Costs of production are re-locating the work

Increasingly I notice that production by local firms is being outsourced to China and call centres have migrated from Folkestone to Leeds and Glasgow and even to Beirut and Mumbai. It seems that geographic barriers no longer favour proximity when suppliers compete on price.

Product introductions are accelerating

I also see people in far-off lands thinking up novel ideas, trying the innovative product in their own market and then making their second million selling it into our local market. When a new product is a clear success, it is being introduced into adjacent markets as quickly as the news hits the Internet.

Choose how you experience your future

This reduction in the cost of distance and increase in the speed of innovation gives small companies a clear choice: you can either hope that major change won’t happen in your market or you can invest in making the future for yourself.

Having made that gut-choice, I coach my clients to find a combination of four approaches to suit their business:

• Bet your future on creating value in new ways. Set a monthly budget of time and effort in your business to look for and develop bright ideas that will improve your future chances. Remember to include your staff and partners in this on-going activity since they are also committed to your future. Make the trawling for ideas and insights part of everyone's remit.
• Sell your new ideas for products and services to your best customers. Knowing the value you currently deliver, they will stick with you rather than looking at an enticing offer from a competitor. If you invest in listening to your best customers too, they will also give you solid feedback that will enable you to continually improve your offer.
• Make it difficult for competitors to copy you without sacrificing their profitability. There are several ways to do this such as offering new products in a "3 for 2" bundle with complementary goods, encouraging your customers to
  My Clients will Keep Coming Back Surely? Here's How to Encourage Them
  Building Customer Loyalty is always difficult if you find that your clients come one and you never seen them again – you are sadly losing money. It costs far more to obtain a new customer than it does to sell more to your existing customers. The way you do this is to keep in touch and make them feel valued. Some ways of doing this are:  Newsletter: Star
  no longer favour proximity when suppliers compete on price.

  Product introductions are accelerating

  I also see people in far-off lands thinking up novel ideas, trying the innovative product in their own market and then making their second million selling it into our local market. When a new product is a clear success, it is being introduced into adjacent markets as quickly as the news hits the Internet.

  Choose how you experience your future

  This reduction in the cost of distance and increase in the speed of innovation gives small companies a clear choice: you can either hope that major change won’t happen in your market or you can invest in making the future for yourself.

  Having made that gut-choice, I coach my clients to find a combination of four approaches to suit their business:

  • Bet your future on creating value in new ways. Set a monthly budget of time and effort in your business to look for and develop bright ideas that will improve your future chances. Remember to include your staff and partners in this on-going activity since they are also committed to your future. Make the trawling for ideas and insights part of everyone's remit.
  • Sell your new ideas for products and services to your best customers. Knowing the value you currently deliver, they will stick with you rather than looking at an enticing offer from a competitor. If you invest in listening to your best customers too, they will also give you solid feedback that will enable you to continually improve your offer.
  • Make it difficult for competitors to copy you without sacrificing their profitability. There are several ways to do this such as offering new products in a "3 for 2" bundle with complementary goods, encouraging your customers t
    Merger And Acquisition Companies
    Merger and acquisition (M&A) activities seem to be on the increase. Companies who act as consultants and brokers play an important role in this, and ensure smooth and hassle-free deals. It is logical to seek their assistance if you are thinking of thinking of merging a company with yours, plan new acquisitions, or want to sell your business.The good merger and acquisition companies h
    your future

    This reduction in the cost of distance and increase in the speed of innovation gives small companies a clear choice: you can either hope that major change won’t happen in your market or you can invest in making the future for yourself.

    Having made that gut-choice, I coach my clients to find a combination of four approaches to suit their business:

    • Bet your future on creating value in new ways. Set a monthly budget of time and effort in your business to look for and develop bright ideas that will improve your future chances. Remember to include your staff and partners in this on-going activity since they are also committed to your future. Make the trawling for ideas and insights part of everyone's remit.
    • Sell your new ideas for products and services to your best customers. Knowing the value you currently deliver, they will stick with you rather than looking at an enticing offer from a competitor. If you invest in listening to your best customers too, they will also give you solid feedback that will enable you to continually improve your offer.
    • Make it difficult for competitors to copy you without sacrificing their profitability. There are several ways to do this such as offering new products in a "3 for 2" bundle with complementary goods, encouraging your customers t
      Globalism: What Does It Mean?
      It means that inexpensive Internet and telephonic technologies, coupled with more open national trade policies, have forever flattened national economic boundaries, creating one global market.Some fear globalism, thinking that America should be self-sufficient and indifferent to world markets. Some fear dealing with China and India, thinking they’re still backward and untrustworthy c
      onthly budget of time and effort in your business to look for and develop bright ideas that will improve your future chances. Remember to include your staff and partners in this on-going activity since they are also committed to your future. Make the trawling for ideas and insights part of everyone's remit.
    • Sell your new ideas for products and services to your best customers. Knowing the value you currently deliver, they will stick with you rather than looking at an enticing offer from a competitor. If you invest in listening to your best customers too, they will also give you solid feedback that will enable you to continually improve your offer.
    • Make it difficult for competitors to copy you without sacrificing their profitability. There are several ways to do this such as offering new products in a "3 for 2" bundle with complementary goods, encouraging your customers t
      Is Being Self-Employed The Right Thing For You?
      As well as being viable from a business perspective, it’s also crucial that setting up a company is appropriate for your personal needs. It’s a huge commitment that will require a lot of hard work, so you need to be sure that you’re up to it and that your lifestyle can support it. You also need to examine your skills, experience and attitudes, for example, can you lead a team or manage acco
      rather than looking at an enticing offer from a competitor. If you invest in listening to your best customers too, they will also give you solid feedback that will enable you to continually improve your offer.
    • Make it difficult for competitors to copy you without sacrificing their profitability. There are several ways to do this such as offering new products in a "3 for 2" bundle with complementary goods, encouraging your customers to standardise aspects of their requirements to favour your design and developing the new product to retro-fit the replaced product.
    • Take your biggest exposure (and source of weakness) and morph it into a strength. This might involve importing those ‘low price foreign goods’ and re-packaging them with a usage leaflet written in English and a solid guarantee of satisfaction.

    It is clear to me that small businesses face risks in their market whichever way they look. If they turn away from making their own future, they will be buffeted by whatever waves of innovation their competitors create. Conversely if they invest in innovation, they can manage and reduce their risks and build a competitive future.