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
When I was 12, I snuck a pocket radio into church so I could listen to the Cubs game during Holy Thursday service.
My mom busted me.
I sat through the whole thing—and didn’t understand a word of it.
Now? I don’t miss a second.
And somewhere in that shift…
There’s a powerful lesson most business owners are still missing.
Your business is profitable.
Maybe even 7 or 8 figures.
But here’s a tough question:
What happens if you disappear for 30 days?
Does the business keep growing?
Or does it fall apart?
There’s a simple test I call Freedom Math—and most founders don’t like their score.
If you’re thinking about selling your business “someday,”
This is the equation you need to solve first.
You’ve built a 7- or 8-figure business.
Profitable. Growing.
But when it’s time to exit?
Most owners don’t get the deal they want.
Many don’t get a deal at all.
Not because the business isn’t successful…
But because it doesn’t work without them.
If you’re banking on a future sale—this is your wake-up call.
The #1 question buyers ask isn’t about your story.
It’s about their risk.
His company hit $10M in revenue.
And then… a car accident.
In one moment, it was all gone.
Not because the business failed.
But because it couldn’t survive without him.
This isn’t a dramatic story. It’s a common one.
And the lesson he learned the hard way?
I’m giving it to you right here.
If your business still depends on you…
You need to read this.
She came to the event knowing no one there could help her.
She showed up anyway.
Another guy skipped it because “only 5 people” were attending.
Guess who walked away with a powerful new connection?
This isn’t a post about networking.
It’s about what really creates leverage in business—
and why some people miss it entirely.
I break it down here.
He’s planning to attend a networking event.
But find out only 5 people will be there.
Meanwhile, he’s packing 100 business cards, ready to hand them out.
Is this event a total waste of time…
or the room that changes everything?
Most people would skip it, scanning the web for a “better” event.
But what if what you really needed was already in the room?
Not more people.
Just the right ones.
His daughter graduated.
His wife smiled.
But something felt… off.
There was no fight. No bitterness.
Just silence.
And when the message came in—
“Call me. We’ve got a problem…”
He said the same words he always did:
“I’ll be right back.”
Except this time…She didn’t wait.
This isn’t about one missed dinner.
It’s about what happens when the life you built… forgets to include you.
“Why pay him? He’ll work for free.”
That’s what my boss told an investor who wanted to promote me.
I’d been building the business backend from scratch.
No salary. No support. No credit.
That moment taught me one thing:
Never let anyone undervalue your work—or your business.
If your pricing says “I’m just getting by,” don’t be surprised when buyers ignore you later.
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