Blog articles

To thine own self be true

by James Davey

To Thine Own Self be True…. Shakespeare is not normally cited as a business guru, but you cannot argue that he has built a sustainable brand which has lasted nearly half a millennium and has offered great value to the people of Stratford-upon-Avon to name but a few. Where would ‘Brand UK’ be without Shakespeare? Maintaining a consistent and honest brand identity has long been an obsession of mine. Having spent a number of years in the franchised motor industry, the importance of ...

How to fill your sales pipeline

by John Kettley

CONSTANTLY LOOKING FOR NEW CLIENTS? Would you like more prospects to contact you when they are ready to buy? Would you like prospects to contact you before they call your competition? Wouldn’t it be great if these prospects were almost pre-sold as well? The good news is that all of this ‘is’ more than possible. I’m sure that you are asking yourself how, and how soon? While it’s not really that hard to achieve, most people won’t take the time out to learn how to do ...

Why these next 4 weeks are crucial to making 2021 a business success!

by John Kettley

Why these next 4 weeks are crucial to making 2021 a business success! If you take into account that the business community doesn’t ‘normally’ kick into gear until the 2nd to 3rd week of January each year, I think it’s fair to say that this on top of everything that’s happened in 2020, most people in the SME world are going to have a very bumpy start to the 2021. Which is why it’s absolutely crucial that we create as much momentum ...

From 6 to 7 figures in a tough business environment

by John Kettley

From 6 to 7 figures in a tough business environment It was at Martin’s kitchen table in 2010 that he shared with me his desire to take his business from 6 to 7 figures, ‘despite’ the business landscape looking really tough at the time. We were still very much in the immediate aftermath of the 2008 crash and businesses were still not making any significant investment in their ‘IT’, that said Martin had done exceptionally well in having maintained a steady turnover ...

Does your business operate like a winning pit stop?

by Olivier Carion

Does Your Business Operate Like a Winning Pit Stop? In F1, pit stops play a vital part in each pilot’s race. It is a well-rehearsed procedure, very much like a precisely choreographed dance. The team of mechanics works in perfect harmony to change the four tyres as quickly as they possibly can. After much preparation and rehearsing, Red Bull Racing holds the record for the fastest pit stop time of 2.05 seconds in 2013. They then smashed it in 1.923 seconds at ...

Don't get out of your comfort zone!

by Toby Acton

Don't get out of your comfort zone! What is the number one reason that people do not achieve their potential in life and in business? Why do people not achieve their goals? Why do many business owners not achieve the success they desire? Is it their attitude?? No, we can choose our attitude Is it a lack of belief?? No, belief can always come with time Is it their skills?? No, skills can be learnt No, it is this: “The greatest enemy to human potential is ...

How to pivot and become more successful

by John Kettley

How to pivot and become more successful There are times in our lives when we simply must ask of ourselves the BIG questions that will change everything... The kind of questions that for the most part we shove to the back of our minds because of the everyday distractions of our business lives. With everything that is going on in the business world, this is truly a moment to 'carve out' some time to re-calibrate and deep dive into what we as individuals really ...

Wasps in your business

by Olivier Carion

Wasps In Your Business? Watch out for those aggressive wasps! Being stung by a wasp can really hurt. Metaphorically speaking, it can hurt your business too. Have you had a good look around your business to see what these wasps might be? In real life, if several wasps were to be flying around you, the first thing you’ll want to do of course is to get rid of them by opening the window or by any other speedy method that works. However, in your ...

Standing out from the crowd

by Lesley Jones

Standing Out from the Crowd As your business grows and you start to look around you, you will discover there are lots of businesses that appear to do the same thing as you, but do they? I was reminded over the weekend of a very interesting programme I watched a few years ago. It was filmed at the Heinz baked bean factory, and detailed how a tin of baked beans was produced. However, whilst they talked about most of the ingredients they ...

What are your next steps?

by Olivier Carion

What Are Your Next Steps? In life we are wise to keep our eyes open when taking our next steps. In business, however, doing so is easier said than done when the economic situation is in constant change, bringing much uncertainty to the landscape. Whether you’ve been stuck in survival mode wondering what steps to take to get your business to thrive or you’ve been grinding to an almost complete halt after years of comfortable success, knowing what next steps to take ...