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…
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…
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…
Negotiation 101: The 6 Principles
We all negotiate something at some point of time every single day.This is especially true if you are working in procurement or sales. The idea for this post came as for quite some time we have noticed an unfortunate recurring pattern, more than 80% of…
Launching a new venture? Here’s how to beat the odds
By Clark Gilbert & Matthew Eyring for the Harvard Business Review “For nearly 20 years the case study used to introduce Harvard Business School’s Entrepreneurial Management course has been Howard Stevenson’s “R&R.” It looks at Bob Reiss, an entrepreneur who launches a venture in the board-game…
Are you using the 7 C’s of Communication? Or is it 10 C’s?
What makes for great communication? According to the methodology outlined in the Mindtools video below, clear and concise communication (oops, spoiler alert!) requires 7 C’s: Clear. Concise. Concrete. Correct. Coherent. Complete. Courteous. Watch the video and let us know what you think – is this…
15 expert tips: How to write a great business plan.
Writing a good business plan can be a make or break step for a SME Business in the fast paced New Zealand market. A strong business plan gives your investors, stakeholders and your team insight into where you have been, what you have learned, the…
Seven Tips to Mining Gold within your Customer Base
Written by Prime Strategies Business Advisor Craig McCulloch. Did you realise that every small business is sitting on a gold nugget that is often neglected by owners? So many businesses focus and spend enormous amounts of money and energy on trying to increase enquiry and…
Pricing Strategy is Crucial for Small Business to Maximize Profits
In general, small businesses tend to under-price their products and services – or they price haphazardly. By not pricing effectively, this effects their profits, reduces the available capital for future growth and sometimes risks business survival. One of the fastest ways for small businesses to…
Are your decision making skills hot enough?
Business Management is full of decision making – and the ability to make a good decision, in a timely manner, using the available information is vital to business success. It would be easy if there were one formula you could use in any situation, but…