Business Blog
Welcome to my Business Blog
Welcome to the Grapes to Grange business blog. I maintain this business blog with issues I find are affecting business today and offer some guidance and options to consider.
I cover a range of topics that I get asked about on a regular basis. Whether they are for personal growth, or ideas to improve your effectiveness or efficiency as a business professional, I hope you find some of these posts of value and ask that you freely share the content.
Look out for my posts on social media, or simply complete the sign-in form, and you’ll be added to my quarterly newsletter where I will also summarise my most recent blogs.
Your feedback and suggestions are always welcomed.
Regards,
Seek First to Understand; Then to be Understood
During this COVID-19 lock down a number of people have been doing self-development and professional development activities. Have you considered getting a behavioural profile completed, or you perhaps you haven’t done one in years? Well as an accredited Extended DISC consultant I’ve recently delivered a few reports with my clients to gain some self-awareness and […]
Podcast interview by Bic Walker
I was interviewed recently by Bic Walker in her podcast series on how to utilise knowledge about behaviour to get the best out of your communications with people, hire the right people, and optimise your team. #behaviour #behaviourprofiling #disc #extendeddisc #teamdynamics #communication #influence
Use a SWOT Analysis to Take Stock and Strategise post COVID-19
One of the very first things I get my business clients to do is a comprehensive SWOT analysis. Why? Well, its the core foundation for their business focus and strategy development. Now is an ideal time if you’re a business owner to give your SWOT a review – or do one for the first […]
Are you struggling with poor team performance?
Well here’s a proven path – with no gimmicks or simplistic formulas – to build highly effective teams. Building effective teams is hard. That’s why so many leaders have shared with me the following key frustrations: Many employees – even at senior levels — lack the ability to build and participate in teams effectively. Interpersonal […]
From Vision to Tactics: How to stay focused on what really matters as a leader
The leaders I work with highlight to me that their biggest issues are burnout, stress, and overwhelm. It is hard not to feel overwhelmed when you are leading an organisation. Leaders must do so much with limited resources, while keeping up with technology, managing a virtual and often global workforce that spans multiple generations, […]
Eight Traps That Can Derail a Career in the First 3 Months
According to some reports, 25 percent of the population experiences a job transition every year. Unfortunately, many of these transitions are not successful. In fact, up to half of senior managerial appointments from outside a company may fail within 18 months. Don’t be a statistic. Following are eight traps that can derail a career […]
A Business Plan – An Essential Element for Successful Businesses
A Simple Business Plan – A Must Do Activity for Businesses Today Australia has more than 2.1 million small businesses, representing 97% of all businesses. Despite access to amazing digital technologies and global information and resources, it is still a fact in Australia that up to 50% of businesses fail within 3 years, and one […]
Top 5 End of Financial Year Actions for Your Business
With the end of the current financial year fast approaching, now is the time to take a number of steps to start the new year on a positive foot with your business. Consider the following 5 ideas and implement them now. 1.Tax Planning Set up a meeting with your bookkeeper and accountant and discuss what […]
Read – Hear – See – Do…you must take action to retain and remember.
One of the most impactful pieces of information I learned in my education in business has been the level of retention you have of information you are exposed to. I am struck by the number of videos, podcasts and audios many of my clients listen to, however, when I ask them how many they have […]
My 5 Top Tips for Achieving Your Daily Goals
One of the most common reasons people seek out the services of a coach or mentor is as a result of feeling overwhelmed. All the pressures of running a business, or being in one, mean that there are a lot of balls to keep in the air and people to keep satisfied. It may […]
SWOT Analysis – Your First and Most Important Strategic Business Tool
SWOT Analysis – Your First and Most Important Strategic Business Tool One common reason small business owners contact me is about not having enough clients or cashflow, despite doing everything they read about in digital marketing posts and workshops. I ask them a simple question: “Have you done a SWOT Analysis for your business?” More […]
The top 8 reasons why start ups fail
The Top 8 Reasons Why Start Ups Fail There’s no denying that starting a business is a tough gig. With a staggering 95% start-ups failing within the first couple of years, stats are certainly against you. So what goes wrong – and how can you make sure your exciting new venture […]
Wish you knew more about that employee before you offered the job?
