by William Buist | Sep 13, 2018 | Business, Collaboration
I’m enjoying being 60, it’s liberating in some interesting ways, and it has given me the freedom to reflect about many things. Yesterday was an interesting day that flowed from that reflection. It ended with me making committed decisions to things which will, I suspect, change the course of much that I do. I am excited by the anticipation and eager to get it done.
Firstly I kicked off a project to undertake considerably more research to verify, or otherwise, the impact of applying the thinking that I use when working with my clients. The results I get are sound, and the feedback superb, but there’s not enough quantitative data to go with the qualitative. That will add so much robustness and will help to further refine the thinking that I have been doing for the past 4 or 5 years.
Secondly, I will expand the podcasts that I have been doing with more long form conversations with people whose story helps to create better business, for them and those they work with. If that’s you and you want to share some of your story, get in touch.
Thirdly, I’m going, over the next two years, to write it down. To create a body of knowledge about the realities of running a small business. Built on the Business Clarity Model, the collaboration work, masterminds, the power of “Clarity, Strategy Implementation” and my experience of mentoring some remarkable people. It’s my legacy, and it’s so purposeful that I’m full of energy.
Finally, I gave myself a kick up the backside about my speaking, which I just play at. I need to be serious. “Build a better business” is the thrust, and I’m looking forward to that being on the road very soon.
Yesterday was a big day for me, and now the commitment is there for all to see, and here’s the reason… whilst I’d better get on and deliver it, I’m going to need your help, your wisdom, your support, you holding me to account and your insight.
Today I am with my mastermind group, I know they will support every part of this, but more than that they will keep me accountable and focus the effort into the right order. It all starts right now…
by William Buist | Jun 1, 2017 | Business
Every business has one, even if it’s never given any formal thought to what their ‘model’ is, but those that have can short circuit some of the common mistakes that businesses make as they grow.
A good business model can be viewed as having two sides to it, one side is about how revenue is generated, the other how the business is run efficiently.
The two sides link through the core purpose of the business, the reason you are in business. Once that is clear then:
On the revenue side must solve a problem that clients want to have solved. It’s important to know who those clients ideally are, how you reach them and what sort of relationship you want with them.
From there it’s beneficial to know two more things, the reaction you want to get, before during and after you do business with a client and the market position (perception) that they and others will have.
On the efficiency side – your products must map across to solve the problems that they have, and the key activities, resources, and collaborations you need to deliver the work must be designed with care, and be strongly aligned. All of that is possible because of your Knowledge Skill and Experience (KSE) and that is predominantly (especially for speakers) what makes us genuinely unique. Having clarity on which elements of KSE stand you out from the crowd makes it much easier to attract others who recognise that they want access to that. Finally, it’s useful for any business model to map out how others in your market approach what you do. Not to copy, nor to denigrate, just to understand how you differ and why.
Nobody cares about your business model, they care about the products and services you bring to them and the way they make them feel. Nobody, that is, except you, because the people who care about their business model most are the ones whose customers feel consistently fairly treated and valued, and who have sustainable results.
My model is built on the core purpose of uncovering insight – I love working with the owner leaders of established service businesses to uncover the insights they need to build sustainable profits and avoid costly mistakes. I use speaking to demonstrate the KSE that I have in my strategic work, for example, the links between the collaboration and risk management that make both easier and more powerful in business. Plus the skills and experience gathered in times of great personal and business change through the merger of Lloyds and TSB. I’m paid for supporting business leaders who want to change the performance of their business with a calm assurance, a confident, professional manner, that gives them back the freedom they sought when they started the business in the first place.
