Aligning finance with operations – and why it matters
Note: Join our B2B Community here if you like this post. CEOs must go beyond traditional financial reports and integrate financial insights with operational realities in today’s data-driven business landscape. This strategic alignment enhances growth, maximises profitability, and ensures business operations run efficiently. By bridging the gap between finance and operations, organisations can optimise resource allocation, […]
How to successfully implement an operational strategy in your startup
Note: Join our B2B Community here if you like this post. Crafting a robust operational strategy is fundamental for a startup’s success, acting as the foundation for long-term sustainability, efficiency, and scalability. At the core of this strategy lies the Target Operating Model (TOM), a framework that aligns people, processes, technology, and governance with strategic […]
Inventory Management: From Just-In-Time To Just-In-Case And Implications On Your Cash Flow
Note: Join our B2B Community here if you like this post. From a supply shock caused by a pandemic to ships getting stuck in the Suez Canal, the last several years have seriously strained the conventional “just-in-time” (JIT) inventory approach. Given the inability to build a Second China to serve as a backup, what […]
Why Integrating Procurement into Operations Drives Business Resilience
Note: Join our B2B Community here if you like this post. Many businesses still view procurement as a standalone function. Yet, integrating procurement within the operations remit presents significant strategic benefits, especially for organisations aiming to increase agility, control costs, and strengthen supply chain resilience. Recent global events, from pandemic-related disruptions to incidents like the […]
Building Resilience: Why Every SME Needs a Comprehensive Operational Risk Strategy
Note: Join our B2B Community here if you like this post. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) must navigate many operational challenges. With the potential for significant disruptions lurking around every corner—from cyber threats to supply chain vulnerabilities—creating and maintaining a robust operational risk strategy is critical for every SME. Such strategies shield against potential downturns […]
Streamlining operations: efficiency tips for small business owners
Note: Join our B2B Community here if you like this post. While SMEs might not have the resources and scale of their larger counterparts, they can still compete and thrive by focusing on one of their most crucial aspects: operations. Effective operations encompass the processes and activities that enable a business to function efficiently and […]
Navigating Growth: Expert Insights on Scaling Your Business
Note: Join our B2B Community here if you like this post. Scaling a business is thrilling and challenging. As I have grown businesses, I have carefully balanced rapid expansion with sustainable practices. Drawing from my experiences as an entrepreneur and COO, I want to share some actionable insights for businesses aiming to scale effectively. Start […]
Optimising Processes For The Future Of Remote Work
Note: Join our B2B Community here if you like this post. Today, remote working is quickly becoming a norm in SMEs. As digital transformation continues transforming all industries, many SMEs are embracing the flexible, remote way of working. Remote working does more than give employees greater flexibility and a chance to work from home. […]
How The COO Is The Secret Ingredient To A Successful Company
Note: Join our B2B Community here if you like this post. The chief operating officer (COO) is an executive team member responsible for managing a company’s people, culture, and processes. They are number two at a company, reporting to the CEO, and are virtually like a CEO’s right-hand person. As second-in-command, they serve as […]
Five Ways Businesses Can Effect Radical Change During An Economic Downturn
Note: Join our B2B Community here if you like this post. Everyone knows the business world is constantly changing. New technologies, new markets, and competitors are just a few challenges businesses face. Change is a constant you can always count on. But what does it mean for companies in times of economic decline? What […]
Forget Digital Transformation: Data Transformation Is What You Need Now
Note: Join our B2B Community here if you like this post. Digital transformation is a new mantra for organisations looking to stay ahead of digital-age competitors. Companies must look at ways to modernise and optimise operations to keep up. There has been much hype about digital transformation in the past few years. It is […]
4 Tips to Reduce the Spiralling Cost of Employing Staff in SMEs
Note: Join our B2B Community here if you like this post. With increasing living costs, businesses are looking for ways to lower operating costs and improve profitability. Many small-to-medium businesses find they can do so by cutting the costs of hiring employees. However, with the rise in minimum wages and staff benefits like holidays […]
4 SME Priorities To Ensure Business Growth And Success
Note: Join our B2B Community here if you like this post. The years 2020 and 2021 will be remembered for a long time by many UK-based small and medium-sized businesses as a period when they regrouped and redefined how they did business. As we head towards the halfway point in 2022, those businesses enjoy […]
Innovation And Productivity Risk: What Are The Impacts On The Workplace
Note: Join our B2B Community here if you like this post. The world is changing so fast that even established businesses must operate as startups. Operational effectiveness and flexibility have become the prerequisites to long-term success. B2B companies need to prove to their end customers that they can provide quality products today while also […]
Using Buyer Personae to drive collaboration in B2B
Note: Join our B2B Community here if you like this post. As you probably already know, Buyer Personae play a decisive role in the marketing strategy of your B2B company. Beyond that, their use can become a unifying force that helps your company’s resources work together to achieve optimal results. Buyer personae are not just a marketing […]
How To Hire The Right Staff For Your Startup
Note: Join our B2B Community here if you like this post. Hiring top talent for your startup is crucial to building a sustainable organisation. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to hiring. Just think about the skills and competencies required in different industries, business models, and different functions in your business. Technology is a critical […]
Why you can’t grow your business as fast as you wish
Note: Join our B2B Community here if you like this post. Company growth is the most common starting point in discussions with CEOs and founders, and it is the right starting point, but the equation goes something like this: if I want to expand my business, I need to find new customers and help with […]
How SMEs Can Develop Effective Strategies in the Industry 4.0 Age
Note: Join our B2B Community here if you like this post. Today, leaders are faced with the task of switching to Industry 4.0 and driving their organisations forward. The market is changing at an astonishing pace, product lifecycles are becoming shorter, innovation is accelerating rapidly, and C-Suite executives in SMEs are struggling to keep up. The transition […]
Top 5 Rules to Develop a Business Plan
Note: Join our B2B Community here if you like this post. If the question of how to start and grow your business keeps you awake at night, you are not alone. Sooner or later, you’ll come to terms with the fact that you have to devote time to developing a business plan. Developing an effective […]
How to Improve Financial Management at Your Business
Note: Join our B2B Community here if you like this post. Financial management is indispensable for any company of any size. Proper financial management is crucial, whether you are a new business owner or have been in business for a while. As a small business owner, understanding your finances is essential to running your business. […]
Why Organisational Resilience Is More Crucial Now Than Ever
Note: Join our B2B Community here if you like this post. Organisational resilience has emerged as a critical differentiator between thriving and struggling companies. The pandemic and other global crises have highlighted the importance of resilience — not just as a reactive strategy but as a proactive business imperative. What Is Organisational Resilience? Organisational resilience […]
How Relevant Today Are the Three Generic Strategies of Focus, Cost, And Differentiation?
