Continuing with the idea that there are many things you can do for yourself within your business to Develop your Brand, I would like to remind you of a couple of techniques. These you may be familiar with, as both Brainstorming and Scenario Planning are widely used as Management Tools, particularly in Problem Solving and Crisis Management.

There are certain assumptions being made here... That you already have completed some research into Your Market, giving you an underst...

The following is a guide to some of the things that you and your business can consider, prior to communicating your Brand Message. Advertising is expensive, and once you begin to broadc...

The consumers perception of Brands, has grown rapidly in recent decades, particularly since TV landed in our homes. This, along with the advances in digital communications has seen numerous transformations in how Brands are "created" and managed. The transitions through the "Ages" of Branding, has also seen many changes to how marketing and Brand management is conducted. In the early days, Branding was largely Functional, whereby marketing communications were used...

In 1997 Clayton Christensen of Harvard Business School, unveiled his theory of Disruptive Innovation, siting Technology as an example of an industry which when studied, showed all of the indicators of Disruptive thinking. Another example used is the Automotive Industry, where newcomers like Hyundai and Kia have taken a significant proportion of their market.

So how do we apply this thinking to Marketing your business? Some "Guru's" will tell you that any kind of...

Working with a client with two new Board Members has brought up a couple of issues which can be seen as typical of the structure of The Board in many companies. This particular board has evolved over years, and has remained under the solid leadership of it's chair. However, the role of the board has diverged from it's purpose insofar as it has become an executive tool, managing every aspect of the business.

Let's ...

Working with Start-up's has always been a source of great enjoyment for me. Being in the company of Innovators, Thinkers, budding Entrepreneurs, has many rewards. Likewise, working with established businesses who need a little help to re-structure can have similarly pleasant outcomes, and I relish these experiences.

However, it can also be very frustrating... I frequently come across situations where businesses are forever "getting ready to get ready"! With Start-up's in particular, the compan...

Tips to Increase Your Market Share

Getting to grips with your market, and how to increase your share of that market is crucial to remaining viable during a recession. As a business owner, you don't just want to survive, you want to excel! So how can you position you and your business for success?

Validate Your Market!
Most business owners will have a full grasp of their offering... What it is that they do, and how they do it. They will also have a good idea of their market, and Who their custome...

Achieving Your Full Potential...!

For years now, I have worked with business owners, helping them to put structure to various functions within their organisations. On many occasions, I have employed Brainstorming techniques, sometimes encompassing SWOT as part of this exercise. The thing is, I still get an element of surprise at the positive results when I look for feedback from both the owners and staff. It is clear to me that many business owners do not use this approach as part of running t...

In my mid forties, I have see numerous changes to the way people sell, and indeed to the way people buy. Looking back to the way we sold from the post WWII era through to today, the shift in how sales are made has become enormous. So how are we to prepare for how to sell into the future?

There are of course established "Drivers" for why people buy... Where there is an identified number of sources for a Solution to your Need, you buy from the people you know best, or have a relationship with. P...

I get this all the time. "What do you mean by Sales Process?"... The fact is, that many business owners have been "Just Selling", without considering this vital activity as a "Process". Even without any formal Sales Training, it can be shown that if a business has been selling it's offering, then there is an identifiable process to that achievement.

Looking at the Sales Process as part of an overall "Business Strategy", or "Model", it helps to develop your thinking from the perspective of "YOU...

Most small business owners have a good grasp of what is going on in their industry sector. We see this all the time, through the work we do. However, we find that many owner managers have spent little time thinking about where to place themselves into the future! I suppose that for small business owners, the "Future" is a long way off.... The concept of "Future Proofing" a small business has yet to take a foothold, particularly here in Ireland where we do the bulk of our work.

There are many a...