When I am coaching a business, this is my third most used phrase. The first is "businesses go bust because they run out of cash" and the second is "business would be easy without customers and staff". But the "don't ask don't get" phrase can be the difference between added success and staying just where you are.

Is your diary packed to the rafters; no time to do the important work; is your day filled with an endless round of coffee and biscuits? Wow, don’t they waste time and increase the waistline too.

My lovely husband and I had arrived at the restaurant. A beautiful setting, well designed posh place. Just a few tables so we could have our own conversation rather than having to listen to the table next to us, you know what I mean! Everything seemed perfect and then....

Debbie is the MD of a successful and very busy business but is continually battling the in-tray because she has found it difficult to delegate. She started the business and knows how to do everything and most of the time she does!

Business would be easy without customers and staff; then business is never easy; if it was everyone would be doing it, wouldn’t they? People are one of your greatest assets, but...

Now as I pen the final chapters of my book; The Grown-Up Business, I can once again reflect on what I've learnt.

As a past marketing director, my financial director would always throw in this question at budget time; "So, Shirley which half of your marketing budget will you waste this year?" Find out my answer

Getting leads, sales and customer enquiries for your business is one of the top challenges for any company. In my experience, getting new customers  is one aspect that most companies need help with.

I've heard this so many times but strangely enough there are exactly the same number of minutes in every hour of every day. But it seems we're just not productive. My mother has saying, "if you want something done, give it to a busy person", and in my experience it always works.