Blog
Make it count
Over lunchtime today, I attended the funeral of a friend and neighbour's grandmother who'd passed away at the age of 95. I was born, grew up and still live in a small village in the outer suburbs of Manchester. She had been the secretary in the primary school I...
There are many stages of growth.
Whether personal, or business, there is always a start somewhere. The "incubation period" where it's all new, lots of trial and errors, learn fast/fail fast and progress. There is no right or wrong for how long this phase needs to take. There's no guarantee it will be...
Don’t ignore the little things!!
Many years ago my first job was as a software installation engineer. I turned up on a customer site to reinstall the EDI software (used to exchange order and invoice data) after the computer that it was on got stolen during a break in. Unfortunately for the client,...
D Day
Gold Sword Omaha Juno Utah 80 years ago today, the future of Europe, and indeed the World itself was changed. The sacrifice of many will never be forgotten.
Baking a cake
I like to use everyday analogies for looking at business scenarios. In a recent workshop with a client, we were talking about RFPs & Bids and the process around responding to them and where there is a chance optimise it. I used the comparison of baking a cake:...
Find your destination
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" says an ancient Chinese proverb. Setting up a business to help people in the Information Technology space had been nearly a quarter of a century long ambition. I took my first step in February this year, and...
Make the most of your potential
Completed in 1938 to supply drinking water to Stockport and surrounding areas, Fernilee Reservoir in the Derbyshire Peak District can contain up to 5 million m3 of water from the River Goyt. On a day like today it is a fantasy walk. As my wife and I walked around it...
What does your brand say about you
Over the years, marketeers have come up with slogans and brands that have become part of everyday culture. The logo or branding defines the product. Equally the reputation of a brand hinges on what is beneath the "wrapper". A great marketing campaign can sell the...
Timing is everything
For most of my career I've either worked for companies, personally delivered or helped build products and solutions that have time sensitive elements in their offering. If timing is out: Your favourite foods may not have been on the supermarket shelves. Factories may...
Preparation
Some years ago, my wife and I did the NHS "Couch to 5k" programme. We really got into it and enjoyed getting out even in the rain, frequently doing 2 or 3, 5km runs a week. Over time this routine fell by the wayside and it has been more by occasion than habit I've...