Category: #StrategyWorkout

Why being agile is a competitive advantage for small businesses

I read an article recently in Cycling Weekly about high street giant Halfords likely entry into the premium brand and high end bike sector. 

This probably makes sense for Halfords who will be looking for “new” customers to fuel future increases in revenue and grow their share of the bike market. 


At the end of the article there was a quote from someone at Salford Business School … “Halfords had a strong ability to analyse the market and target offerings in the way that independents could not.” 

The same commentator went on to say “High end products coupled with the reassurance of a high street brand will be an attractive combination for many consumers,”

I read it twice. … Continue reading the rest of this article

Stepping Back to Move Forward: The Importance of taking time out to think strategically

In the always on often hectic world of running a small business (SME), it is easy to get caught up in  day to day operations and not think about the future.  Taking time out to focus on the bigger picture and long-term strategy is crucial for sustainable growth and success.

Every book, podcast or instagram story on business success tells you to “work on your business not in it”. I talk to clients about it all the time, but recently I asked myself how often do I practice it? The answer not nearly as often as I should.

There are two barriers that stop business owners from doing this.… Continue reading the rest of this article

Can the success of strategy execution be improved by a daily workout?


As an SME owner manager it’s easy to get stuck in the weeds of the day to day, the operational “stuff” that needs attention to make sure you don’t end the day issuing yourself with a P45.

Often this means that strategy development is relegated to the not urgent not important basket to be dealt with in utopia when all of the day to day tasks have been dealt with.

We know that strategic planning defines long term success so why don’t we prioritise it?

In an post on LinkedIn, Lincoln City CEO, Liam Scully, was paraphrased as saying “While acknowledging the importance of daily operations, he emphasises the necessity of dedicating time to strategic development aiming to hit the very small sweet spot between immediate and future success”

This really resonated with me and got me thinking.… Continue reading the rest of this article