How do we judge political performance?
This week we have had a budget, arguably the first half realistic assessment of the economy for some time, with some politically unpalatable pills swallowed. Not before time. We have also had the budget reply, which was more an election speech than a roadmap for...
Failure of commission, or omission.
On this Budget "morning after" where public spending is at 33.5% of GDP and rising, all the debate is about the detail, weather or not the "baby bonus" should be retained, the validity of the forward estimates given recent history, and increase in the personal tax...
Engaging sales people.
I found myself in a heated debate last week with a headhunter about the value, and challenges of SME's outsourcing the hiring of employees, particularly salespeople. Her view: SME owners are so time constrained that anything not "core" to success should be outsourced,...
Is content the chicken to SEO’s egg?
Creating content, the stuff that engages people, preferably customers, potential customers, and influencers of these two groups people (otherwise why are you doing it?) is a real challenge, but one that successful use of social media demands is addressed. There are...
R&D portfolio metaphor
Yesterday, watching a bee that had snuck in my office window trying to get out, I was reminded of a simple fact that to my mind is a great metaphor. Put a few bees in a bottle, and point the bottom towards a light source, and the bees will all belt themselves against...
Success is a contingency
Success is the result of hard work, smarts, good teams, focus, with a hit of "right place, right time" thrown in, etc, etc, right? Right. At least that is what I always believed, knocked into me by my Dad who believed, and lived by the credo that "the harder I work,...
Social media explained
Lets talk about social media for a moment, it is on the mind of most running SME's. and it is the object of lots of "hype" by snake-oil salesmen. There is a huge amount of very useful verbiage, and mountains of plain crap out there, as well as the "idiots guide" type...
The competitive advantage of SME’s.
Yesterday I did a presentation to a group of owners of small businesses, people who seemingly compete against the odds from a point of weakness, as almost everybody is bigger, better resourced, has better technology, and are more connected, than them. As a basis for...
Big Bang day.
20 years ago yesterday, April 30 1993, CERN, the European Organisation for Nuclear research, the developer of what has become the W.W.W. announced that they would open it up, making it free to all by posting the codes on what became the worlds first website. A...
Shouting doesn’t work
You can no longer win by shouting, there is always someone who can should louder, longer, and more effectively. You win today by being genuinely useful. Those on the receiving end will tell others, who will tell others, and so it goes. My kids call it social media...