Blog

To Plan or not to Plan?

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 11:17:50 +0000

To Plan, or not to Plan?

Business Plans are rubbish.

They take time and effort to produce, nobody takes any notice of them, and they never come to fruition. Well, that is an opinion that can be heard in some businesses.

It is an attitude that is surprising, since all businesses do plan, often in great detail, for most aspects of their activities. It is a matter of what they perceive as business planning, and their attitude to managing their future, both business and personal.

At its most basic, planning is an attempt to foresee the issues that will affect the future, then take steps to avoid problems, and seize opportunities. The larger and more complex the undertaking, the more important those steps will be. A one-person business may well survive without a business plan, but will be more likely to be met with the unexpected, and be unprepared to seize chances when they appear. However, that one-person business may be driven by someone who has an intense vision of their future, who has everything about the business at their finger tips, knows exactly where they are going, and how to get there. That really is a business plan.

There are people who succeed in that way, and go on to great things. It is certain that as they progress, others working with them will have to interpret the drive and vision of the founder in order to enable a larger organisation to carry it forward.

The other side of the coin is the frequent failure of businesses that have no plan, and are overtaken by unexpected events. “To fail to plan is to plan to fail” is a well worn but very true dictum.

What all businesses need is for the owners to have a clearly agreed vision of their future, plus compatible aspirations and long term goals. From that point, a strategy can be developed to reach those goals, a motivated team created and the strategy implemented with determination. The implementation plan should be clear enough to be easily memorised, and be reviewed at least every month. Plans are what they are – a considered method of reaching the organisation’s goals. They will not be perfect, but they provide the base from which deviations can be judged and corrected. They will also have contingencies to cater for setbacks, and resource to grab opportunities.

Wise business owners will need no persuasion about planning. They will
understand the same points about their personal lives and wealth. Directorpower is firmly in the “To Plan” camp and works with ambitious business owners to build their businesses and personal wealth. Learn about our “Strategy for Success” processes that will clarify your goals, and let you assemble your own building blocks for the business and the life that you want. It will be your plan. You will be in control.

Different leaders, different styles

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:44:11 +0000

Owner Directors, by definition, are leaders. So what are the key skills that they need for success? An independent survey of directors identified their chosen top qualities for success, and listed the first 3 as:

1. Strategic Planning and awareness
2. Objectivity
3. Seeing the company as a whole

There are many definitions of leadership, and it is obvious that the leader's style and skills need to be appropriate to the organisation and its objectives. A recent Leadership Cruise brought together a disparate group of business owners for 3 days under the guidance of TEN and its leader, William Montgomery. As the square rigger Sea Cloud II sailed from Nice to Elba, Porto Fino and back to Nice the topic of leadership was addressed and debated with 3 keynote speakers.

Vice Admiral George Zambellas spoke about the Royal Navy's leadership training. The Navy's purpose is to defend the nation's interests, and ultimately to fight. The training flows from that purpose to ensure that, whatever the circumstances, whoever is present knows what to do, and has been trained to do it. A deeply devolved process.

Simon Woodroffe the founder of Yo! Sushi and ex- Dragon had a very different commercial environment, with other drivers and constraints. His purpose was to start up a unique catering business with limited funds. His message and style would not necessarily win battles, but launched a successful restaurant business. The key points were seize the opportunity, believe in your objective and be determined. With a start up project this required aggression, and a dominating presence with all the detail under his control. Once the project was up and running, this approach was counter productive, and other people and skills were needed.

Ian Ayre the MD of Liverpool Football Club had started his career in the Royal Navy, and on leaving the service held a number of senior management positions in industry, including Chief Executive of Pace Micro Technology in Asia, before joining Liverpool as Commercial Director. His experience taught him that honesty must be the foundation for all actions, regardless of the difficulties. That principle has brought him and his companies success, and led to his promotion.

Three leaders with very different organisations, challenges and styles. The common factors with them all are a clear purpose, a focus on goals and strategies to get them there.

Directorpower works with ambitious owner managers to build their business and personal wealth. Leadership is a key component of those objectives. If you are interested in success for your organisation, why not give us a call?

It can seem daunting

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 12:35:11 +0000

It can seem daunting to bring in outside assistance when you're used to

being in control of every aspect of your business. However engaging

David Warby at Directorpower to provide strategic guidance has turned

out to be the best decision we have made.

David developed a clear strategic plan which is in essence very simple,

but which would not have been possible for us to create without his

objectivity. He has worked with us over the past 12 months to gradually

implement this plan, which has led to our turnover more than doubling in

this period.

We've fired questions at David on every conceivable issue from business

processes to marketing, client relationships to project management.

Whatever the topic, his breadth of experience and clear thinking have

been most valuable in improving our business.

James Carmichael, MD of Siteclick Ltd
www.sitelick.co.uk

Mums-to-be are blooming and fit

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 11:44:58 +0000

Expecting a baby is the time for a mother-to-be to keep active for her own and her baby’s sake. However it is difficult to get safe and effective exercise advice for pregnant women. Neither GP’s nor midwives are trained in this area as part of their curriculum. Midwife and Personal Trainer Alison Merry recognised this problem and set up her business, Blooming Fit, to provide her unique knowledge and expertise. Since 2005 her programme of exercise and wellbeing has been helping expectant women and new mothers enjoy a positive pregnancy, and be a fit new mum.

Free sign up to the recently upgraded website www.bloomingfit.com allows access to Alison’s progressive Blooming Fit programme. This guides women about exercise and lifestyleto appropriate to their own stage of pregnancy. All the exercises and advice are available without charge.

