Hard work may be part of building a business. But it doesn’t have to be the permanent price of owning one. When you start a business, working hard is often unavoidable. There isn’t anybody else. You’re selling. You’re delivering. You’re sorting the accounts. You’re dealing with customers. You’re answering emails Read more
Most business owners expect the first few years to be difficult. What they don’t expect is to still be asking the same question ten or twenty years later. Why is running my business so damn hard? It’s probably a question most business owners have asked themselves at some point. Not Read more
Two businesses can have the same turnover, the same number of staff and operate in the same industry—yet one feels effortless to run while the other exhausts its owner. Here’s why. I’ve worked with hundreds of business owners over the years, and one thing has always fascinated me. Two businesses Read more
Why the Most Dangerous Stage of Business Growth Isn’t Failure If I asked you what the biggest risk to your business was, you’d probably say cash flow, the economy, finding good people or winning more customers. They’re all genuine risks, and every one of them can cause serious problems. But Read more
Why untidy kitchens, overflowing bins and dirty bathrooms usually have nothing to do with cleaning. One of the things I hear surprisingly often from business owners is: “Why won’t people just clean up after themselves?” It might be the kitchen. It might be the toilets. It might be the recycling 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
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
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 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