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Our Daily Blog

Man with too small clothes and dressed funny
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

He Will Grow Into It

Ever seen someone who hasn’t really grown up. You can often spot them with the bad style and ill fitting clothes. A business that doesn’t put in paths of growth often looks like one of these people who never grew up. And it’s not very attractive in either case.

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Man as a swiss army knife
Dependency on Owner
George Sotiropoulos

Swiss Army Entrepreneur

Swiss Army knives are the epitome of practicality and a must have when going on a camping trip. But for business owners, trying to be a solution for everyone by offering a bit of everything is a recipe for disaster. You often end up offering nothing to anyone. Read more and find out where the real riches are.. If you know the cliché you know the answer.

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F1 race car hauling a heavy industrial refrigerator
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Million Dollar Culture Penalty

Although it can be preached incessantly and annoyingly, the culture of your business should never be discounted or ignored. It determines whether you have a business that can grow on all cylinders or you have a business that might grow but at the same time spawns tough and effective competitors by staffing them with your employees after driving them out. One owner learned the hard way when to save $3,000 he ended up saving a competitor and transforming them into a multi-million dollar business.

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Spartan Soliders with Modern Weapons
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Championship Systems

Champions vs Losers in Professional sports across the years isn’t always about the best players. It’s often about the best systems to develop the best players year in and year out. It’s the same with companies. The perennial winners have the systems in place to make the business independent and valuable.

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jimmy carter and George washington carver shaking hands in a peanut farm
Customer Experience
George Sotiropoulos

Peanuts and Profits

Replenish the soil is obvious to many farmers and gardeners today but was a revolutionary discovery in the late 19th century that not only revolutionised agriculture but whose principle of diversification and not relying on one market or customer is key business advice for today.

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Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Handling 5x the Crowd at the Door

How is your capacity to scale up and grow the business? Are you fully tapped out today or could you handle more without having to invest more money or hire more staff. Which do you think is more attractive to potential investors and to your day to day existence?

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Boxer facing Bambi in the ring who wants to climb the ropes and run away
Scaling the Business
George Sotiropoulos

Bullied by the Numbers

The Numbers is something every Business Owner owns 100% but which is often pushed away or neglected. That only only affects a future sale but the PNL and cash you put in your pocket today.

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Michael Jordan dunking the ball in a business suit
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Pass the Ball to Win it All

Michael Jordan’s experience in the NBA is a great lesson for entrepreneurs on the struggles that come from trying to be a 1 man team and the rewards of employing a system that allow you to dominate and accomplish your goals and misson.

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Turtle walking down the road with a car behind it
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

The Tortoise and the Motorist

It’s funny how often governments wrap up initiatives by claiming a benefit to something everyone supports so that no one dares oppose the absurdity of what they are proposing. Wales is following this rulebook for a drive like a turtle law. In business, it’s often used to manipulate us – especially business owners. Stay aware and empower yourself to set the parameters when someone tries to pitch or sell you something.

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nervous business guy who tried to blackmail batman
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Fallacy of Blackmailing Batman

The late Jim Camp who was a master negotiator always taught the importance of knowing your mission and purpose and being able to live in someone else’s shoes when in talks. He stressed the importance of building a vision as the opening quote shows here and the business lesson it can provide.

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crowd of Zombies
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Repelling Discount Zombies

Some customers can sense a business owner is desperate to sell whatever he offers and they take advantage by demanding unreasonable discounts or making false promises of big riches beyond the horizon – if only they cut them a deal today. Learn how to avoid these zombies and put your business on a strong and sustainable growth path.

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busy woman who missed a bus
Customer Experience
George Sotiropoulos

I Must Have a Discount

Avoid Prospects who demand unwarranted discounts as some sort of personal entitlement for them. It’s essential to differentiate between genuine requests and those who seek to undervalue your worth. Don’t let “Discount Zombies” haunt you.

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Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Clients are Not Idiots

As we become experts in what we do we can fall into a common trap. Treating prospects and customers as children because they are not a proficient in whatever niche we specialise. It can drive away lots of good customers…

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crowd of Zombies
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Lost in a Mob of Discount Zombies

Many business owners take the shortcut and use their tax description to describe to prospects what they do. That ends up commoditising them, opening them to the “google slap” (where prospects go on google and find thousands of others who do the same thing for cheaper) and putting them at the mercy of price wars and bad attitude clients. See how one conversation changed my client from this fate to something much better…

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Grumpy bearded restauarnt owner
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Grumpy and Empty Tables

In this last restaurant we see how an owner’s personal attitude can drive the culture and ultimate success or failure of his business. How the “brand”of his business is tied up in how he presents himself to his potential customers.

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Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Consistent Full Tables

I’m in Greece this week and will highlight some observations I see from different F&Bs that have customer experience and underlying business value lessons for all types of businesses. In the second one we have the most successful restaurant on the strand. Every day lunch and dinner he has full tables. And it stems from providing consistent high quality experience from the passerby to the final bill payment. An experience that gives him a constant stream of repeat patrons and others referred by friends or the high reviews.

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Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Tzatziki, Gyros and Pizza?

I’m in Greece this week and will highlight some observations I see from different F&Bs that have customer experience and underlying business value lessons for all types of businesses. In the first one, we have a nice owner and a nice clean place but it’s sabotaged by confused messaging of what it is and some very awful pictures and inaccurately paint a low quality vision of what to expect inside.

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An Accountant who is a Clown
Customer Experience
George Sotiropoulos

From Clowns to Common Sense Growth and Profits

Trying to grow the business on the back of monkeys? By investing in your employees, you’ll not only improve productivity but also attract the best new talent to continue driving the growth of the business.

