Why Some People Are Doing Well Right Now
One of the reasons the Victorian English were annoyed by Charles Darwin is because he challenged their idilic view of the countryside; that animals were not always joyous but, instead, in a constant, brutal, struggle to survive. That perfectly describes most small businesses. But why is it true for most SME’s while the others take […]
Get The Jump On Next Year
Everyone is so bloody exhausted by 2020, it makes it very hard to think ahead, but the holiday break is a great time to set your sights for next year and beyond. I try to do a big project every January, write a bunch of blogs, a book once, streamline systems, but most importantly … […]
How To Swing From Vine To Vine
It’s been a rough couple of years, when is the best time to put someone on? Even before COVID things were not great. But there have been plenty of times in the past when things were not great. How do you manage the ups and downs? Firstly we have to remind ourselves that businesses are […]
Do This if You Want to Keep Working From Home
The reason some bosses hate the idea of you working from home is they think you are going to slack off. Being a boss sucks at times because, let’s be honest, some employees can be really difficult. And because someone was a jerk everyone else suffers. People actually do pretend they are working when they […]
Timesheets Are Even More Important Now
One of the best things about working in the city is being able to get out for a run at lunchtime. A great way to split up the day. In some ways working in an an office makes life a bit easier because it puts some boundaries around your time. These days 80% of people […]
Reduce The Number Of Moving Parts
A 4WD enthusiast told me that he wouldn’t trust a fancy new electric ute. What if it broke down in the outback? I think this is great food for thought – what’s best for your business if things go wrong? Let’s take it apart a bit….. Firstly, the chances of him fixing his late model […]
People Are Your Biggest Possibility
My Octopus Teacher on Netflix blew me away. It is so beautiful, I absolutely recommend it. It’s a lovely view of lessons from the natural world. Particularly how to deal with risk and uncertainty. We domesticated animals have plenty of risk and uncertainty of our own – but almost all of it is self-inflicted. Maybe we […]
A Lifestyle Business Should Not Be Difficult
It seems everyone wants to grow their business at all costs, to be the next Atlassian. But trying to do that can take a huge chunk out of your life. “Money may not buy happiness, but I’d rather cry in a Jaguar than on a bus.” ― Françoise Sagan Striving to grow a […]
Old Ideas About Admin Work Are History
Even today people continue to talk about the difference between strategy and housekeeping in business. I catch myself doing it sometimes and grimace. Bankers used to talk about “Flossy” in the branches; “would Flossy understand this?” This next bit might seem a bit boring but please hang in for a few paragraphs (promise). Banks started […]
How Do I Know When Can I Employ Someone?
Anyone who runs a service business knows the feeling, a constant concern about balancing the amount of work on and knowing when you can employ someone. If you have all your major processes and margins working properly, it’s this resources balancing act that can take up a lot of your thinking time. Maybe even […]