Startup Success Tips

New into business ownership or thinking or starting out on your own?  Congratulations!  The world needs more entrepreneurs like you; that’s what drives innovation and growth.  But just deciding on starting your own business is not a guarantee of success.  Far from it.  Most new businesses do not survive the first few years of life…

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What’s All This “KPI” Stuff?

As owner of the company you should have a handful of “smart numbers” that give you insight into how your company is doing, and more importantly what it’s likely to do in the future. Commonly referred to as KPI’s, or Key Performance Indicators. They are numbers that are objectively calculated (not opinion based) and can…

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Future-proof Your Dashboard

I hope you don’t drive your vehicle with the dashboard removed or totally not working.  It would make driving a stressful and risky, to say the least.  Correct? So why do so many people drive their business with no “dashboard” telling them what is going on then?  Do they like the adrenaline feel of not knowing…

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Preliminate Your Problems

“I need to check with the wife” “I can’t pay your last invoice ’cause I am STILL not happy  with the skirting board in the hall cupboard” (or some other feeble excuse) “I need to save some money. I will get my mate to do the electrical” Are these examples of objections or problems that…

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Why New Year Resolutions Don’t Work (usually)

Here we are; the start of a new year. Have you set some New Year resolutions yet?  By any chance are they somewhat of a carbon copy of last years resolutions that you didn’t quite achieve?  Why is that?  Why do so many NY resolutions end up on the back burner and never get delivered…

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The Power of Positive Thoughts

Are you a positive thinker or a negative one? A glass half full, or a glass half empty, type of guy? Consider the following quotes: A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes. – Mahatma Gandhi, Indian leader Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking…

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Sharpen Your Saw

This week I went along to the latest CBANZ Toolbox Talk for builders.  The current topic is about the changes to the LBP rules around skills maintenance.  No longer will merchant sausage sizzles and clipping coupons from the back of trade magazines do to earn points.  More specific, on-the-job learning is required and keeping up…

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How Brains Beat Brawn

After months of anticipation, it’s finally here.  The Rugby World Cup!  Heaven for me, albeit with some early starts to the day. One week into it and the most dramatic result in test match rugby history that I can remember has happened.  Japan defeats the (supposedly) mighty Boks! How could this happen?  Japan have only…

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Future-proof Your Business

The Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment has just released it’s 3rd Construction Pipeline report for the next five years in New Zealand.  Have you read it and considered what it means for your company? There is no doubt that the value of construction is set to stay at high levels over the next few…

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Are You a Busy Fool?

It is normal to have to work hard and put in the hours when starting out on your business ownership journey.  What is often also normal, but unnecessary, is for the long hours to continue after years of business ownership.  It almost becomes a habit.  One becomes conditioned to long hours in the office at…

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