Plans going nowhere?
Years ago I used to love watching major off road car rallies. Seeing the cars careering down dirt roads at breakneck speeds, sliding round corners, dust billowing behind them. Constantly pushing the [...]
Years ago I used to love watching major off road car rallies. Seeing the cars careering down dirt roads at breakneck speeds, sliding round corners, dust billowing behind them. Constantly pushing the [...]
You can’t miss the world cup and the Socceroo’s performance. However, more than talking about players, have you noticed how much emphasis is placed on the coach? Every leading athlete or team [...]
The only constant in life is change. Business is no different. Your success is directly proportional to your flexibility and willingness to embrace new ideas. But for most, change is hard. You’re [...]
As a business owner, there are two major mindset traps you can fall into. The first is paralysis by analysis. The second, starting something, getting bored, dropping it half way and starting [...]
Over the last 14 years I’ve met lots of people, exchanged hundreds (if not thousands) of cards. I’ve told people I was interested in their services or knew someone who could be, [...]
Every farmer understands a basic truth. First you sow, then you reap. And before sowing, you need to prepare the soil, then nurture and nourish the crops till they ultimately feed you. [...]
Thousands of books have been written on how to grow a business. Authors focus on everything from management, production, finance and innovation. While all these are important, ultimately there are only 3 [...]
Have you ever noticed entrepreneurs like us are good at starting projects – but not necessarily great at finishing? Lots of projects on the go. Each in their own stage of “completion”. [...]
Why do marriages die? Obviously there are a plethora of reasons, but surely major ones are a lack of communication between partners, feeling unvalued, unloved and taken for granted? In the beginning [...]
This year marks our 14th in business. Having helped organisations in 35 industries grow in profit, we’ve noticed three fundamental marketing and selling rules many break. The result? Their growth is stunted [...]
You’ve finally got the meeting with Mr Big Prospect. You’re sitting in his office. You’ve established rapport. He looks at you expectantly. Now what? In this article “Why winging it doesn’t cut [...]
Imagine getting onto a plane, fastening your seatbelt and the Captain announcing, “Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome aboard. Today we’re just going to wing it and see where we end up.” Chances are [...]
In business EVERY customer comes at a cost. It costs money to advertise. Money to nurture the relationship. Money to get them over the line from prospect to client. This is true [...]
Things always go wrong at the most inconvenient times. And you can bet that the bigger the issue, the more inconvenient the time it happens. It was early morning Boxing Day (a [...]
What do you really know about your customers? What makes them tick? What makes them feel special? Why do they buy from you over everyone else? Over time I’ve realised the vast [...]
Would you compromise your values to get new business? How about keeping a current client happy? Had a call from a friend facing just such a dilemma. Bill (not his real name), [...]
The fiasco with the US Government shutdown highlights a major risk for any business. Heaven help the employees who are directly affected and aren’t getting paid. But spare a thought for the [...]
Recently heard three stories of incipient stupidity recently. Cases where major sales or a referral source had been burned due to simple lack of awareness and not understanding the customer. While you’re [...]
One of the late Zig Ziglar’s most apt pronouncements was “It’s your attitude not your aptitude which will determine your altitude in life”. However, if you have both attitude and aptitude, you’ll [...]
I’m sure you know the old adage, “Fortune favours the brave”. However more and more I think it’s fortune favours the connected. Humans that is. I like talking to people, and over [...]
Revenue and profit – the two holy grails of any business. But many business owners confuse the two. Revenue is what comes in. Profit is what you get to keep. However many [...]
Way back in 1996 Thomas Stanley and William Danko published their ground breaking tome, “The millionaire next door”. In it they wrote about the man or woman literally next door. A man [...]
“The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated” Once uttered by Mark Twain, the same may well be said for the Australian manufacturing industry. I know, I know. We constantly hear [...]
Jay Abraham, one of the world’s most successful marketing legends asserts great innovation usually comes from outside your own industry. No matter what your issue, it’s likely to have been solved somewhere [...]
If there is one constant in life, it’s change. Nothing stays the same forever. Nothing works forever. So it is your ability to quickly adapt to change that will determine your success. [...]
If I asked you what you knew, really knew, about your clients what would you be able to tell me? Could you describe them in detail? Know exactly what they’d bought and [...]
I’m sure you’ve heard of the “Golden Rule” – Treat people the way you want to be treated. It’s a great philosophy for life in general, but in my opinion it’s not [...]
Watching the recent bleating and crying foul of the National Retailer’s Association when it comes to the lack of consumer spending locally and how they think lowering the GST threshold on online [...]
There is a phenomenon that’s all too common with small to medium business owners. I call it the “Hamster Wheel”. It starts insidiously, so you may not even notice you’re on it, [...]
Fear. We all have it and it’s the greatest barrier to our success in business and life generally. And the irony is many of our fears are quite irrational and if overcome, [...]
Clarity, communication, laying out the path and accountability. These are four key ingredients to running a successful business. A business that ends up giving you a lifestyle rather than just creating yourself [...]
Here’s a quick question… What’s the number one reason most small businesses fail? If you said lack of cash flow – you’d be half right. Believe it or not, the number one [...]
Leaving a networking breakfast the other day, a fellow participant commented on how many business meetings seemed to take place in coffee shops nearby. It’s ironic that in the age of instant [...]
One of the greatest barriers to profitability is discounting. In fact I’d go so far as to say discounting is positively evil, insidious and will send you broke! Take any of the [...]
Over the last 30 years I’ve worked with some very successful and savvy professional sales people. And I’ve noticed that regardless of personal style, all successful professional salespeople do three things extremely [...]
In business you are either growing or dying. There is no staying still. So assuming you want to grow, I’m going to broadly outline some of the critical steps you need to [...]
It was an amazing two days. The level of openness, sharing and cooperation was something I’ve rarely observed – especially as the three organisations involved were in exactly the same industry. Last [...]
Barbara and I went to a local Orchid show last Sunday. Packed with people happily exchanging money for beautiful plants. And yes, we succumbed as well. What’s interesting is how the various [...]
Any Olympic competitor will tell you winning is as much a mind game as being proficient in your chosen sport. It takes years of physical and mental training to reach the top. [...]
Last week I told you how my friend Greg Tan of New Leaf Designs had sent me a hand written note thanking me for a referral. What I didn’t tell you was [...]