Guy and Madonna show us the way

So, Mr & Mrs Ritchie have decided to call it a day. No great surprise there. But in doing so, they have demonstrated that you can still end a relationship, no matter how multi-layered, with dignity.

There is a good lesson here for us in business. We often hang on to failing businesses or favourite ventures, in the misguided hope that we can turn it around. Look at the current disastrous position that Woolworth's have got themselves in. 

When we see that despite the best intentions, we cannot make a business or a division a success, we need to boldly take decisive action. Like a surgeon removing a tumour, the cut must be quick, lest we allow the rest of the body to be infected.

Dangerous times in far-off waters

As we read about the tanker hijacked by Somali pirates, it seems a good analogy for some of the less than sensible business decisions made.

Often I come across companies that have embarked on completely new areas of business, either because they have perceived an opportunity or they thought it would be good to conquer a new market. However, after the first flush of success, they come unstuck.

Management teams must realise that leveraging success in new markets comes from building n that which one knows. It is far better to seek out opportunities in fields where there is obvious synergy with an existing successful business. This approach, though guarded, can still bring rewards and will ensure that the organisation will not be left to the mercy of parasites who feed of others success.

Seeing the real story

Whilst we all argue about when the UK actually went into into recession, rather than let the government tell us it has yet to happen, I came across an interesting article on the BBC website.

The link is  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7695746.stm  It essentially follows a number of businesses as they feel the credit crunch at first hand. It will be interesting to follow their progress over the coming months.

One thing is clear; anyone who thinks this economic downturn will be over quickly is certainly fooling themselves.

Size doesn't matter

In today's online world, there is  really very little to stop anyone creating an international company overnight.  With a laptop, and a browser, one can create a virtual company with just a few clicks.

This can often take companies outside the realm they would normally occupy. Of course, with this virtual move, comes potential pitfalls. A key understanding of what 'going global' means is vital. Every part of the supply chain should be looked at. The key change here is how sales are achieved and accounted for. 

One-trick pony

Today, a client told me that they had given a presentation to an existing account, only to be asked very  strange questions at the end. It seems that the presenter was expecting one view, whilst the audience had something quite different in mind.

We must all ensure that we prepare for meetings as well as we can. Sometimes, we fail to ask clients what their expectations are, either through poor planning or not wanting the client to think we are not in tune with their needs. However, as has been demonstrated, not asking a question can be worse than asking the wrong question.

Published Articles

One of the true measures of how one is perceived in the business world is being able to get your views across in the media.

I am pleased that a number of articles that I have written have been published. I've also appeared on BBC Breakfast and BBC News 24.

Please view these;

http://www.bre.co.uk/filelibrary/training/HI_enews/hi_enews_feb062.htm