When I was starting out on my own I had a dream of what I wanted to achieve, but like many dreams, it was hazy and unfocused, and I could never tell anyone what it was all about with any clarity. I wasn’t absolutely clear where I was going, and we all know what happens […]
I read an article the other day that got me a bit hot under the collar. In a nutshell it said that anyone following a process or a system was a ‘jobsworth’. The article had different animals depicting the different types of people who followed a system and their reasons for doing so. What got […]
It’s very easy to get stuck in a rut. Sometimes we don’t even recognise that we’re in one. A rut’s boring, same old same old. Dull, right? And that’s not your life! Well what if it is? Many successful small business owners get stuck in a rut. It’s called The Struggle, and while it’s anything […]
What do you believe in? What do you value? In life? In your business? What would your team say you value? When business owners are asked about their values, they’ll usually say things like ‘honesty’, ‘integrity’, ‘customer focus’, maybe ‘fairness’. Clearly good values, but to be honest, these are standard principles that every business owner […]
Imagine you have a boat. You’ve just set sail and you’re headed out to sea – full of optimism and excitement. Captain of your destiny. Master of your fate. But where are you headed? Wherever the current takes you? Slave to the tide and the prevailing wind? Or have you plotted a course to take […]
If you’re going on a long journey in your car, what do you do? You think about where you are now, what your starting point is. You think about where you want to get to – your destination. You think about when you want to get there, maybe when you need to get there. And […]
“When people are financially invested, they want a return. When people are emotionally invested, they want to contribute.” Round here, we talk a lot about the 4 Foundations that will give a business owner McFreedom, that is, freedom to choose whether to scale, grow, or sell your business…or run it from a beach somewhere. The 4 […]
It’s that time of year when my ancient boiler gets its annual health check. For about fifteen years now I’ve had a series of engineers visit my house, make that ‘sucking through the teeth’, noise, and shake their head, as they discover the age of the patient. Yet on it chugs – incredibly reliable despite […]
Planning is the platform on which your innovation and creativity can blossom and shine. And that’s just one of my top ten benefits… Planning: Helps you to spot opportunities A consistent planning system, and planning calendar, forces you to step off the hamster wheel once in a while and get your head up. To go […]
When I worked for McDonald’s I learned that planning is a team sport; most effective when it involves the people it affects as well as those who’ll deliver on it. I learned that you listen to those with the skills and experience, but you also consider the new and the different; that it’s ok to […]
Drive on the left. Give way from the right. Don’t hog the middle lane. This is our ‘system’ for driving in the UK, or ‘the way we drive round here’. Despite having a system, there are still plenty of holdups what with accidents, roadworks and sheer volume of traffic, but just imagine what it would […]
Last week I was featured in Management Today, which was fun. The article was all about my take on what small business has to learn from McDonald’s. You may have seen it, but if not then you can read it by clicking HERE. It’s a really good article, and well worth five minutes of your time. […]
I was attacked by a wasp the other day. My lovely walk in the country was suddenly interrupted by a severe burning pain in my arm – the little beggar having sunk his stinger into me with no provocation whatsoever. On my way home, accompanied by what felt like a hundred pixies stabbing my arm […]
Tomorrow is the 1st October, maybe as you read this that was yesterday, or even the day before, it doesn’t matter – what matters is that you have 3 months stretching out before you ’til the end of the year; 90 days that could make all the difference between having a good year and a […]
‘Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.’ Bill Gates Have you ever wanted to complain online to a company only to find that complaints are not one of the fifteen options for selection. I tend to select customer query and then head the comments box with complaint. I don’t know about you […]
It’s that time again, new beginnings. For some their first day at a new school or college. For others their first day in a new role or a new job; maybe their first ever job? Can you remember back to one of your first days? We’ve all had at least one. So what was it […]
‘Everyone in the GB cycling team wants to be world class in their role.’ – Sir Chris Hoy If you’re anything like me, you’ll have been completely engrossed by the stories of success from the Rio Olympics – individual brilliance, team defiance, hero after hero – 4 years of blood, sweat and tears leading to […]
The combines were out in force last night – up and down they went hour after hour, right through to 2am. Noisy buggers they are too, but rather than be frustrated or angry that they were disturbing my sleep with their racket, I was hugely impressed that they had been able to mobilise so quickly […]
When you’re looking to grow a scale-ready business there are two essential foundations that you need to build: Simple logical and repeatable systems in every area of your operation, and A high performing team who take ownership for their role and run your systems effectively. Over the last few weeks we’ve talked about the importance […]
An entrepreneur went to see a wiley old investor to ask her to fund his business idea. He had a brilliant idea about a product he wanted to launch, and he felt sure she would be interested in helping him. The investor sat patiently while the entrepreneur enthused about his business plan…going through his proposal […]
‘The odds of hitting your target go up dramatically when you aim at it.’ Mal Pancoast ‘Get moving’ programmes have got many people up and active, improving their lives through exercise. With obesity and heart disease on the rise we’re being encouraged to walk up stairs, hop off the bus early or park well away […]
‘Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.’ The other day someone asked me where they could get help to implement ‘Investors in People’. I replied with a question of my own, ‘What are you trying to achieve?’ ‘A plaque on the wall? Ratification that your people […]
When putting things right could be wrong! Picture the scene… Your team have just produced a proposal for a client, who’s complained that there are four mistakes in it, including the mis-spelling of their business name. Oops! Not great for your reputation, or your relationship with them. So what do you do? Put it right […]
‘When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you.’ – African Proverb Are you a reflector? Are you that person who looks back over the day and week and reflects on how it’s gone? Great. That’s a really good thing: it’s how we constantly learn and improve. It gives us time to […]
I love the Napoleonic era. I know it was brutal and bloodthirsty but it also threw up some great heroes, Wellington, Nelson and of course Richard Sharpe. (Yes, I know he’s fictional.) I love the history, the famous and infamous battles and sieges; the horses, the uniforms…you get the picture! Anyway, the reason I mention […]
If you asked your children ‘would you like three holidays a year and see little of your parents, or have one holiday a year and have your parents there for the big events in your life’, what would they say? I read an article the other day on work life balance that highlighted an initiative […]
I’m not a great one for reality TV, but I found myself watching ‘Lose weight for love’ the other day (don’t ask). If you haven’t seen it (and why would you have), the show is based around the concept that in order to lose weight, couples need to spend time apart to work on their […]
You know when you read a great book or see a good film and you’re just bursting to tell people? Well I’m a bit like that with service. Bad service I try to forget, but with good service I just get the urge to tell people about it, so here goes… I had the pleasure […]
There’s a quote from Richard Branson that’s been doing the rounds on Social Media for the last few months, it says: “Clients do not come first. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients.” I’ve even seen it printed out and stuck above an employee’s desk […]
“When people are financially invested, they want a return. When people are emotionally invested, they want to contribute.” Round here, we talk a lot about the 4 Foundations that will give a business owner McFreedom, that is, freedom to choose whether to scale, grow, or sell your business…or run it from a beach somewhere. The 4 […]
