Business Value
Next Huge Thing is ZZZ
“NEXT HUGE THING” “We’re looking for 500k to finish the MVP.. if we just get 1% of the market you will have made 10,000x the
October 20, 2026
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“NEXT HUGE THING” “We’re looking for 500k to finish the MVP.. if we just get 1% of the market you will have made 10,000x the
Jack’s saviour arrived four weeks before his cash ran out. It came as an email, accepting his proposal. Good terms, and a lifeline. Overnight, his
I knew better. But it was so convenient. Years ago I ran a different company, and I had a client who made up 75% of
“I have stepped back, just like you told me,” Mike said. “But you have Ron running everything now,” I replied. “Yes, but it is not
It is my birthday today. Not a particularly grand milestone. I am into my 56th year, or if you prefer, my 2,912th Tuesday on this
I met Danny at an event over the weekend. After being introduced and finding out what I do, he pulls me aside with a big
So the premium company wrote back, and their reply told me everything about how they see the world. Their position was simple. Here is our
Yesterday I left you with my AC dead, a CH04 error flashing, and a premium company booked to put it right. What I left out
You have heard me talk a lot about cheapskates, discount zombies, and clients who just want to rip you off or get you working for
Sam was a star. The iceman, the closer. He shut deals faster than anyone, and closed 20% more than the rest of the team. Management
In Dubai, working for free is almost a rite of passage for business owners. It has happened to me more than once, and never because
Once upon a time…. Carl walks into a beautiful clinic with serious chest pains. He is seen by Dr Sam, a heart specialist with more
A while back I watched a buyer walk away from a business he had spent weeks looking at. Good numbers, pretty profitable and the business
Most owners are about to waste AI, and it will have nothing to do with the AI. Here is why and it comes from a
Ever seen that reality show about the Pawn shop. Some guy hauls in his grandfather’s watch, dead certain it is worth a fortune. By his
“That’s How It’s Done Here” How often have you heard or believed those words? Perhaps in your industry there is something you follow as if
Colin took the family to Crete in June. By Wednesday he’d taken fourteen calls. Not one of them was a crisis. One was the wifi
So what is it you want to see? My client was asking me earnestly. I had just come with a dozen requests and he was
“I’d have got rid of Dean four years ago. I just can’t.” Rob runs an industrial packaging distribution company. Six million in revenue, thirty-one staff,
In my last post I told you about the scowling woman at the restaurant who put a deep flurry of clouds in the experience when
They say things happen in threes. I told you about my Grumps experience by the seaside. Well within 48 hours we stopped in the Gower
“She’s a bucket of sunshine” My wife Natalie exclaimed after our waitress rolled her eyes when we said we need a minute or two to
“That’s a palace?” my daughters exclaimed. Their eyes were declaring what their mouths were too polite to say. That’s complete ***t. So they weren’t impressed
“Wisdom is worth more than silver; it makes you much richer than gold. Wisdom is more valuable than precious jewels; nothing you want compares with
I have been out of touch for a week or so. Not because I am blowing you all off but just to step back and
Friday was fun. I organised an afternoon lunch and then happy hour with over a dozen business owners and service providers. We didn’t have an
“I learned more from a 3 minute record than I ever learned in school” Bruce Springsteen – “No Retreat, No Surrender” In the mid 80s
You know what’s funny about my business? The wide variety of industries and situations I get called into that differ significantly on the surface but
Last day of FAQ week. And this one is the question that separates the owners who end up with options from those who end up
Day 2 of FAQ week. Today’s question hits a nerve with almost every owner I talk to. “You talk about building a business that runs
What happens when you build your business like you’ll sell it—even if you won’t?
You get your time back.
You get freedom.
And sometimes… you 50x your revenue in 36 months.
That’s exactly what one founder did without ever stepping foot in his office.
No hustle porn. No VC. No consultants.
Just the right structure, the right people, and a business built to run without him.
Here’s what that looks like…
What do you get when John Carlton, Brian Kurtz, and Bond Halbert drop into a casual book club?
Not a pitch.
Not a product launch.
Just a room built right—by people who lead with value and play the long game.
This wasn’t a flex.
It was a masterclass in how real relationships attract the right people.
And why the best opportunities come when you stop selling… and start serving.
Here’s what happened
When you bring the right people into the right room, something changes.
It’s not about small talk.
It’s not about swapping business cards.
It’s about real conversations that open doors—and the opportunities that follow when hands are grasped with real intent.
Here’s a glimpse inside a gathering where growth wasn’t just talked about. It started.
One leak.
Two missed calls.
Three years of customer loyalty—gone.
That’s all it took.
-Not because of pricing.
-Not because of competition.
But because of a simple failure to show up, follow through, and solve the actual problem.
Bad customer experience isn’t just annoying.
It’s what turns profitable businesses into unsellable liabilities.
Here’s what happened—and why you need to look at your own business through the same lens.
They said a wave of business exits was coming.
Retiring baby boomers. Millions of dollars changing hands.
The so-called “Silver Tsunami.”
But… where is it?
Most owners didn’t sell.
Many didn’t retire.
And a frightening number are still grinding—burnt out, stuck, and quietly hoping for a buyer that never comes.
This post breaks down what’s really happening…
And what it means for every founder still waiting for the perfect time.
Today’s not just another Tuesday.
It’s St. George’s Day—the story of a man who stood his ground, defied the empire, and became a legend.
Most people remember the dragon.
They forget the courage.
And that’s exactly what most founders forget too.
The businesses that lead? They stand for something.
The ones that fold? They tried to please everyone.
Here’s why standing your ground might be the most valuable move you make.
You didn’t miss the exit.
You just kept telling yourself it wasn’t time yet.
Until suddenly… it was too late.
Most business owners don’t crash and burn.
They slowly wear down—working harder, earning less, and watching the business slip away while they keep saying:
“Just a bit longer.”
This post isn’t about planning.
It’s about what happens when you don’t..
You’ve sacrificed.
Pushed through setbacks.
Bled for the business.
But when it’s time to walk away—will it live on without you?
Or will it die the second you step back?
Most business owners don’t have an exit.
They have a slow death.
This week brought a powerful reminder of what real triumph looks like—
And what happens when you don’t build for it.
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