Why Now Is the Time to Lean on Seasoned Leadership" The Confidence Conundrum UK business confidence has taken a sharp fall and business leaders are feeling the pressure. In September 2025, the Institute of Directors' Economic Confidence Index dropped to –74, its lowest reading since records began in 2016. The ICAEW Business Confidence Monitor...

Fractional Sales Director : Strategic Sales Support for SMEs - Flexible, cost-effective strategic sales support for SMEs to scale revenue and strengthen sales teams. In today's uncertain economic climate, many SME business owners are asking: "How can I increase sales and grow sustainably without committing to the cost of a full-time direc...

If you're a UK business owner, or department leader in a large organisation, you already know that running a company/cost centre is the steepest learning curve you'll ever face. You have to learn on your feet - You have to adapt quickly - And you figure things out "on the hoof" - just because you have to. My question though, Are you still lear...

How Inflation Affects UK B2B Services, Wholesale, and Manufacturing Businesses. For UK-based B2B businesses, inflation presents a unique challenge. Traditionally many businesses within the B2B sector have long-term contracts, fixed service pricing, and with the added pressure to stay competitive, stall or even prevents them from simply passing...

 Embrace an "Omnichannel Sales & Marketing Strategy" In today's VUCA (Volatile, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity) business environment, chances are UK business leaders don't know which way to turn and potentially face unprecedented challenges in every aspect of trying to continually grow their business. Economic uncertainty,...

Did you know, that 61% of business leaders report feeling lonely in their roles? (Harvard Business Review). I don't know about you, but a common comment I hear from other business leaders is, "I find it quite lonely, I've no one to share this stuff with and I certainly can't take it home". I'm sure, like myself, when you first started in your first...

The Power of Leaving a Legacy (Professional Services & Business Consultancy) For me, leaving a legacy means bringing about a lasting positive change that benefits business owners, their employees, and has the same long term positive effect on their customers and key stakeholders. Two famous Quotes that have inspired me: Mother Teresa:...

My inspiration behind this blog was recently listening to an audiobook recommendation "The Brompton: Engineering for Change" by Will Butler-Adams and Dan Davies. Will Butler-Adams story of the Brompton bike and the company behind the foldable, carriable "commuter" bicycle highlights the importance of exploring how engineering principles c...

 "Strengthening Your Brand from Within" Did you know, approx. 70% of customers* base their buying decisions on the reputation of your company. Imagine if every one of your employees in your business contributed to building your organisations brand and reputation.  Or reflect on, has poor employee behaviours had a ...

Celebrating Apprentice Week: (10th-16th Feb. 2025) My journey from being a "Trainee" to becoming a "Regional Director" for a global business then "Running my own Business".  (I'm happy to share with you separately my story about my birth place). As we celebrate Apprentice Week in the UK, I thought I would reflect on and sha...

 The Overriding Benefit in having Competition: Driving Business Excellence and Innovation In today's dynamic world of business, no matter what sector or product or service you offer, competition is often seen as a big challenge to overcome. However, it is this very competition that fuels innovation, drives excellence, and fosters continual dev...

Below I share with you the  Value of writing a Weekly Task List and how to Prioritise and Effectively Execute and Complete your High and Medium Priority Tasks - every week. I don't know about you, but I've always been a prolific list writer. Every week, before I start any work/jobs or tasks on a Monday morning, I revie...

When in business, do you sometimes find that you don't know whether to stick, twist or throw your cards in? As an SME business owner, launching and then developing a business can be both challenging and exciting. However, most if not all businesses will get to a point, normally after a few years flat lined trading, where you hit "a glass ceili...

As English schools go back today (04-09-24), I was reflecting what I learned at school and also what I wished I had learned at school, which would have be beneficial, whether in the workplace or personally to me.  Below are some of my thoughts on what I wished I had learned about at school...

"Today (Saturday 29th June 2024) is the start of the world's biggest sporting event based on attendance. Over the next 3 weeks between 13-15million people will make the pilgrimage, to stand on the side of the route and watch the Tour de France spectacle, flash past their eyes*. I'm an avid fan of cycling and will watch the ...

The words in the title above are the first and last lines from one of my favourite band's song "Can't Stop" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and appropriate as it's where I am at and the dilemma I have as I head into the last year of my 10-year plan!  On the 4th ofJanuary 2015, after 12 years, I left the security of ...

No matter the size of your business or what sector of industry you operate in, over the last 3 years the advancement in using digital tools, IT systems and software has accelerated rapidly. I'm sure we have all benefited from this digitalisation push, however as a business, what's the next step? How far do you go in automat...

As you rise within an organisation or your business grows, one of the key challenges as the business leader is, you become distant from what's happening on the ground i.e., at the coal face. You may hold regular senior management team meetings, 1-2-1s with your direct reports, and have enough data, reports and analytics to paper your offi...

Today marks the start of my 9th year in business and over the eight years I've been trading, I've highlighted below 10 things that I have learned.  Key though, if you set up your own business, Business Growth isn't linear, there's plenty of ups and down on that journey. Stay agile, as there will always be cur...

Have you ever wanted to run and own a business but never taken the plunge or made that first step? Well, it doesn't have to be a step into the unknown or going from all to nothing. If you currently have availability of 2 days a week and looking to supplement your existing income Want to build a business to either full time or to...