‘I’m only human … born to make mistakes’. So said The Human League back in the ’80s (our younger readers might need to Google that one). The thing is, The Human League were spot on. Whenever you get people interacting with your online user interfaces or participating...
Midlands and East Anglia
The top turnaround strategies for a small business
Every SME aims to perform at their best. Optimising your operations should ideally bring growth and profit while enabling you to satisfy customers and meet demand. However, you might not be getting the results you want. This can include declining profits, production...
Understanding your Finances
This is article 2 in our series of 3 There are 3 layers of understanding that you have to achieve, and I will be covering these in 3 articles covering: Some basic tipsWhat are the key figures in your accounts?Digging deeper with good analysis What are the key figures...
Short-term solutions to address your business cash flow issues
When running a business, maintaining positive cash flow is essential. If for whatever reason, your cash flow is poor, it could lead you to fail to meet your financial commitments, as well as potential damage to those key relationships and disruption to your typical...
Understanding your Finances
So many business owners tell me they don’t understand their accounts…that’s what they have an accountant for. Yet for a business owner not having a handle on their own finances is an opportunity missed. You don’t have to be a qualified accountant to understand the...
Are you personally liable for your business’s debt?
For a business owner, your company's ongoing success and survival may seem like your number one priority. It's easy for your private life to become intertwined with your professional one – and this includes your finances. When you and your business are closely weaved,...
Operations by design – the four V’s
Operations can be costly, hence the ongoing drive for productivity and efficiency. There are four aspects of your business that will drive the way your operations are designed and their associated cost profile. First, think McDonald's and you’ll understand the impact...
Why you should get emotional about your service processes
Everybody has a story to tell about their awful service experiences and social media helps make those stories freely available to all. Sometimes things seem to go wrong even when the ‘process design’ seems fine on paper and the systems are working as they should. Why...
Three reasons why processes really matter
Everything is a process - from making a cup of tea, going on holiday (remember that?) to running an organisation of any size - everything we do relies on that most basic of building blocks - process. A series of connected or aligned tasks taking you from a start to an...