Tag: Life Cycle – Exit

Author: Stewart Clark

Leadership is one of the many buzzwords used in business today. Yet, when you challenge someone to define what they call leadership, often there is nothing but silence. When you look around the world at some of our pronounced leaders, leadership is perhaps the last word you would use to describe them. Unfortunately, this is […]

Author: Stewart Clark

Businesses are not static beasts, they change and evolve over time – and as they do, their needs vary. By understanding the different life-cycle phases of a business, owners have the ability to position themselves differently and focus on different facets which will drive enhanced returns. Broadly, there are 5 distinct life-cycle stages; Start-Up Growth Established / […]

Author: Stewart Clark

There is a gold mine of new opportunity in your existing client base – you simply need to know where to look. Business is very much about sustainability – the sustainability of new client opportunities/leads along with good sustained profit and cash flow. Drawing these together makes for a very profitable business operation in the […]

Author: Stewart Clark

As we take the run into Christmas, most business are focused on getting things finished so they can wind down for a bit of R ’n‘ R over the Christmas & New Year period. Naturally, those in Retail are still geared up until after the post Christmas sales and Hospitality, will run hard until the holidays […]

Author: Stewart Clark

Increasingly with the transition of the Baby Boomers into retirement, more and more business owners are considering the sale of their business. This is a very important event, as it allows them to unlock the investment which they have built up in their business over time and assists with funding their retirement. The key question […]

Author: Stewart Clark

Essentially every business is saleable; it’s simply the sale value and terms which vary. The issue faced by many business owners is that the sale value/terms available, are significantly lower than they had hoped for. So if you are seeking a sale exit from your business – you really have the following options available; Sale […]

Author: Stewart Clark

In a world where speed appears to be everything, often the compromise that is made is to take the generic or easy option. This has become so common in business, that the generic option is often the only one put forward – whereas there is generally many ways to skin a cat. Now whilst I have no issue with a […]

Author: Stewart Clark

Succession is an inevitable bridge that needs to be crossed for all businesses. For some, the decision is made in a millisecond – whereas for others, it can be an all-consuming dilemma. This article is to help those struggling with this dilemma. It is important to recognize that succession can be a very difficult and sensitive issue for the business owners to confront. Regardless […]

Author: Stewart Clark

Whether it be in sport or business, the difference between success and failure can often be simply doing one more thing than the competition. The extra phone call, one more prototype, another sales approach, an additional quality check, a larger focus group, an extra tier of service etc etc…..any of these can be the secret ingredient to business success. A few qualifiers; – know your competition as this will provide some form of benchmark. This is […]

Author: Stewart Clark

Many business owners are time poor and simply don’t find the time to read the more comprehensive articles. So if you are looking for a bunch of potent tips for your business – then this short article is for you.  Aptly named the 10 Commandments of Business, these are 10 activities which will add bottom line value […]

Author: Stewart Clark

Business Sale Building Blocks The prospect of selling a business, or at least positioning it so it can be sold, will be confronted by all business owners eventually. It may be for 20 years down the track (rare) or to sell now (more common), but the simple reality is that all businesses will have a […]

Author: Stewart Clark

Business owners tolerate a lot, whether it is poor performing staff, process problems, cash flow, IT and the like. In doing this, the level of stress or pressure on the owner (and in many cases – the business) rises in direct proportion. The two questions I pose are why…….and…..what is the cost? In general terms, things are […]

Author: Stewart Clark

With lots of blood sweat and tears, you have built a business over time which is worth something…. and now you want to sell it. Some would say that the hard work has been done, but you can’t take your eye off the game at this crucial time – as it could blow up in […]

Author: Stewart Clark

The sale of a business is typically an emotive situation for the business owner…… and in the majority of cases, something that they are very unfamiliar with. So if you are thinking of selling your business, then consider the following 6 ingredients for a good business sale experience. Clarity on why you are selling This is normally an “ice-breaker” question […]

Author: Stewart Clark

Many strategies and decisions are made “in the moment” – considering only todays issues with little thought given to the flow on effects or impacts. Consider for a moment what this could look like in a practical business context; Problem: Business is going well with a large volume of short term contracts driving the existing business resources very hard. Solution: Hire […]