Getting Paid Is Part of the Job
Many businesses are excellent at doing the work and oddly shy about collecting the money. It feels awkward. You have built a good relationship, delivered something useful, and now you must send an email that begins, “Just following up on invoice 1042.” It seems faintly rude, like asking for the bill while the guests are […]
A Forecast Is Not a Prediction
Many business owners avoid forecasting because they think it requires a crystal ball. They imagine a spreadsheet of heroic assumptions, prepared by somebody who has never met a late-paying client. Then they decide, quite sensibly, that they would rather not spend a Saturday inventing the future. But a forecast is not a prediction. It is […]
Not Every Client Is a Good Client
Most businesses begin by taking whoever turns up. That is entirely reasonable. When you are small, a paying customer is a wonderful thing, and nobody asks too many questions about the person holding the cheque. But a few years on, the client list has a habit of resembling a lucky dip. Some are delightful. Some […]
Your Prices Are Probably Too Low
Most businesses set their prices in a hurry. Somebody asks for a quote. You glance at what a competitor charges, choose a number that feels polite, and shave a little off because you would like the work. Three years later, that number is still there, like a fridge magnet nobody remembers buying. The trouble is […]
Good Systems Give People Room to Think
The phrase “business systems” can sound rather joyless. It suggests procedure manuals, mandatory fields and somebody from head office explaining why the new process is much easier while taking forty minutes to demonstrate it. But a good system should not make work feel heavier. It should make work feel lighter. Think about the businesses you […]
Do More of What You’re Good At
Most businesses begin by saying yes. Yes, we can do that. Yes, we can help. Yes, we can make a version for you by Friday. This is often how a business learns. You try different things, discover what clients value and work out what you are good at. The trouble is that some businesses never […]
Small Improvements Build Strong Businesses
Business improvement is often presented as something dramatic. A new strategy. A transformation program. A software system demonstrated by somebody who appears never to have met a customer. Occasionally, a business does need a major change. But most strong businesses are built through hundreds of small improvements made consistently over time. An invoice goes out […]
Good Numbers Give You More Freedom
People sometimes imagine that financial reporting is about control. It conjures up pictures of accountants guarding budgets, asking why somebody bought lunch, and producing complicated spreadsheets designed to stop everyone from doing anything interesting. Good reporting should achieve almost the opposite. It should give you the confidence to act. When you know which services make […]
How to Stop Costs Chewing Up Extra Sales
There is a particularly annoying stage in the growth of a business when sales go up, everyone gets busier, and somehow there is no extra money. You look at the sales report and feel quite pleased. Then you look at the bank account and wonder whether somebody has been quietly stealing from you. Usually, nobody […]
Busy Is Not the Same as Profitable
There is a dangerous moment in a growing business when everyone is flat out and the owner starts feeling successful. The phones are ringing. The calendar is full. New people are being employed. Clients are chasing delivery dates and nobody has time to tidy the kitchen. It certainly feels like growth. Then the monthly accounts […]