This is essay 2 of 10 for written for business owners and leadership teams. Business leaders often describe their world as increasingly complex. Markets change faster than ever. Technology evolves relentlessly. Regulation grows more demanding. Customers expect more, competitors respond faster and every week appears to introduce another uncertainty demanding our immediate attention. Complexity has […]

This essay is the first in new series of 10 designed for owners and leadership teams. Perhaps chapter one of a new book.... Most businesses do not fail because of a single disastrous decision. They fail because of a thousand ordinary decisions. We have become fascinated by defining moments. Business books celebrate transformational leaders making […]

20 years ago, I thought businesses grew because they had a brilliant product. I was wrong. Businesses don't fail because founders work too little. They fail because they work on the wrong things. Since then, I've worked alongside hundreds of founders, leadership teams, and innovative SMEs, and I've learned something far more important. Businesses rarely […]

- even though you’re working hard! You’re not disorganised. Your business just isn’t clear. Most small business owners I work with say some version of this: “I just need to get more organised.” But when we look a little closer, that’s not actually the problem. They’re not lazy. They’re not lacking discipline. And they’re definitely […]

Companies fall into two camps, they either plan for the calendar year or for the tax year. For those on the calendar cycle, this is the half-time whistle. Time to regroup for a much improved second half. Just watch England’s first round World Cup match to see how 2 halves can be very different. For […]

Yesterday I was in my happy place. For the first time in a year, I was playing golf on the Littlestone Links. There's something about being out on that course that completely switches me off from everything else. On the drive home, I found myself wondering why it is my happy place. Then I started […]

Planning doesn’t start when you sit at your desk. It starts the day before. You’ve heard the phrase, “If you want something done, give it to a busy person.” But it’s not about being busy. It’s about having clarity. Why Busy People Get Things Done The people who consistently deliver aren’t reacting to the day. […]

It’s planning season. And in many businesses, the process still starts the same way: The FD sets a number. A percentage up.A percentage down.Or a target that needs to “fit the budget.” But here’s the real question: Is that number based on a plan—or is the plan being built around the number? Budget Led Planning […]

If 2016 feels distant, 2036 will feel like another universe entirely. The next decade will reshape business more dramatically than the last twenty years combined. For SMEs, the future isn’t something to fear—it’s something to prepare for. The entrepreneurs who thrive in 2036 will be the ones who understand that the world is shifting from […]