Tag: Process

Author: Stewart Clark

Being seen as “small” can cost you business. That’s not saying that the service or the quality of a small business product is poor – (often it is the exact opposite), but a common perception encountered by small business is that “big” is better or safer. In a world where you are competing with “the […]

Author: Stewart Clark

Businesses with strong consistent sales, typically are the same ones who have a deep prospect pipeline. Regardless of the type of business or product, those who have the depth of opportunity in their sales pipeline, are also the ones who have less stress and typically better margins. When you only have one or two prospects […]

Author: Stewart Clark

Improvement in efficiency has been an age old quest in business, as it has enabled either more to be achieved with less effort, or for the same amount of effort, but faster. For many reading this article, the phone or tablet you are using provides you with a more effective use of your time – […]

Author: Stewart Clark

It’s well recognised in many corporate environments that data quality is a large and expensive issue.  For banks & insurance companies with risk data, retailers with stock, marketers with poor lists, and countless others who rely on accurate financial info – poor data quality is an issue as it breeds inefficiency, increases expense and robs […]

Author: Stewart Clark

Christmas Day has been and gone and New Years is settling in, but when you sit back in the comfy chair – wherever that may be, on the beach, by the water, camping or even just at home……now is the time to take a quick “stock take” of the year that has past. For those […]

Author: Stewart Clark

With just on a week to Christmas, businesses are generally finalising last minute sales, delivering product orders, sorting through end of month accounts, preparing for New Year sales, confirming the staff leave roster, and even…. finalising the details for a staff Christmas break-up! What’s normally left off the pre-Christmas “to do list” is security – physical and virtual. […]

Author: Stewart Clark

To run a business efficiently and profitability takes more than just luck. In addition to having a good service or product, successful businesses typically have a strong management information framework in place to ensure all of the critical elements of the business are running correctly. I often liken this information to the dashboard instruments in a car – where […]

Author: Stewart Clark

Business trend analysis is a serious analytical technique used in countless different forms of analysis. Yet for most business owners, finding the time to complete a simple Sudoku puzzle is hard enough – let alone undertake any form of formal business review. My point – and the point of this article, is that if you […]

Author: Stewart Clark

It’s that moment where you are sitting amongst a pile of information – numbers, graphs, returns, production numbers, stock levels, customer surveys…….all with seemingly important information……but what does it all mean……what information should I use to run my business? These are the questions which are being raised more and more with the rise of technology, as we tend to have […]

Author: Stewart Clark

Have you ever heard, “…what if I didn’t read the business contract before I signed it?” Unfortunately I have, with my default response being, “the devil is always in the detail”. So if you have not read your document, then the chances are that the “detail devil” will cause you trouble. Experience has shown me […]

Author: Stewart Clark

How many times have heard the immortal catch cry, “I don’t have enough time” and then….the more scary question – how many times have you been the one to utter it? The lack of time is really the combination of our perception and tolerance. Perception, because busy is how we see our collection of activities – for some, 8 hours of engagements is […]

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

Regardless of whether you are selling burgers to a young family with three tired kids or producing “O” rings for the space program – there is always a cost when your process fails – it’s just the magnitude that varies. For a minute, let’s consider the more trivial of these two examples and look at the world through the lens […]

Author: Stewart Clark

How much risk are you carrying in your business – do you know……and what are you doing about it? Someone once explained Operational Risk to me as the classic, ‘good times gone bad’ situation, where one or more of the things which have made the business successful, suddenly go wrong – and often….very wrong! Perhaps a clearer or simpler description of operational […]

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

There are three key strategies available to energise your bottom line, with then an infinite number of tactics which can be used to support them – customised to your business and its circumstance. The three key strategies are; •    Revenue – increase •    Direct costs – control •    Operating costs – reduce Each of these strategies has relevance […]

Author: Stewart Clark

All too often this is the catch cry after a major incident…..a show stopping incident…..a business crippling incident… But after the dust has settled and the emotion has been removed from the discussion, the real question is “WHY didn’t you see it coming?”  Show stopping incidents in business – the ones that have the ability to cripple […]