Whether you recruit new members to your team by yourself, or use an external recruitment firm, the same requirements apply. If you aren’t clear on their role, accountabilities, what you’re looking for and what your priorities are, then don’t expect anyone else to be able to find the right person for you.
The following ‘test’ […]

When it comes to recruiting new people into your business, or expanding someone’s role, or identifying where to add more resource into the business, it needn’t be that difficult.
Follow these 4 steps to start creating and defining roles within your business, and writing the necessary Position Description:
1. Ask yourself these questions first:

What functions are being […]

The reason people select the wrong person is because they don’t ask the right questions in the interview, they don’t probe to uncover real competencies and capabilities, they don’t explore the person’s true personality and attitude, and they get swayed by enjoyable ‘chats’ that should in fact be probing interviews.
We all like to work with […]

Think about the leaders you’ve had in your life – that is, the people you’ve respected and listened to, and in many cases followed. School teachers, uni lecturers, people you’ve worked with, mentors, coaches, captains of sporting teams, friends, family.
Why did you see those people as leaders? Why did you accept them as your […]

Just because you select an ideal recruit for your business, doesn’t mean they will automatically want to work for you. Why not?
Many businesses overlook the fact that they have to sell their offer and make it an attractive option for prospective new employees.
If you operate in a competitive environment where good recruits are scarce, or […]

Not wanting to over-simplify the whole ‘running a business thing’, but I’ve developed a list (based on my own experiences, and that of my clients and other business owners), which covers some of the things we need to know for different stages of building a business:
Start-up phase:

Start a business because you want to, don’t […]

If you can’t manage yourself, don’t expect to manage a business, or other people, or clients, well.
We use a really effective technique to help our clients self-manage. “Big Rocks” is a management concept of sorts which has been used in various ways for some time. It’s a concept which I use with all […]

We all know our customers. We know their names and their businesses, and we often know something about their lives outside of work. Usually we have lists of who our customers are. However, what many small business owners usually don’t know is what’s happening in the mix of their customer base.
When you […]

We all need to focus on three key pillars for success: marketing our businesses to build clients and income; management practices and procedures to establish the framework for our business as it grows; and mentoring support to keep us on the right track, and provide different levels of support as our business grows.
1. […]

How do you know which strategy will grow your business most effectively in the short and long term? Market penetration, market extension, product development or diversification are the primary strategies for building your business. You can also grow organically (growth in your own business) or by acquisition (of another business). This article […]

Preparation

Do you have enough information on the customer’s company to understand their business and the context of their inquiry/request/approach to you?
Have you identified the stakeholders?
Do you understand what each of the stakeholders really wants?
Have you assessed the business requirements, and the individual requirements, of your customers?
Do you know who your competitors are, or likely to […]

1. Set Goals
2. Develop Strategy
3. Align & Mentor People
4. Execute Plan
5. Review Performance
The strategic planning process is not simple. It involves understanding your market, you competitors, your clients, the motivations and drivers of the people on your team, your own drivers and needs, what is working and what isn’t, where the core competencies are for the business and the […]

No-one. How is your performance measured then? By the performance of your business. If you don’t measure this, no-one else will. It’s all up to you.
A review of your business will identify any areas which are working really well, and any which may require you to take action. As we’ve […]

First of all, do you have connectors working ‘for’ your business?
Read each of these statements below, and say whether you agree or disagree with them:
• So many people, especially those with service-based companies, say they have grown their business mostly through referrals. Maybe you have too.
• Mostly, they/you do little to generate these referrals, and they […]

Our primary focus is to work with our clients to grow the value of their businesses. It is the value of the business which ultimately delivers wealth and returns to business owners and shareholders.
From a business valuation perspective, there are a number of factors which will influence the value of your business, some of […]

Set Goals
Develop Business Growth Strategy

Align & Mentor People

Execute Plan

Review Performance

The strategic planning process is not simple. It involves understanding your market, your competitors, your clients, the motivations and drivers of the people on your team, your own drivers and needs, what is working and what isn’t, where the core competencies […]