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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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…
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…
Trying to grow your business and do everything yourself? Good luck….
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Pricing is an overlooked and powerful lever of growth but it’s often determined incorrectly or unnecessarily limited.
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.
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
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?
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.
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….
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.
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.
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”.
in the story with David and Nathan, David is allowing himself to take his eyes off his business by indulging the wishes of a customer that has become too big. You don’t want to be at the mercy of a big whale of a customer or it can evaporate your business in a second or keep you up at night worrying about it..
in the story with David and Nathan, David had his “black knight” Jack, who is destroying the value of David’s business by being completely inept in his finance role. It’s an unforced error and 100% avoidable. It just requires a commitment to producing and providing high quality financial reporting.
in the story with David and Nathan, Nathan started by how David’s poor customer experience from outsourcing is destroying the value of his business. Some metrics in this article make Nathan’s point pretty clear…
In the world of business, the real thief may not always be who you expect. David finds out finally the uncomfortable truth – that the thief jeopardizing his company’s value and his family’s future is closer than he thinks.
Last night, my heart stopped as I saw our empty parking spot. It was 8:30 pm—where could my wife and kids be? No answer on her phone. Panic set in… Did they rush to the hospital? Then, I realised…
What does this have to do with your business? Everything. It’s a lesson in how distraction and inconsistency can cost you more than just embarrassment and what you can put in place to minimise it – and make your business much more valuable.
Are you taking this weekend off, or is your business taking over… again?
If the idea of unplugging for even two days seems impossible, you might be running a business that’s actually running you.
A business that can’t survive without you is more of a liability than an asset.
Ready for a change? Discover how to reclaim your time and increase your business’s value.
Read on, and click the link inside
Is your business worth less than your morning coffee?
It’s not a joke—it’s a wake-up call. Many business owners think they’re building a goldmine, only to find out their business isn’t worth what they thought.
Want to know if you’re on the right track? I’m sharing how to avoid wasting time and money.
See more inside
Imagine waking up to a knock on the door that changes everything. A sudden tragedy, a business in chaos, and a once-secure future crumbling. One family learned the hard way what happens when a business isn’t a true asset.
Could your business survive 90 days without you? If not, its value might be shockingly low. Discover how to secure your legacy before it’s too late…
What’s killing your chances of selling your business? It’s not what you think…
One business owner thought he was set to retire—until I told him his business might not be worth anything. Profits alone won’t guarantee a sale if you’re making these critical mistakes.
Are you unknowingly sabotaging your exit plan? Discover the hidden factors that could keep you from cashing out when you’re ready…
This post is tough to write, but the lesson is invaluable. A tragic accident turned a joyful celebration into an unimaginable loss. It made me reflect: how often do we act recklessly, unaware of the consequences? Also for those of us running a business, remember: life is unpredictable. Are you prepared for the unexpected? Reflect on your choices today. Read on for more.
What would you do if your top client was more trouble than they’re worth? This week, we explored the bold move of firing a #1 customer who drained resources and blocked better opportunities. Would you have the courage to cut ties with a PIA client? Caroline and Susan’s story is fictional, but the lessons are real. Sometimes, letting go is the key to unlocking growth, as Renee discovered in a true story.
Caroline had enough. An 8 a.m. meeting, endless waiting, and then… she did the unthinkable. For the first time, Susan was left speechless.
What did Carline do to her biggest client? And why did she feel freedom instead of fear?