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 Which
way ought I to go from here?
4 July, 2011
Alice: Would
you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?
The Cat: That depends a good deal on where you
want to get to. Alice: I don't much care where.
The Cat: Then it doesn't much matter which way
you go.
More... |
Pushy
and optimistic
11 July, 2011
It seems to be a common perception in Britain that sales people
are pushy and over optimistic. Mind you, it's also depressingly
common in Britain to hear "Sales always march to the right".
These things just might be connected. So
what characteristics are important for success in sales?
More... |
 Change
before you have to
- 19 June, 2011
Management is all about being proactive and avoiding
problems, not being good at coping. In fast growth
companies, the CEO's obsession must be to deal with
the problems before they get too big or too
numerous. Four techniques can help you stay ahead.
More... |
 Which bit are you building
now? -
27 June, 2011
It's a great temptation just to get
started, there's lots for an entrepreneur to do, after all:
places to go, people to see, things to do. Building serious
value needs more focus than this because each stage builds
on what went before. So how should the serious entrepreneur
organise and focus all that stuff between startup and exit?
More... |
 The
Bankruptcy Bucket
- 30 May,
2011
What's your business model? Don't make the mistake
of falling into the Bankruptcy Bucket - that hole in
the middle market between the brands selling on
quality at one end, and those selling on price at
the other.
more... |
 Urgency
gets the signature
- 6 June, 2011
You know how it feels: great
meetings, the customers love what you do, they get
it alright, but something always seems to happen to
cause a delay in getting the order.
more... |
 Hire
people because you understand their faults
- 16 May, 2011
Many interviews I've sat
in on over the years, have been preoccupied with
finding out more about the candidate's good side. If
he doesn't have one, he shouldn't be there. It's the
negatives that drive whether this person will remain
in your business.
more... |
 Wrong
method, rubbish forecast - 23 May, 2011
Matching method to dynamic
is crucial. Good forecasting is built from a
scientific understanding of the nature of the sales
cycle and the influences on it. Subjectivity and
crystal balls have no part to play.
more... |
 A
rear view mirror is not enough
- 2 May, 2011
In today's fast pace
business climate, those driving companies must spend
most of their time looking forward. Yet much
traditional business information such as management
accounts, looks backwards, at history.
more... |
 Are
we nearly there yet? - 9
May, 2011
During the journey to take
a new proposition to market, nuances of progress are
not seen and understood by everyone, which can lead
to frustration and misjudgements.
more... |
 Threat
to the Exit - 12 May, 2011
Digitalisation, ubiquitous
networks and other technologies are making it easier
and easier for entrepreneurs to try out a new
business proposition and reach customers globally.
This presents investors and entrepreneurs with a big
challenge if they want to build value for exit:
more... |
 Are
we on the up-swing? - 15 April, 2011
Friends tell me that the US venture
capital industry is gong at full tilt and I hear
that Germany and France are manically busy. By
contrast, the business environment in the UK seems
to be a raspberry ripple mixture of the good and
exciting, and the downright difficult.
more... |
 Sales
march to the right! - 16
January, 2011
So many companies struggle
to forecast sales: "we know everything about our
costs but have no idea when sales will close".
Sometimes, the basics get missed and simple
techniques can improve forecasting.
more... |
 When
do we run out of cash? -
29 January, 2011
Few entrepreneurs in fast
growth businesses can ignore their cash runway. If
you want to beat your competitors and win, you have
little choice but to spend as hard as you dare, but
how do you manage your cash and manage the risks?
more... |
