Profitable Growth

Profitable growth

The point is not to grow a business, but rather to grow a profitable one, And to do that a business needs firm foundations, inspirational intentions, a strategy to stick to and execution, execution, execution. Julia Bickerstaff will look at some of the very real challenges to profitable growth and provide some practical advice.

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

Author: Julia Bickerstaff on 15 February 2012

I often think that the most interesting story of a business is the one that tells the tale of why and how it got started in the first place.

Is sloppiness eating your profitability?

Author: Julia Bickerstaff on 8 February 2012

Years ago, when coffee beans started getting expensive, some of the instant coffee manufacturers replaced a little of the good coffee with a cheap substitute. At first they replaced just a few granules. Customers didn't seem to notice a change in the coffee taste, but the manufactures got to make it a little cheaper. Bingo!

Help your employees feel important

Author: Julia Bickerstaff on 1 February 2012

When your business is just a handful of employees it's a fun team that understands what each other does and it hums with mutual respect and support.

Do your numbers make sense?

Author: Julia Bickerstaff on 11 January 2012

This article first appeared July 13, 2011.

When I look at our financials the business seems to be doing better than I expect. Should I be pleased or worried?

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

Author: Julia Bickerstaff on 4 January 2012

This article first appeared March 23, 2011.

For businesses that carry inventory it is often a millstone around their neck, with stock levels which are way too high. It's not unusual to find SME businesses with a pile of inventory equivalent to the profits of the last three to five years.

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

Author: Julia Bickerstaff on 14 December 2011

Last night I sat next to a serial entrepreneur at dinner, we were talking about things that go wrong in business when he shared a story about a major stuff up that had happened at his company.

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

Author: Julia Bickerstaff on 7 December 2011

Last week I wrote about the benefits of sharing goals. This week it's about sharing strategic plans.

Should we be secretive or open about our 2012 goals?

Author: Julia Bickerstaff on 30 November 2011

December is a popular month for businesses to set or revisit goals. With a fresh new year on the horizon we are revitalised; in business terms our 2011 goals are all but done and we now have the opportunity to formulate some inspiring goals for 2012.

How constraining your business sets your creativity free

Author: Julia Bickerstaff on 16 November 2011

The human brain is a funny old thing and often behaves in unexpected ways. One of the surprises is that it is far more imaginative if it is constrained in some way.