🎙️ Darryl Bates-Brownsword

A thought-provoking read on the crucial role of Finance, particularly for smaller growing SMEs. In my experience, many business founders who are typically practitioners or sector experts often oversee the finance function until the business inevitably outgrows it. Check out this article for valuable insights and don't miss the chance to join an upcoming webinar on maximizing EBITDA in your business. Interested in growing your skills and understanding as a leader, get in touch. https://lnkd.in/eqb6JKH8

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These tools can help to see things through the lens of the business owner, providing a more tailored and practical sales approach. Read more 👉 https://lttr.ai/AWwed #ExitPlanning #BusinessCoaches #WealthManagers #ClientAcquisition #SalesApproach #SuccessionPlanning #GrowBusiness #GenerateLeads #LongRun #LongTermThinking

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Great to meet Edward Ephraim at today's Gatwick Diamond Business meeting, and his great question: "What's the main theme that you see in your business coaching work?". Hmm. Interesting. There's no one theme, but three do come up again and again more often than the rest. Number One: when I'm working with teams - management teams or operational teams or across the threshold where the two meet - it's communication. Almost never about the *content* of communication, almost always about communication *style*. I regularly see people with great skills, shared beliefs and values and (at least to start with) great respect for each other experiencing breakdown in professional and personal relationships because they have different communication styles. Catch it early and it's just a healthy rupture-and-repair cycle, and the repair process makes the relationship stronger than ever. Catch it too late and the damage can be too deeply entrenched and sometimes the best you can hope for is more-or-less benign toleration. And if neither party is willing to experiment with adapting their communication style (because, obvs, it's the other guy needs to do that) then all hell can break loose and it's a parting of the ways (Surely this never happens in personal relationships too 🤔 🙄 ? Discuss). Number Two: when I'm working with solo business owners, the most common theme is getting stuff done. Not the client stuff - that's always the top priority - or the easy-and-fun, illusion-of-progress stuff, it's the stuff that will *genuinely* grow the business and make next year better than this year. Michael Gerber coined that phrase more than three decades ago and it's a real issue, especially for solo business owners: most know it's a thing but few consistently do it! Which is why so many are in the feast-and-famine cycle. Number Three: Whoever I'm working with there is almost universally a challenge around clarity. Clarity of options. Clarity of priorities. Clarity of symptoms. Clarity of diagnosis. Clarity of outcome. Clarity of action. Clarity of resources. Clarity of measurement. The list goes on. Which means, I guess, that the first challenge is to get clear about where the clarity is lacking! Your thoughts? Thanks to Gatwick Diamond Business for a great meeting as ever and especially to Dee Mathieson for her inspirational words. Lovely to chat with Charlie Lloyd - CIPD, Sally Brown, Mark Vaesen, Shaun Amedee, Arabella Alexander DipPFS, Amanda Lusted about her wonderful charity Ten Tiny Toes (check them out), Louella Flooks, Mike Bosnovic. And always so heart-breaking and heart-warming to be reminded by Ian Wilkins about the impact Crawley Open House has on real lives in our local community. I frequently walk into these big meetings feeling 'oh no, here we go again' when I see a crowd of anonymous backs, but I almost always come away feeling inspired, entertained and educated. Note to self, though: take more selfies to make posts more interesting 🤦‍♂️ ! xx

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Imagine a scenario where a family business owner has not outlined a clear succession plan, roles are undefined, and decision-making processes are murky. Read more from Michael Valdez from the Business Transition Council 👉 https://lttr.ai/ATIzN #SuccessionPlanning #ExitPlanning #BusinessPerformance #CertifiedSuccessionPlanner #FamilyBusiness #BusinessOwners #Testimonial #GrowBusiness #GenerateLeads

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Business coach versus business owner coach - two similar titles but a very different focus. At The Alternative Board, we are business owner coaches, making the “owner” the focus of our coaching session, rather than the business. When you’re an SME you are often the business. And we know that. https://buff.ly/3UJtOTP

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Do you have what it takes to succeed? 🏆 Whilst many organisations manage to deliver growth, scaling a business requires a very different mindset from the business owner and its senior management team. This mindset, characterised by resilience, self-belief, and strong strategic acumen, is increasingly challenged by Labour's 2024 budget plan. As a business owner, you'll need to identify and address core issues, all while managing rising operational costs and limited access to funding. Exceptional decision-making skills will be essential as you navigate these challenges and balance strategic and operational goals. With increased economic uncertainty, seizing market opportunities may become more complex. Adapting and thinking strategically will be crucial for achieving growth in this evolving landscape. Drop me a message to discover how I can help you scale your business 📈 #Businesscoaching #bristol #collabandsucceed #Businesssupport #businessgrowth #businessowner #entrepreneur

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Running a business doesn't come with a set of instructions Understanding the many different types activities involved can be a challenge for any business owner no matter how long you've been doing it. Through user-friendly coaching programmes designed by business people for business people to support you and your business in your ongoing development through changing times. Read more

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Have you ever wondered how your business is doing compared to top-performing businesses? Then now is the time to complete this short business diagnostic assessment, which comes with a free report https://buff.ly/3lS445S #TABBoards #StrategicPlanning

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We're not always ready to do the logical thing! Sometimes all it takes is for someone to create a bit of time and space to reflect, contemplate and let us get in touch with ourselves. Only then can we seek to understand our behaviour and see it for what it is. Coaching helps massively with this. And it can help hugely in a financial planning setting. #financialplanning #financialadvice #financialadvisers

