• The Five Most Critical Factors to get Business Growth

    Don't get distracted by all the fancy tools you may see in your marketing toolbox. They are important, but only within a relevant context. Tools cannot be utilized effectively if there is not a nail to be smacked into the wall, or a light that needs to be fixed, or a wall that needs to be patched. There are circumstances that need to be in place before any particular tool can be used in an [...]

    Read more

    Industry expertise - is it relevant?

    When my clients are hiring, they often express a preference for someone from the same industry. They assume that the individual will have a much easier time familiarizing themselves with, and contributing to, the needs of the particular business. The same issue is often raised when I am being considered as a consultant or coach. I have always believed that for management roles, diversity is [...]

    Read more

    It's the little things that mean so much

    I was blown away recently when I was listening to Terry O'Reilly's podcast "Under the Influence". While his topics have always been unique, inspiring and motivating, it was the one about "the little things" that really hit home. Why? Because most of us are always in pursuit of the home run, and it's exactly that pursuit that blinds us to the small and very obvious stuff that can really make a [...]

    Read more

    The Strategic CFO or Controller

    Do you worry that you are perceived as a "bean counter" or do people call you that "in jest"? How do you get away from this disparaging label? Beans are a cheap commodity, so to count them is a rather silly thing to do. A "bean counter" is one who nitpicks over small things. It is a derogatory term for accountants, bankers, and anyone who holds a financial interest in an endeavor.” A bean [...]

    Read more

    CPI - Consumer Price Index or something much more exciting?

    CPI is a term that most people who studied economics, accounting or business would understand and relate to as: Consumer Price Index.  While this term is sometimes used to measure inflation at a consumer level, it has a new and more exciting meaning that will represent a new capability for business owners and executives looking to grow, improve or transition their businesses. In this case, CPI [...]

    Read more

    Three rules for making a company truly great

    The April 2013 issue of Harvard Business Review carried a front cover story that is particularly interesting if you own, lead or manage a business.  It is particularly relevant because we always look for so many ways to improve the performance of a business and we forget what is most basic, tried and tested. It serves as a reminder to us all that the KISS principle should be alive and well if we[...]

    Read more

    Overcoming Challenges that Prevent Small Business Growth

    By Julie King, Published on CanadaOne. Growth is often the bulls eye businesses aim for, yet ironically enough, when it arrives the sudden surge can cause a company to falter or even fail. James Phillipson, a chartered accountant who provides strategic financial management skills to small and medium sized businesses (SMEs), has a good grasp of the "growth challenges" smaller companies face. For [...]

    Read more

    Create Explosive Growth in your Business

    An excerpt from the new book: Big Bang for Business: 8 Steps to Create Explosive Growth and Success "Good fortune is what happens when opportunity meets with planning." Thomas Edison. It is no coincidence that Edison had the foresight and creativity to invent the electric light bulb. With the same enlightened foresight, you are invited to read this book and use it as a guiding light for your [...]

    Read more

    Customized marketing strategies deliver on your specific needs

    Case Study Company A provides tax consulting to high net worth individuals, through their trusted advisors - their accountants. In this case, the company needed to reach out to these high end accountants who would use their services. Given the nature of these accountants, it was useless trying to reach them with traditional methods such as advertising, or telemarketing or social media or the [...]

    Read more

    The art of collections

    Two recent conversations reminded me of the importance of collections to the cash flow of a business and the ability to use that cash flow to grow your business. Too often, I find that businesses have delegated collection of accounts receivable and then do not adequately supervise that critical function. The art of collections is based on persistence and regular calling of customers with the [...]

    Read more