Profitable growth

Wednesday, 09 January 2013

Getting back to basics in the new year

What can you simplify about your business? by Julia Bickerstaff

Are you upsetting your best customers?

Consumers are proving to be staunchly spendthrift, so you might be tempted to drop your prices. Think before you drop, though. by Julia Bickerstaff

How to make working with big businesses more profitable

Five tips on how you can deal with your big fish client. by Julia Bickerstaff

It's time to get serious about your 2012 to-do list

We start the year with a list of things to do and achieve. Now's the time to review and act on that list. by Julia Bickerstaff

How being forced to say 'no' can help you understand your business

How do you trim a to-do list that could last you a lifetime or two? by Julia Bickerstaff

Stuff we know we should measure but don't

Does your business measure up (and are you measuring what needs to be measured)? by Julia Bickerstaff

How much Work that Matters do you really do each week?

Here's a little experiment to work out just how much Work that Matters you and your staff get done. by Julia Bickerstaff

It takes forever to read our monthly management reports. Do we really need all this info?

Pick one piece of management information to review at each monthly meeting and ask: Do we need this? by Julia Bickerstaff

Why do some of my management team never seem to have the time to get strategic stuff done?

Are some of your team members not getting their special projects done on time? Here are some tips to help spur them on to completion. by Julia Bickerstaff

Has your business lost its sparkle?

Is your business comfortably middle-aged? It might be time to rediscover your inner upstart. by Julia Bickerstaff

Play to your obsession

It might seem crazy, but your obsession might be the thing that defines and sets you aside from your competition. by Julia Bickerstaff

How to make 2012-13 a happy and profitable new financial year

Here are eight tips to invigorate your business in the new financial year. by Julia Bickerstaff

"What gets measured gets done" – but could you be doing it too well?

Lies, damned lies, and statistics: Your KPI measures don't always paint the full picture. by Julia Bickerstaff

How to create goals for the future when you don't know what the future looks like

The future is coming and it could well be big, hairy and audacious. by Julia Bickerstaff

How can we get useful ideas from employees?

Everyone wants to impress with the big, revolutionary idea, but getting employees to think about the little ideas might be more fruitful. by Julia Bickerstaff

Do profit figures really motivate employees?

Profit and revenue figures may ring bells for you, but your staff might not share the enthusiasm. by Julia Bickerstaff

Here's a way to make all your employees strategic thinkers

The truth is that most employees think strategy is a management thing, so the challenge for you is to change your employees from bystanders into activists. by Julia Bickerstaff

How to grow profit by pruning waste

Save on waste and profits will surely follow. by Julia Bickerstaff

The secret of the most successful CEOs

Are you the Keeper of the Flame in your business? by Julia Bickerstaff

The daily prioritisation technique: an easy way to improve efficiency and effectiveness

In business, time is money. So it's surprising more businesses don't make time for a daily prioritisation. by Julia Bickerstaff

If you want to improve your bottom line, don’t overlook the simplest ideas

The small and seemingly insignificant ideas in the shop floor suggestion box might be the difference between efficient operations and financial losses. by Julia Bickerstaff

The competition's heating up: a tip for what not to do

I’ve been reading about the evolution of the Early Learning Centre (ELC) this week and, in particular, it’s brush with the bad times. by Julia Bickerstaff

Is your profit low because you are doing too much?

There is one thing worse than a business with no new initiatives: one with too many. Thankfully, there is another way. by Julia Bickerstaff

I make all the decisions in my business, but I don’t have time to make them well. Help!

It's crucial to ask your senior team for help and be prepared to give them the authority to actually make decisions. by Julia Bickerstaff

Two of our departments are at war. Help!

If different parts of your business are clashing, it's time to try something radical. by Julia Bickerstaff

How to use your start-up story to reenergise your established business

Once your business gets to a decent size and employs people that don't remember the start-up days, you have a team who don't know your story. Fix this by holding a storytelling session. by Julia Bickerstaff

Is sloppiness eating your profitability?

A great way to identify sloppiness is to get a group of your oldest employees together and ask, What don't we do as well as we used to? by Julia Bickerstaff

Help your employees feel important

Here’s a clever way to help all your employees feel important and respect each other’s roles. by Julia Bickerstaff

Do your numbers make sense?

Leaders must ask the question: “Do these numbers make sense to me in the light of what I know about my business?” by Julia Bickerstaff

We have too much inventory and not enough cash, what can we do?

For businesses that carry inventory it is often a millstone around their neck. Here's why you should trim back your stock to make a profit. by Julia Bickerstaff

Our employee made a big mistake, should we give him a second chance?

Has your usual star employee made a grievous mistake? Think before you act. by Julia Bickerstaff

I know that sharing strategic plans with employees is encouraged, but do we really need to?

If you've ever shared your strategic or annual plan with a large group of employees you may well have wondered whether you were wasting your time. by Julia Bickerstaff

Should we be secretive or open about our 2012 goals?

In business terms our 2011 goals are all but done and we now have the opportunity to formulate some inspiring goals for 2012. by Julia Bickerstaff

How constraining your business sets your creativity free

Being short on money and time is not a curse for the brain, it's a blessing. by Julia Bickerstaff

Is your business really innovative, or are you stuck in a time warp?

If your business is feeling a little middle aged, kick start innovation. by Julia Bickerstaff

We'd like to put together an advisory board. Who should we invite to be on it?

A good place to start is to articulate why you want an advisory board. by Julia Bickerstaff

How to get important stuff done – a productivity tip for everybody

It's no surprise business building projects often get put on the back-burner in favour of more pressing day-to-day tasks. Here's how to make the time to tackle them. by Julia Bickerstaff

Making room for new initiatives

In a nutshell – strategic planning days are guilty of having eyes bigger than their stomach. by Julia Bickerstaff

The simple way to really progress a project

While it doesn't sounds revolutionary, holding a weekly meeting is one of the simplest and most effective ways of getting projects completed speedily. by Julia Bickerstaff

Should we always submit a proposal if we are asked to do so?

We all want new deals, but doing proposal after proposal for the sake of it is expensive and a potential drain on your business. by Julia Bickerstaff

Three ways to address business problems

Most business problems can be addressed in one of three ways. What is your natural style? by Julia Bickerstaff

We’ve got the opportunity to buy another business, should we take it?

Out of the blue-type acquisitions appear to be on the rise. by Julia Bickerstaff

I’m the boss so how do I get feedback on my leadership style?

When you're the CEO it's hard to get an insight into your leadership style. You are (hopefully) giving regular useful feedback to your employees, but who is giving it to you? by Julia Bickerstaff

Become a secret shopper

How can you be sure that what you are delivering is ahead of the game? by Julia Bickerstaff

What would you do if you had less time?

If you only had 40 hours available to spend on your business next week, what would you do? Why don't you try capping your time? by Julia Bickerstaff

I’ve got some old stock, should I sell it at less than cost or hang on until I get a good price?

Selling inventory at rock bottom prices hurts, but it's not as painful as sitting on a pile of old stock when you could be playing with a mound of cash. by Julia Bickerstaff