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In the professional services world, it's important to understand whether you are providing customers with "output" or supporting clients in achieving "outcomes" The distinction matters. It is also not true, that outcome=good and output=bad. It’s more nuanced than that. Here’s how I see it: 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐩𝐮𝐭𝐬 are the tangible "things" we can sell. In the mode of selling output, we act as a vendor and the customer, is just that, a customer. We need to understand what they want in terms of the things we have to sell, and we need to be keenly priced to attract their custom. 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬, on the other hand, are not things that we sell but are commitments that we make. Here, it is vital that we understand the client’s needs and the value that this has, to them, if they can attain it. The conversation is very different, and we act as an advisor and the customer is now viewed as a client. We need to understand when to sell output and when to commit to outcomes. By analogy, if you go to a shop to buy some milk (an output), you don’t need the shop assistant to engage you in a conversation about what problem you are looking to solve with the milk…you just want to pay for the milk and go. Alternatively, if, say, you wanted to improve your fitness (an outcome) you could go to a store selling fitness gear and buy a bunch of stuff (output) but you would not be any fitter (bar any minor cardiovascular improvements gained from lugging the fitness gear back home from the store). However, if you went to a personal trainer and said that you wanted to improve your fitness, they would help you achieve that outcome…if you follow their advice. You may still need the stuff you bought from the fitness store, but hiring the personal trainer is of greater value because they can help you get the outcome that is important to you, in a way that you couldn’t so easily do by yourself, no matter how much stuff you bought. What’s any of this got to do with PS services? Well, often in the sales cycle, we might talk about outcomes (because that seems to be what the buyer is interested in) but our offerings only produce output. There is a disconnect that will leave the buyer struggling to realise any value. Yet sometimes they do just need the output. For instance, if they have engaged a partner to work on the outcome side, they don’t require your services to do any more than provide necessary output. What PS teams need to be able to do is shift between these two buying modes based on what the buyer needs and have services that aligned to these needs. As the market shifts, the ability to balance outputs and outcomes becomes a strategic decision. Sticking only to outputs might feel safer, but increasingly, buyers are looking for partners who understand and commit to helping them reach their outcomes. If you can only operate in one mode, you may struggle to compete against alternatives that can do both. What's your take on this?

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They say knowledge is power and, when it comes to your #businessfinances, this is certainly true.  Cash flow #forecasting allows you to predict your business #cashflow, so you know what to expect and can plan ahead without so much potential for nasty surprises.   My blog takes you through the basics of cash flow forecasting and why it is essential for your business.  https://lnkd.in/eGTDMvpJ

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Finding and Addressing Bottlenecks in your business is the subject of this weeks live coaching with our Bronze Members. We will be coaching business owners to save time, save money and realise incremental opportunities. One of the many benefits of Bronze Membership is a weekly coaching session with one of our No Limits business coaches - Yes our members benefit from the perspectives of multiple coaches and bouncing ideas off each other in and in between sessions. If you are a small or micro business owner and you are ready to take your business to the next level - this might be just what you need. Link in the comments below. Small business collectively are the real backbone of our economy lets help them thrive. James Founding Coach of the ActionCOACH NoLimits Business Community. #bottlenecks #unlockinggrowth #hertfordshirebusiness #businesscoaching

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It is scary to think that there is still 10,000 businesses to migrate from Workflowmax before the servers are turned off on the 26th June. That's about 50 working days. It is important to assess the features required for your business carefully before blindly choosing another software solution. WorkGuru.io & projectworks.io are two great software solutions who I have strong partnerships with and can help with your transition. If you want more information on these software solutions, join this webinar. Contact me to discuss how I can make this a smooth transition for your business.

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Why you need a bespoke journal in your business arsenal No1 - however you disguise it, selling your services - aka getting clients - always seems to come bottom of many lists of things to do You want soul aligned clients that already know about you before they book ‘that’ call You want those soul aligned clients to come to you ready and willing to pay you You want to create something that brings these beautiful souls knocking in your DMs, yet everything you’ve tried already isn’t working or needs you to be more ‘out there’ doing the things that scare you more than you care to No 2 - you hate sharing the same info, time and time again in the same way to different people on a myriad of different platforms and many different days It's becoming boring, monotonous even and it takes the sparkle out of your biz, but you know it's essential yet you feel it's taking you away from your 'real work' and for what? No 3 - now this one goes hand-in-hand with the previous 2 - time, it all takes time and sometimes far too much of your precious time It boils down to the 3 biggest blocks to getting yourself known and clients through your door Selling Sharing your information Making efficient use of your time What you need is something that paves the way for you - even if selling, sharing or having more time isn't an issue for you, because we could all use a little extra help, right? Something that can instantly help you with selling, with sharing your story, or your products, or your bio, or your courses and programs, it can even house your lead magnets and samples of practice or exercises for those that buy it. The uses are virtually endless Think of your journal book as a silent business ambassador and advocate that speaks volumes through its pages. That connects with your ideal clients before they become clients, keeps you front of mind and creates a presence when you're not physically there. That tells of your story, your services and your programs in your words and that sells your services. That engages your clients and potential clients with ideas and perspectives to bring them into your world to lead them to become raving fans, to buy and share your services. An ambassador that has the power to advocate for change, provoke thought, and spark conversations that can lead to real-world impact for them and for you. They really are like having a passionate ally in your pocket and no I didn't mean your dog, yet they are ready to inspire, educate, and maybe even make your clients snort with laughter all the same. All of the stuff that you would want to share in any given conversation, right there in YOUR journal or business branded book, sharing your business truths, speaking about you when you're not there and you don't have to worry about whether or not it's spreading rumours! Want to find out more about having your own journal can support you, then come along to my masterclass next week - 28th May at 7pm BST

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