turn MBAs-in-theory into results-in-practice.

Want to read the full article? Find it here.