SME Survival in a Covid environment
Some time ago I wrote about Covid and the Economy – here is an updated personal perspective looking to a new financial year. – John Cleghorn The government is talking a great deal about New Zealand getting vaccinated and staying on track from an economic…
11 Reasons to have a Business Coach/Advisor
As business owners there is only so much you can achieve on your own. You need a sounding board from time to time. Someone that keeps you in check and helps you and your business grow. Find out why taking on a business coach can…
Dealing with stress
I doubt that anyone manages to live their life totally stress free. If you do congratulations, you would be one of a very few unique people. Regardless of the position we hold or the work we do, most of us have stressful situations that we…
The Business Owners To Do List
Most small business owners will have a ‘to-do’ list in one form or another, and for a select few it is all they need as they instinctively trade their way through their current business day, week or month. They manage to regularly achieve what they…
Is your business strategy ready for tomorrow?
The markets of today move very quickly, often leaving SME’s stranded in the past, as they fail to “keep up” with the changes. In today’ COVID-19 environment, we need to move even more quickly, understanding the difficulties and nuances of our particular market and what…
Are there any gold nuggets sitting under your nose?
Prime have recently been working with a client that sells top end IT Software. They are a multi awarded company and leaders in their respective field. Their revenue had started to decrease, not alarmingly, but enough for us to hold a session on driving new…
86,400 seconds each day, invest them wisely!
For those amongst us who use Apple products such as iPhones, have you ever wondered why the snooze function on the alarm is set at 9 minutes? Why not 5? Why not 10? The answer on the internet, according to most experts (usually self-proclaimed), is…
10 things to be learnt from 2020
Manage your direct reports.
The moment your business gets large enough that you need to hire employees then you have an employee management requirement. Our experience shows that this is one of the most neglected skills in the SME market in New Zealand. You need your employees to help…
5 Tips for writing your next financial budget.
Have you started your budgeting process yet for the 21/22 financial year? Every business should have a financial plan for each year and now is the perfect time to start putting this in place. Here are five tips to putting together a successful budget. Work…
Have you got an ‘Elevator Pitch’ ?
Have you ever heard of the terminology ‘Elevator Pitch’? An elevator pitch is a brief, persuasive ‘pitch’ for your business, lasting less than 30 seconds, and being interesting, succinct, and hopefully memorable. We believe, it never does any harm to revisit the basics, don’t start…
Exit Plan or Escape Plan?
When it comes to the way we react to certain situations, there are typically two main types of behaviour that we all fit in to. A) Move Towards; or, B) Move Away. Neither are problematic, and there will be times when we exhibit both types…
Revive Your Business
The adage “before we can thrive, first we must survive” is quite well known. However, I feel there is a missing step. Once we have survived, then we must Revive. This is particularly important for businesses that truly want to get out of constantly scrapping for…
Theory X and Theory Y
Understanding People’s Motivations What do you think motivates your people to come to work each morning? Do you believe that they get great satisfaction from their work and take pride in doing the best possible job? Or do you think that they see work as a burden,…
What gets measured gets done!
A simple process for identifying KPIs for your business. The reasons for monitoring KPIs in your business are well known, but it is surprising how many businesses large and small don’t monitor any KPIs other than cash in the bank, or at best profit. And…
Who would have imagined the space we now inhabit?
Has everybody’s plan gone out the window in the last six months? Late last year we were all starting to think about the coming Christmas, and the new year was nearly upon us. What were we going to do over the break? I believe that…
Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.
Why are businesses so reluctant to engage a business advisor or consultant? Here are the five excuses that we get most often and how we debunk them. It costs too much!What is the cost of not having a professional advisor? Yes, we do cost good money,…
Lights, Camera, ACTION!
Question: 3 frogs are sitting on a fence, when one decides to jump off. How many frogs are left sitting on the fence?A) 1B) 2C) 3The answer is of course C) 3 Because it only decided to jump off. No action! OK, so there are…
Are you an SME Business Owner or possibly looking to start your own business?
Feeling burnt out by all that has been happening of late? Christmas then the Covid virus, then Shutdown? Wage subsidies 100% or 80% or perhaps 50%? Then school holidays and now the election? What next? Wow what a year so far. Are you perhaps feeling…
Managing your interactions and yourself!
Managing your Work Environment In business every detail counts and ultimately translates to greater efficiency, productivity and ultimately profit, whilst making the job more enjoyable. What can I do about improving my work space environment? Below is a prepared checklist of common time bandits for…
Future of business in New Zealand
Did you know?97% of consumers search online for local businesses and 12% do it daily. Are you ready for the future of business in New Zealand? The future is both exciting and challenging at the same time. At Prime, we are confident that we can work…
The Business Advisor Paradigm
What do The All Blacks, an Olympic Gold Medallist and Bill Gates have in common? They all employ a coach. They employ a coach to help them “Create the perfect game plan perfectly implemented.” It is no coincidence that the vast majority of businesses that…
Identify your target market
Fish where the fish are biting! One of the questions we ask businesses when helping them plan, is, do you know the ROI (Return on Investment) on your advertising and marketing spend? The answer is almost always the same, No. And, do you know your…
Seven Steps to Growth
If only 50% of new businesses survive more than five years and only one-third make it to 10 years, what’s the one thing you could do to ensure your company is sustainable? The answer is to create a growth strategy for your business. But a…
Business Health Check
SPECIAL OFFER $295 (usually $995) Business is hard work – we’re here to help! If things are getting on top of you, or your business is going well but life balance is not, continuing to do the same will not help. Often the solutions are…