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Customer Experience
George Sotiropoulos

Listen and Then Make Something New

What is the most effective way to sell a new product or service to your customers? Listen to them, find their pain and needs and then design the product or service. Most do it backwards and then find themselves struggling to find an audience for what they created. Learn the formula from direct marketing to know what to priortise and when.

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Upscale office
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Scaling Through Loyalty

Today the lesson is how to organically grow the business by leveraging an overlooked asset… your existing customer base and unlock the key to how most successful businesses were able to scale and grow.

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Upscale office
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Pricing Your Growth

Pricing is an overlooked and powerful lever of growth but it’s often determined incorrectly or unnecessarily limited.

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Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Prepare and Win Due Diligence

We touch on due diligence today and the uncomfortable questions you can head off by preparing from today and turning a painful process into a beneficial one.

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business man walking a tightrope over a city
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

A Game of Inches and Fate

Buying a business is akin to a game of inches – it’s the fine details that can make or break the deal. Scrutinize your contracts, work on your growth paths, and be prepared for tough negotiations. Don’t let a few oversights cost you a potential sale. It’s not just about getting to the end zone, it’s about ensuring every yard is fought for and won

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business man with helmet and covered in mud...
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Same Business Play and Pray for Better

In 1985, the Chicago Bears learned the hard way that you can’t run the same play repeatedly and hope for different results. A striking parallel to an owner who kept spinning the wheel, hoping buyers would overlook his over-involvement in the business. Like in the game of football, businesses thrive on the right fundamentals and the ability to adapt. Are you making the necessary adjustments or sticking stubbornly to the same play?

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boy sitting in front of a ferrari
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Daddy Buy Me a Business or a Ferrari

my first M&A deal taught me a lot and especially how character can make or define success. A spoiled son decides to play in the big leagues and learns quickly the ball flies pretty fast and can be pretty hard. He hesitates and costs him millions.

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An Accountant who is a Clown
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

It’s Too Hard… Have Him go Away!

what happens when you build a real business and you want to retire and sell but allow one function to fall short because its leader is incompetent or lazy… same as what happens when you fumble the ball on the goal line every down….

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business men lined up on football field wearing pads.
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

I Want That Inch

The Movie Any Given Sunday was famous for highlighting the battle for inches on both the football field and life. From personal experience I can tell you the inches look deceptively simple and often it’s just a few that separates the consistent winners from the losers. This week we’ll go into more detail on why that’s the case in business.

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busy woman who missed a bus
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Too Busy to Invest in Success?

In the story with David and Nathan, David was having an “affair’ with his business by being so busy in day to day thankless tasks that he was neglecting growing the company and his own family. In my experience, several owners who were too busy to invest 20 minutes in finding out the strengths and risks in the underlying value of their business are no longer in business today. It’s not a coincidence.

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couple at a table
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Lusting After Predictability

In the story with David and Nathan, David says in passing he stepped away from a recurring revenue opportunity because he was focused on potential costs. In Business, predictability is sexy. You don’t want your business to come off as challenging, volatile, and a “bad boy”.

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mickey mouse on a yacht in Greece
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Why Disney Can Charge Double and Be Worth Every Penny

Ever wonder why Disney can charge twice as much as Six Flags but still have people lining up to spend? It’s not just about the rides. Imagine stepping into a world of magic, where every meal, every souvenir, and every experience is crafted to perfection. Curious about what sets Disney apart and how you can apply these secrets to your own business? Stay tuned, and discover the magic behind the strategy.

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Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

The Mouse and Your Business

Who knew a Mouse could teach us about achieving business freedom? The magic keeps us coming back, eager to spend more for that unforgettable experience. Curious about how you can apply these lessons to your own business? Join us this Wednesday at the Profit and Dine Differentiation Dinner..

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man in expensive suit begging for money
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Why “Cheap” Costs You More…

Feeling frustrated by constant pressure to reduce your prices? This story unveils the power of differentiation and how it can make your business immune to blackmail from Discount Zombies. Discover the key to standing out and maintaining your value. Stay tuned for insights that could transform your approach to pricing and competition.

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Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Key Insights from our Online Differentiation Workshop

Did you miss our recent workshop on standing out in a crowded market? Don’t worry! Here’s a quick recap of the key insights and actionable strategies we covered. Dive in to see how understanding and leveraging customer desires can transform your business. Plus, join us for a deeper dive at our live session in Dubai this Wednesday!

Read on for more details.

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woman heading to crowded restaurant with band playing
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Features Won’t Fill the Seats, But This Will…

Yesterday, I shared how we helped an Events company owner expand into Saudi Arabia while reigniting growth in her core business. The secret? Understanding the real reasons restaurant owners hire her – and it’s not what you think. By shifting her focus, she left competitors in the dust. Want to know how she filled seats and achieved success? Click to discover one of the key insights we used

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woman leading musicians on a Saudi Stage
Business Value
George Sotiropoulos

Filling The Seats

Ever feel like your business is burying you, preventing major expansion? I had a client in the event industry facing the same challenge. She was stuck between scaling her business and a major expansion into Saudi Arabia. How did she manage to ignite growth while freeing up time for her expansion? Curious to learn how you can do the same?

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Avandoned starbucks with tumbleweed rolling by
Customer Experience
George Sotiropoulos

Losing Customers Venti Style

Why are loyal Starbucks customers turning away more and more? Is it just about rising prices or is there a deeper issue at play that’s a critical lesson for any business? Are you unknowingly making the same mistake? Discover a key factor in Starbucks’ recent struggles and how to avoid them in your own business. Click to read the full story and protect your brand from a similar fate

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