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.
As the stakes get higher, the complexity intensifies. Juggling projects, pleasing clients – but is David losing sight of what matters?
Tough calls and slashed costs – the realities of running a business. But could these decisions lead to unexpected pitfalls? What will David find out eventually?
David begins suspecting his employees, even one he went above and beyond looking out for. Who in your organization would you protect unconditionally? Is your loyalty justified?
Just when David thinks he has everything under control, a breakfast chat changes everything. Are you aware of everything happening in your business, or is there a blind spot you’re unaware of?
The stakes are high if you plan to sell your business one day. Below is a case study of someone who did everything right when it came to making her business a sellable asset except for one area she wanted to save a couple of dollars …
And the math shows the benefits and costs of enhancing and neglecting the value of your business.
The key to restful sleep as a business owner….
Keep delivering on your promises to customers and suppliers, and continue to provide excellent service and uphold your reputation in the marketplace.
In short, transform your business into a premium, sellable asset that will secure your legacy and provide you with peace of mind.
Call me if you need help doing it.
Here we talk about 3 common anxieties and concerns that cause many business owners – especially those in their late 40s or 50s – sleepless nights..
Met a guy this weekend who was a total hustler but a bit out of his league trying to raise 50% investment. However, he did provide a reminder that we should ensure we walk the walk.. instead of just talk the talk…
So if the parrot is dead…it’s dead. Be honest, be transparent, and focus your energy on highlighting your growth paths and potential, your unique assets that help you stand out and justify a premium to buy or invest in you.
Sarah turned her business around with four simple, yet powerful, strategies – pricing adjustments, expense management, speeding up payments, and smart leasing. Now, she’s not just staying afloat but growing, all while increasing her company’s value. It’s amazing what strategic cash flow management can do
Just like our hearts and circulatory system, our businesses need a healthy cash flow to survive, grow, and thrive.
Take Sarah, a bakery owner who struggles with negative cash flow, often scrambling to cover expenses and worrying about future payments.
If you wish for a more profitable, predictable, and enjoyable business that’s ready for future investment or sale, cash flow management is a must.
Expect the Unexpected. Even the best of plans can sometime become undone, and a lifetime of building a dream end up in completely unexpected ways. Read the story of Thomas, Amelia and an ill-fated flight but a better ending because Thomas Prepared.
Expect the Unexpected. Even the best of plans can sometime become undone, and a lifetime of building a dream end up in completely unexpected ways. Read the story of Thomas, Amelia and an ill-fated flight…
Don’t fall for emotional marketing tricks that make you feel good but end up costing you. We’ve all been there as business owners, so let’s stay grounded and protect our success.
Let’s share a reality check as business owners and shield our hard-earned success from those too-good-to-be-true pitches
Unveil the fascinating story of how Netflix went from a struggling DVD rental service to a global streaming giant. Explore how they shifted their strategy towards recurring revenue and original content and revolutionised the way we consume media. Gain valuable insights into the significance of adaptation and delivering value to customers
When your “superstar hire” becomes your biggest liability…
One of the most common mistakes 7-figure business owners make is confusing talent with leverage.
With bringing in the superstar to solve the problems so the owner can step back and focus on more important things..
But systems scale and grow a business for the owner.
Superstars leave or demand the lion share for themselves.
This one’s for anyone who got burned thinking one hire could fix it all.
He sells a $40,000 product — but kept the store locked because he was “busy.”
Prospects knocked. No one answered.
What if your biggest growth opportunity isn’t more leads… but unlocking the ones you’re blocking?
If you’re buried in the grind and wondering why sales feel stuck… read on..
You’re pushing harder, selling more, landing bigger clients…
But your margins are thinning. Your team’s burning out. And the business feels like it’s held together with duct tape and crossed fingers.
It’s not growth. It’s chaos disguised as progress.
If you’re a 7-figure business owner, you already know what I mean. The next big win won’t save you — it might bury you.
Want to stop the madness?
Ever walked into a room and instantly knew something stank?
That’s how a buyer sees your business—if it’s too reliant on you, a key client, or a fragile process.
I had my own “what’s that smell?” moment at the gym this morning.
It reminded me how blind owners can be to what’s festering in their business until it’s too late.
Here’s how to know where you stand—before the stink costs you everything.
One business owner I met is leaving Dubai this summer—for 3 months.
His only concern? The kids’ school calendar.
His business doesn’t need him.
Another owner? He’s starting over.
His last business collapsed because it relied on too few clients—and too much of him.
Both are focused on building real equity now.
How about you?
Will your business give you options… or excuses?
A bug in my own system.
That’s what I found this week—thanks to a friend in my corner.
It messed up results from my 60-Second Survey. And it reminded me of something powerful:
You can’t build a business of real value if you’re surrounded by yes-men or quiet bystanders.
You need people who’ll call out the bugs—especially the ones you can’t see.
Took me a bit of time to fix. Might take you just 60 seconds to start.
Most business owners say they want freedom.
Time. Peace. A business that doesn’t own them.
But saying you “want it” isn’t the same as doing what it takes.
This story is about a business owner working 16-hour days, ruining his marriage — and for what? Micromanaging his way into misery.
Wanting a sellable business is one thing.
Working for it — the right way — is another.
This one’s about the difference.
I’m not a tax consultant.
But I keep getting cold emails written like I am.
No research. No relevance. No unsubscribe link.
Just like the copy-paste advice that traps so many business owners in jobs they can’t quit.
If you’ve ever paid for “the answer” and got a mess that wasted your time instead…
You’ll get this.
This one’s for the 7-figure owner sick of templates and hungry for real traction.