Note: Join our B2B Community here if you like this post. Having lived, worked, and explored various parts of the world, I’ve noticed a common thread that unites people across continents: their love for burgers. Burgers, for many, represent the epitome of fast food. This global appeal of burgers is not just a culinary phenomenon […]
Digital workforces: Automation processes in workforces for SMEs
Note: Join our B2B Community here if you like this post. We have already seen how the digital workforce, from automotive robots and CNC machines to the IoT, has integrated into the supply chain to its current incarnation as RPAs, chatbots, and digital assistants. A critical factor in using digital workers is that robots […]
Common Barriers To Business Growth Today And How To Overcome Them
Note: Join our B2B Community here if you like this post. No matter how passionate you are about your business and how many hours you log in, you will face many obstacles on the road to success. Here are some of the challenges to your business growth. The uncertainty and economic turbulence following the COVID-19 […]
How SMEs can cross new frontiers and boost revenue during this time
Note: join our B2B Community here if you like this post. Many SMEs have great stories to tell. If you have a vision, you will not stop sharing and listening. That vision grows then into a pitch. As soon as you get financing, a product launch follows, you gain traction in the market, and the business starts to […]
How small companies suddenly transform into global players
Note: sign up to our B2B Community here if you like this post. How can a small enterprise grow into a fast-moving global player, doing business across Europe, the Middle East, Russia and Brazil? As one family company discovered, it’s about much more than having a website in different languages. Deeper changes make all the difference. Founded […]
Company Strategy? I’ll have mine “to go”, please …
Note: sign up to our B2B Community here if you like this post. Do you hate boardroom brainstorms— with those over-excited colleagues, the bizarre ideas and a whiteboard covered in random words? The great news is that strategic decision-making is changing for the better at smart companies. Most of us have lost many hours of our […]
The Five Common Pitfalls to Avoid When Expanding Abroad
Note: Join our B2B Community here if you like this post. For fast-growing businesses, international expansion often seems like the natural next step. Whether the idea has been long in the making or driven by the sudden discovery of a lucrative opportunity, moving into new markets can unlock substantial growth. However, it also presents significant risks. Expanding […]
Should you focus on growth or profit?
Note: sign up to our B2B Community here if you like this post. Extra funding can be a huge boost for any small business with a burning desire to expand. But how should you spend an influx of cash? Should you go for growth or profit? Scaling up can be a make-or-break moment. Perhaps your launch went […]
Big versus Small: Which is better?
Note: Join our B2B Community here if you like this post. Towards the end of last year, I was invited to FT Innovate, a flagship event organised by FT Live, the global events arm of the Financial Times. It was an intense two days of presentations, meetings and discussions. I met many interesting people and attended a […]
Why Marketing can be your best friend or your worst enemy
Note: sign up to our B2B Community here if you like this post. Giving birth to a new product can feel awesome. You’re full of pride as your idea comes to life, passes important tests and gets ready for the big wide world. But your product needs a partner, someone who will help your product to blossom. […]
“Loyalty as you go”: Capitalising on a new business phenomenon
Note: sign up to our newsletter here if you like this post. According to studies, traditional brand fidelity is declining. This is bad news for large, established players. But it’s a golden opportunity for SMEs to capitalise on a new phenomenon… “loyalty as you go”. “Nobody ever got fired for buying IBM”. This well-known axiom from decades […]
Winter 2016-17 Survey: the results
Note: Join our B2B Community here if you like this post. A Survey on 200+ European Business shows 20%+ of UK-based have been impacted by the vote to leave the EU DATA 202 EU-based SMEs Of which, 126 UK-based Of which, 30 (23.8%) had at least one project impacted by the vote These companies said at least one […]
What’s the secret sauce for business growth?
Note: Join our B2B Community here if you like this post. Sooner or later, most small or medium-sized companies reach a major crossroads. Business has been good in previous years — but how do you take things to the next level? Is there one change you can make to guarantee successful growth? I’ve worked with […]
Are you allergic to consultants?
Note: sign up to our B2B Community here if you like this post. Over the years, I have worked with many clients who managed to grow their businesses, often with a difficult change at some level. They all managed to do it successfully and achieve their goals. However, they all had had experience with consultants who came […]