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...

So, you recognise you or one of your senior team needs help, guidance and support in respect to gaining clarity on the direction of your business, but where do you start and who do you reach out too? With everything going on in the world, regionally and locally which may affect our businesses in a number of ways (positively and negat...

Hearing the news overnight of Steven Gerrard's sacking as manager of Aston Villa is disappointing however summed up in former Newcastle striker Les Ferdinand comment: "He was captain marvel as a player; he was the one who lifted the team, who dragged them through tough times. But, he can't do that from the bench." BBC article https://www.bbc.co.uk/...

Anyone who knows me, will know that I like a business model and particularly a visual. One such model is "The Maturity Continuum" which simply summarises Stephen R. Covey (1989) The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People multi-million selling book. I have a copy of the model posted on a notice board above my desk. There are 7 Habits ref...

With costs rising right across the board;  How much increase in expenses, can your business absorb, and still be viable? And at what point do you pass on some or all of these cost increases to your customers? The main reason why prices fluctuate is simply supply and demand. When demand is soaring, prices go up, and when thi...

January 5th 2022 was the first day of my 8th year of trading. That's 7 full years in business, paddling my own canoe and in that time I've learned a lot about myself, being a business owner and what works and doesn't as an SME business services provider. As follows are my initial reflections, thoughts an...