It is so often seen in business the issue of employing someone based on their CV and interview, and then finding out they are not a good fit with your employees – or worse still, with you!! Wouldn’t it be great to understanding an employee’s behaviour before making the commitment to recruit them? Well with an extended […]
The Six Core Needs and their importance in business and life
I recently presented the Six Core Needs model at a business meeting and one of the attendees exclaimed: “Where was this a year ago when I needed it. This is great.” So it prompted me to share with my network. Hope you find it useful. The Six Core Needs model was first developed by […]
Achieve Your Goal – One Step at a Time
Every Leap begins with a Step I am finding it a common issue among people I meet – and many that come to me for coaching support – that they have some great plans and visions but either don’t have a good step by step action plan, or expect it to all happen in one motion. Every […]
Have you wondered what Emotional Intelligence is? Here’s a quick guide.
Have you ever wondered what Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is? Why is it such a sought after skill and attribute among successful leaders of organisations today?The 3 top challenges faced by leaders today identified by a recent survey of business coaches were: interpersonal skills, listening skills and empathy; influence; and self-awareness. These correspond to three […]
Top 5 Strategies for an Effective Business Partnership
Top 5 Strategies for an Effective Business Partnership In today’s hectic and competitive business environment, it’s become commonplace and even more important to forge business links to be able to serve the broader market without being overwhelmed. Whether it’s a formal partnership, a referral alliance, a co-operative association or any other form of collaboration, having […]
Are You an Above the Line or Below the Line Thinker
Do you think above the line or below the line This is a concept that business coaches use regularly – moving people from below the line thinking to above the line thinking. This is because your individual response to situations determines the outcome you will receive. So you can be the cause of things happening, […]
Do You Prefer Self-Paced Learning and Professional Development?
There are two things EVERY business owner wants. First, they want to generate more leads, attract more clients and make more money so they can eliminate any current financial distress they find themselves in. Second, they want to reach $1 million in annual revenue so they can begin to live the life they have always […]
Overcoming Procrastination
How to Overcome Procrastination Procrastination is the scourge of a lot of clients and people I meet at events and meetings. With “time management” and “work-life balance”, these represent the 3 most common reasons people come to me for help. Procrastination is the act of delaying or putting off an activity, more often than not, […]
7 Deadly Sins of Business
Are You Guilty of any of the 7 Deadly Sins of Business? I read a great little article recently by Kate Jones who applied the well known 7 Deadly Sins to the business environment. I wanted to share that with you as food for thought in your own businesses. In the article Kate explains that […]
To SWOT or Not to SWOT?
The help provide a clear focus for you and your business, a comprehensive and honest SWOT analysis is an unquestionable must-have in any business. First developed in the 1960’s by Albert S Humphrey, it is as important and crucial today as it was then. To set you aside from your competition and carve a sustainable […]
The Challenges of Work Life Balance
An insight and useful tool for Work Life Balance One of the most common issues I get asked to manage by my clients and associates is work life balance, or more correctly, imbalance. Here is an insight and a useful tool that might help you assess where you stand when it comes to the work […]
Tips to Manage Your Email
Beat the Inbox “Time Bandit” and Manage Your Email When I ask clients to assess where they spend their time and where it is most wasted, I keep getting the same response – the email Inbox. Does that ring true for you? Do you keep looking at that Inbox as the notification sound plays? Is your Inbox just crowded […]
Get off Comfort Zone Island
Get out of your Comfort Zone and Achieve More Comfort Zone Island is such a great place. We all love it there, don’t we? We feel comfortable and very safe on this island – no threats, no challenges, we make life what we want it to be and just relax. Comfort Zone Island. When you […]
Pareto Principle
Use the Pareto 80:20 rule to help prioritise what you do. Are you like many of the business owners and individuals I meet where there just never seems to be enough hours in the day, and that To Do list just gets longer and longer? Well using the Pareto Principle to help guide you might […]
