Saving Businesses
“Monday morning spent at the Companies Winding-Up Court, in London, is a sobering experience.” The Master entered the court and the fifty or so people in the room, many…
All these articles show how knowledge drives value. Being aware of the limits of your knowledge is very important in decision making, as is recognising and leveraging knowledge within a business. In a small business what you know is often your most important differentiator and an important driver of market advantage.
Invisible Debt Has Invisible Risk Too
“Q: When is a debt not a debt? A: When it’s fallen off the balance sheet.” The official unemployment figure in the UK is about 8%, that’s about 2.5M people.…
The Last Engineers of Empire
“Why do most British engineering firms get bought by foreigners?” Invensys, a British multinational engineering and information technology company, based in London, appears vulnerable at the moment. Emerson Electric is…
It’s Not Just What You Do, It’s How You Do It
"If you aren’t meaningfully different in how you do things you will eventually fail.” I have only ever been to one “power breakfast” - it was in New York many…
What You Need To Know About Economics
“Have you ever wondered why economists don’t always seem to make much sense?” I have always had a nagging doubt about economics and economists. For many years I just…
How Not To Do It
“I have five fundamental principles that I believe underpin most successful businesses, rarely do I come across a company that flaunted them all.” Someone told me once that businesses tend…
What Business Are You In?
“How thinking more generically can open doors.” Albagaia, a recent start-up, has quickly realised one of the most important value creating steps you can take in any business, particularly when…
Deal or No Deal?
“Why my neighbour, Premier Foods, has had to go back to basics.” I live across the road from the headquarters of Premier Foods, owners of Hovis, Mr Kipling, Ambrosia,…
Fingernails & Asteroids
"What’s the difference between investment and speculation?” For those with some cash to hand and an entrepreneurial streak it seems that nail bars have been a good investment in recent…
Keeping Score
“Few businesses put enough effort into understanding the numbers.” The Office for Tax Simplification has just said that keeping simple accounts, based on receipts and expenses alone, rather than relying…