Lesson 1. Dream, Believe and you can Achieve..! Thousands turned up in Sydney last weekend to watch the return of a 16 yo girl sail into the harbour after a single handed, unassisted sail non-stop around the world. Millions tuned in to their TVs to marvel at Jessica Watsons bravery and ability in completing what many thought was an adventure doomed to failure. But as we all watched in awe and excitement for her I think many realised or...

As we SPEED into another decade and 2010 - take the time to reflect on the past 12 months, then take a long hard look in the rearview mirror before you plan for the future! Ask yourself…..  How did your business perform in the past 12 months? What goals/milestones did you achieve in the last year? What difference has this made to you & your business? What can you see that has occurred that you would like lose in the distance in...

And how is it that Santa always delivers the goods on time…..?? Ever thought about how the man in red brings it all together to make it happen? The North Pole is a hive of activity for 12 months – recruiting, planning, ensuring systems are in place, testing & measuring the toy range and creating the intensive marketing plan! What would happen in the Toy Department if the elves were low on Production & Productivity? Santa...

Where do you want your Business to be next year? Thriving or just Surviving..? As the end of the year fast approaches what will be on your list of New Year’s Resolutions?? The same as last year’s list??  I want to spend more time with the family I want to work less hours I want to travel more I want to run a marathon So are you going to make plans to achieve these goals or will you still be writing the same list next...

When it comes to planning, consider the words of General George Patton, ‘A weak plan that is executed will deliver better results than a great plan never executed.’ Sometimes simple is sophisticated! Likewise, while a business plan is critical, a concise action plan is necessary for success. Lay out your goals along with time-frames for completion. Incorporate ownership for critical tasks and measurements to evaluate success. Make...

As business owners, we are frequently confronted with the issues of time management – or as I see it, management of ourself to make the most of our time. In order to succeed you need to practice skills to become expert at organizing your life. This week I thought I’d remind you of a few ideas to help you ensure that time is well-spent – and save you many hours in the future, whilst also making you more effective and...

How did you put your business plan together? Did you use a software package to guide or help you? or did you ask somebody to help you? Recently a business owner, who asked me to meet with him because his business wasn’t growing the way he’d hoped for. He proudly showed me his business plan, a 20+ page document that looked great, and had excellent detail. However upon further review, the pro forma numbers were unrealistic, and...