Insights on Similar Topics

Your Nightmare Competitor is coming. What are you doing about it?

In a previous blog I brought up the concept of nightmare competitors from a book I was reading called Rocking The Ship (Amazon best-seller, available here). You can read that blog here.

Does it feel like theres people just sucking the life out of you?

Earlier this year I was at a business seminar with one of the key note speakers being a Hindu priest and international speaker named Dandapani. I was dubious as what I would get from him, but he was a thought provoking speaker in many ways.

As I swim along the surface of the ocean I notice a school of bait fish flash sideways, spooked by an unseen predator.

I take a few slow deep breaths and sink below the surface, speargun tucked close to my body heading towards the bottom.

If you're a start-up or considering one, don't think its going to be all sweet from the get go.

For every business that shoots to the top theres a heap on the scrap pile below. 

Life is busy. Balance is a challenge. Time and attention are valuable and limited.

Often we wonder how some people spread themselves thin but get it done.

Answer – Organisation.  And with technology these days it should be easier than ever.

Relax, this isn't the life of a nudist.

I have however just finished reading a fantastic book Getting Naked written by Patrick Lencioni.

When my business partner Brian suggested I read it, I looked at the title and enthusiastically dived right in.  Much to my wife’s relief I didn’t come away with a new philosophy on how to dress. However I was challenged by the insights on how to build stronger relationships, both at a personal and a business level.

Being a parent is a big responsibility. As a dad I have a huge influence on my children's life. I am a leader, whether I like it or not. From me my children learn boundaries. They learn how to treat their spouse.

I've been going on a bit lately in my blogs about leadership. And I'd planned on making the one on Focus the final in the series.

Then it occurred to me that we often think of leadership and management as being the same thing.

But they're not.

Ive always believed that the mind is the most powerful part of your body. You can will yourself on to do things, even when physically your every being is screaming NOOOOOOO!!!

The mind is a powerful thing!  It has been said that "whether you think you can or you think you cannot you'll be right!"

I cannot control the weather.  As much as I try, I have absolutely no control over whether or not it will rain.  I cannot control my football team.  If i could affect the performances, the Dragons would be playing the Grand Final this weekend. I cannot even control my children.

Business today can be tough.
Check that. Business today IS tough.

With innovation happening in almost every industry, many business owners are looking at lower returns from their traditional business model.

My Brother Shane just wrote a blog on the spirituality of surfing. It is definitely worth a read...

and here's why...

Reality - between 50% and 75% of new businesses wont make it past the first 3 years!!

So why is that?

I often wonder when talking to business people what their plan is on how to exit the business in future.

And generally when asked, the answer is a shrug of the shoulders and the iconic Aussie response “Dunno”.

I really hope you're not leaving meeting your budgets and targets to the whims of chance.

The only way to make sure you're actually achieving what you set out to  achieve in $ terms, new customers, visiting clients - is to chunk it down and monitor it.

But what does that actually mean?

I've seen over the years that theres no right or wrong when it comes to marketing.  What works for one type of business may not work for another.

What I've seen for sure is that rarely can you do just one thing once and expect that the buyers are going to come flooding through the doors, virtual or otherwise.  

If you ask my wife Emma my favourite saying, she will tell you it is "the only person you can change is yourself!"

A few years ago now a rather astute client told me about his business being a bus.  I looked at him with a quizzical expression, so he elaborated. 

What did he mean?  Well, let me tell you.