For those who prefer the camaraderie of exercise in groups, the programme is delivered through regional classes where the same care and expertise is available.

In addition to the service to women through Blooming Fit, Alison is passing on her skills through training other specialists. A recent Ante Natal course to Ofsted guidelines led by Alison was independently assessed as ‘outstanding’ for her tutoring skills and ‘excellent’ for the content.

GWE Business West member David Warby of Directorpower Ltd says ” It is really surprising that the nearly 750,000 women who give birth in the UK each year cannot have the expert advice and support of a medically qualified exercise specialist during pregnancy. Considering the benefits of a more positive pregnancy, easier birth and swift return to full fitness after birth, it seems a serious gap in our health provision. We have been privileged to work with Alison since the start to help bring her skills to the public. All pregnant women and new mums will gain huge benefit from Blooming Fit. It’s free – what more can you want?”

Contact for Alison: E. alisonmerry@bloomingfit.com

W. www.bloomingfit.com

Photo of Alison is available.

Strategy for uncertain times

Thu, 20 Jan 2011 16:58:55 +0000

We are at the start of the second decade of the 21st century. How many businesses still think that they can operate as if it remains a 20th century world? The influences of technology, politics and demograhics are immense and cause economic forces that are beyond our control.

Technology has brought the tools of the internet and mobile telephony. They have a profound effect on communications, change the way that information can be handled, and the way we work. The real impact of this technology is to remove most of the barriers to trade other than the physical movement of goods and people. Information is accessible from anywhere in the world, lack of security is a problem and intellectual property is difficult to protect.

Politics has created the EU. This means access to a large home market, but conversely, competition from lower cost producers. It also means free movement of people to the UK from EU countries.

The world population growth is a dramatic element of change that affects demand and available resources. The UK is expecting an increase from around 64 million to around 80 million people, and worldwide, we are looking at an increase from the current 6 billion to 9 billion by 2040.

If we consider what has happened in 20 years since the start of the internet, we can get a glimpse of what is to come. Creative work can now be done by collaboration from dispersed groups and individuals, providing a flexible resource independent of location, employment and cost. The same is true of most administrative tasks. With centralised knowledge management, manufacturing can be located close to markets and cheap labour. Retail is able to display its wares on the web, and with modern distribution, there will be a decreasing need for shop space. Only construction is necessarily constrained geographically, but will be controlled by the technical information generated at central locations, and even these will have dispersed teams.

The implications for all businesses, other than those with a powerful local demand, are that their future lies with increasing importance on the internet. This means that they must have a strategy that leaves the old order behind. This strategy must
·   recognise the internet as a challenge to everything that they have known, and respond with actions that deliver their goods and services flexibly and at a cost that meets international needs.
·   invest in the necessary technical skills, and the appropriate resources.
·   build connections with suitable partners at home and overseas.
·   embrace a culture of flexibility and learning.
·   work with new forms of “employment” as traditional jobs decline.

The rate of change that we have experienced in the last 20 years has caused and continues to cause huge uncertainties. The next 10 will be even more testing, and require new strategies for these uncertain times.

Beyond our expectations

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 11:30:23 +0000

"The outcome has been far beyond our expectations. Resulting from our strategy day, you identified the solution to our problem, and helped us to achieve it."

Patrick Halliwell, MD of Daktronics UK Ltd.
http://www.daktronics.com

$800,000 Saved

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 11:29:04 +0000

"Your work on the Qatar project saved us over $800,000."

Tony Shepherd, Chairman Alderley Group plc.
http://www.alderleygroup.co.uk

Potential disaster to success

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 11:27:50 +0000

"You turned the project in Belgium from a potential disaster into a success. We came out with a substantial £1.5m profit instead of a large loss."

Alan Dick, Chairman of Alan Dick & Co Ltd.
http://www.alandick.com

Lloyds TSB

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 11:26:26 +0000

"I don't know about your fees for handling the MBO. Whatever they paid you, it was not enough"

David Gale, Relationship Director, Lloyds TSB

Your input was crucial

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 11:24:37 +0000

"It was important to move on from the Huntworth operation, and your input was crucial"

Peter Gilpin, MD Avalon Leisure Ltd
http://www.avalonleisure.com

We would never have done it without you

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 11:23:21 +0000

"This is to say thank you from myself, David and Keith for your help with the APC and Accentus deals. We would never have done it without you."

James Scott-Bowden, MD ERG (Air Pollution Control) Ltd.
http://www.ergapc.co.uk

Good advice is always value for money

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 11:20:43 +0000

"Good advice is always value for money. Directorpower gave both through strategic skills and ongoing practical support. Taking a day away from the office with Directorpower gave us the chance to address difficult issues without constraints. We crystallised ideas into a comprehensive plan complete with 5 year "what if" financial models. All this in just one day!"

John Dixon, MD, Aplin Ltd
http://www.aplin.co.uk

Directorpower's perceptive advice

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 11:18:59 +0000

"The support of and advice of Directorpower has been invaluable. Our team have identified the strengths and the weaknesses of Avalon Leisure, and with Directorpower's perceptive advice have set out a strategy to match our clients' interests with our long term goals".

Peter Gilpin, MD of Avalon Leisure Ltd.
http://www.avalonleisure.com

Directorpower has brought us valuable practical experience

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 11:13:37 +0000

Directorpower has brought us valuable practical experience of great value. In considering our strategy, we were forced to look at issues we would not otherwise have considered, reflecting on our roots and thinking about the future. Continuing advice has resulted in a smooth change in management.

Felix Bolger, MD Homelodge Buildings Ltd
http://www.homelodge.co.uk