Why so many business owners reach this point—and why the real problem usually isn’t the team. “Andy… do you know what?” “Sometimes I think I’d be better off going back to being self-employed.” “Life was easier then.” “I probably made just as much money.” “I certainly had fewer headaches.” “Now Read more
If there’s one conversation I’ve had with business owners more than almost any other, it goes something like this. “Andy, the accountant says we’ve made a profit this year.” “Apparently we’ve got a corporation tax bill to pay.” “The problem is… there isn’t any money.” “So how the hell did Read more
Why Most Business Owners Are Solving the Wrong Problem Most business owners go looking for information on how to improve profit, cashflow, growth, recruitment, accountability or time. Having worked with owner-managed businesses for many years, I’ve found that those problems are often symptoms rather than causes. The real challenge is Read more
In reality, I’m more of a Leadership and Management Partner for business owners who want a stronger business with less pressure and more control. When people ask me what I do, the easiest answer is usually “business coach.” It’s a convenient label. Most people have some idea what it means. Read more
They accept reality faster than everyone else. A few years ago, I sat down with a business owner who was convinced he knew exactly why his business wasn’t where he wanted it to be. The economy was difficult. Customers were taking longer to make decisions. Competition was increasing. Good staff Read more
How to get better answers About two years ago, a contact introduced me to Rico Swan over a coffee. He’d actually come to talk about something completely different. But as the conversation developed, I started asking him questions about the business. Not complicated questions. Fairly simple ones really. What do Read more
Why so many businesses leave change too late — and why the cost is always higher than they expected Most business owners I speak to don’t believe anything’s fundamentally wrong. The pressure, the cashflow stress, the long hours, the feeling that everything depends on them — they’ve accepted that’s just Read more
Why good businesses balance belief with managed risk Most business owners are naturally optimistic. They have to be. Very few people would start a business if they looked at the statistics objectively and relied purely on logic. Optimism is often what gives people the courage to begin in the first Read more
Why most people quietly avoid the truth about where they are — and what it would take to improve it One of the most interesting things about human beings is how good we are at protecting ourselves from uncomfortable truths. Not consciously. Most people aren’t deliberately lying to themselves. In Read more
Why so many business owners underperform — not through lack of ability, but through lack of clarity and discipline One of the most common things I see in business owners is not a lack of capability. It’s a gap. A gap between what they could be doing and what they Read more