There’s been lots of talk about growth at the recent Davos World Economic Forum but little in the way of any substantive ideas.  
It’s ultimately up to you as the business owner to ‘Pivot’ your company to drive growth, competitive advantage, innovation and business performance.
The concept of Pivoting, which means keeping the edge in innovative [...]

In the countdown to Groundhog Day on February 2 – immortalised by the iconic movie in which Bill Murray is trapped in a time loop– are you in danger of falling into your own groundhog day insanity at work?        
Like the proverbial hamster on a wheel, are you working non-stop, getting nowhere fast and feeling [...]

Before reading our economic forecast which sees more storm clouds looming on a dark horizon, take a few moments to celebrate your business success.
Congratulate yourself and your team on surviving one of the worst economic and business periods in recent times.
Then when you’ve read the predictions from respected behavioural economist Roger Martin-Fagg – check [...]

Setting the right tempo and pace for your business is just as important today as it was back in 1912 when Amundsen beat Scott in the race to the South Pole.
In his book Great By Choice Jim Collins dramatically demonstrates how setting the right pace – a daily 20 Mile March differentiates success and failure.
Amundsen [...]

As best-selling author and speaker Jon Gordon said in a recent blog about the value of developing positive relationships with the people you lead: any hard-charging leader can create success in the short term, but it would take a positive leader with a people and process-driven approach to build a successful organisation for the long [...]

With the January sales in full flow – brace yourself for the most vicious retail battle for years.
In the jungle warfare in which ailing high streets’ New Year sales do battle with internet shopping, standing out from the crowd and breaking with tradition is key to success.
A great blog via Open Forum highlighted how one [...]

What are your top three actions to improving the profitability and productivity of your business in  2012?
Next year the business owners from my What If Forums –  which are made up of service and product-based companies – are on a mission to increase the turnover and gross profit of every employee. Boosting productivity is the [...]

Fears that Britain’s isolationist stance over the eurozone – compounded by the news that the UK economy is to face an even bigger downturn – are enough to send even the most grounded business owner into a tailspin. 
In today’s torrid climate, when it’s impossible to forecast what’s round the corner, Rudyard Kipling’s pragmatic advice: “If [...]

Have you taken the necessary precautions to stop yourself worrying about the future of your business – or are you going to continue being fearful and leave things to chance?
The words of Roald Amundsen, the famous Norwegian explorer and first man to complete a mission to the South Pole in 1911: “Victory awaits him who [...]

I recently wrote in HR Magazine how recruiting staff with ‘mental toughness’ is a top priority with another challenging 12 months ahead – and one in every 160 companies currently going into liquidation.
Described by Wikipedia as ‘A collection of attributes that allow a person to persevere through difficult circumstances and emerge without losing confidence.’ – [...]