Why does the same problem keep coming back, and how do I actually find out what’s causing it?
5 Key Takeaways Summary A business problem and its root cause are rarely the same thing. The problem is what you can see. The root cause is what allowed it to happen. The 5 Whys is a simple technique, developed inside Toyota’s manufacturing operations, that helps business owners move past the obvious explanation by repeatedly […]
What Is Business Progress and How Is It Different From Business Growth?
5 key takeaways Summary Business Progress is the measurable improvement of a business over time. Business growth usually describes an increase in scale, such as turnover, customers, output or market reach. The two often support each other, but they do not always happen at the same time. Your turnover could remain broadly unchanged while profitability […]
What Should an SME Measure to Understand Its Overall Business Health?
5 key takeaways Summary An SME should measure its health across several connected areas: financial performance, customers, people and leadership, systems and operations, organisational capability and resilience. Revenue or profit alone cannot show whether performance is sustainable. A business can increase sales while margins fall, remain profitable while becoming heavily dependent on its owner, or […]
Is My Business Model Still Right for Where the Business Needs to Go Next?
5 Key Takeaways Summary A business model stops being fit for purpose when growth starts costing more effort, more people or more hours without a matching improvement in margin, control or resilience. This is a different question from whether the business is operationally ready to scale. Before changing anything, we recommend reviewing profitability by line […]
