Abstract: Businesses are not only driving contemporary ideas of progressive economic growth. They are also driven by them as they often perceive an economic and societal pressure to permanently grow in size. At the same time, many companies face stagnant or shrinking markets, resource scarcities, crises or far-reaching demographic trends. Academic and political debates on limits to growth and post-growth economies leave a blank gap where they ought to provide (and acknowledge) companies with visions and strategies for development paths that do not centre on economic growth. We aim to fill this gap on the basis of empirical studies on small and medium-sized companies (SME) in German-speaking countries. An online survey sheds light on SME’s growth expectations and performance indicators in relation to founding motives, firm attributes or competitive positions. In-depth case studies of non- and post-growth firms serve to identify promising business strategies and scaling practices. Our presentation aims to discuss theses and recommendations regarding role and options of SME in post-growth economies as well as respective framework conditions.