I started this blog with the intention of focusing on ways in which a business can improve its competitive advantage. To keep on this track this post is about one of the fundamental strategies that provides the cornerstone of developing a sustainable competitive advantage over your competitors. That strategy is, FOCUS. Jim Collins in his…
The Christchurch Press reported yesterday that despite construction being very busy, small to mid sized businesses in the industry are still going bust. See the article here: http://tinyurl.com/my2y4oc Should you be worried? Probably. If not worried, you should at least be aware that things are not all glittering out there and you should look at…
Details matter. Maybe they don’t matter to you, but chances are they matter to your clients, or your prospective clients. And frankly, that’s more important than what your opinion is. Will they notice that typo on page 3 of your proposal? Will they notice you turn up 10 minutes late for the appointment without calling…
The use of an “education based” marketing and sales process can be way more effective than the traditional quotation/negotiation process. This is especially true when your customer is in the residential market and so more emotionally involved with the outcome. By “education based” marketing I mean giving away useful information and advice in the earliest…
To move from where you are in business now to a better place requires change. Change in mindset, change in the way you do things and maybe even change in the mix of people you have working for you. Change is a necessary (and good) thing and something I deal with as part of what…
I don’t usually go out of my way to hear politicians speak, but I attended a recent North Harbour Business Association luncheon to hear the Economic Development Minister, Steven Joyce, give an address on making NZ a Pacific Economic Tiger. With his successful background in business, I was interested to hear what he had to…
I read with alarm the headline in the NZ Herald business section on February 8: “Slump in orders hits building industry”. Surely not, I thought. We are supposed to be on the up, not the down! Reading a bit further I soon discovered that the article was referring to Australia, not NZ. Phew! But it…
I’ve been watching a bit of the Aussie Open tennis from Melbourne over the past week. The biggest talking point is the heat. Air temps of 40 deg C or more, and probably court-side temperatures of 50 plus. I hate the heat, so can only imagine what it’s like playing 5 sets of tennis in…
A couple of months back I met with a prospective client (who have since hired me) to talk about their business and why it wasn’t going as well as it could. They sent me their business plan ahead of time so I could familiarise myself with their situation. Their plan was very comprehensive and while…
There is a formula in business (one of many!) that states: Decisions x Actions = Results If you can make GOOD decisions, and do something about implementing them, then you are likely to achieve good RESULTS. This made perfect sense to me when I was shown the formula as part of a wider discussion about…