Diagnosing a work habit before trying to change it
Use cues, expected benefits, responses and consequences to examine a recurring work habit, identify what sustains it and test a practical change without guessing at motives.
12 min read
Insights category
Business
Operations, building businesses, systems and decisions.
Articles in Business
Diagnosing your marketing with the five As: aware, appeal, ask, act and advocate
Use the five-A customer path to find where your marketing leaks: measure conversion from awareness to appeal, enquiry, purchase and advocacy, then fix the weakest stage first.
10 min read
Discounting without destroying your margin: when to discount, which types work and the maths to check first
Discount strategy for small businesses: good reasons to discount, fifteen discount types, the extra volume a discount needs to break even, and how to avoid training customers to wait.
10 min read
Small shareholdings: fair value accounting and its effect on profit
How businesses account for small investments in other companies' shares, how fair value is measured for listed and unlisted shares, and why market swings can flow straight into reported profit.
10 min read
From freelancer to business: starting solo, finding clients, pricing, contracts and growing beyond yourself
A practical guide for freelancers and solo professionals: choosing what to offer, setting up, managing time, contracts and money, building a client portfolio, pricing, quiet periods and scaling up.
10 min read
From personal expertise to a platform business: what a celebrity chef's empire teaches professionals and tradespeople
How a skilled professional can grow beyond their own hours: specialty, reach and products, detailed standards, audits, owned channels, licensing and a professional team.
10 min read
From student to founder: the 18-month rule, minimum viable products, traction and first funding
A practical path for students and graduates who want to start a business: test yourself through work, validate in 18 months, build an MVP, win first customers and raise funding carefully.
10 min read
Gamification and loyalty programs: points, levels, challenges and leaderboards for customers and teams
How gamification works in business: points, scorecards, challenges, leaderboards and rewards, designing loyalty programs that pay, using game mechanics with employees, and the pitfalls.
10 min read
Getting value from industry associations and chambers of commerce: networking, knowledge, credibility and a voice
What industry associations, professional bodies and chambers of commerce offer small businesses, how to choose and join the right ones, and how to get real value from membership.
10 min read
Goal coaching with the ARROW model: aim, reality, reflection, options and way forward
A five-step coaching framework: set an aim, assess reality with a day-in-the-life review, reflect on purpose, generate options and commit to a tracked way forward.
10 min read
Goodwill in acquisitions: what it is, how it is measured and why it is impaired
Goodwill is what a buyer pays for a business beyond its identifiable net assets. How it is calculated, what it represents, how impairment testing works and what write-downs tell you.
10 min read
Helping people accept change: a four-quadrant framework for employees, customers, suppliers and partners
Why people resist change and how to help them accept it, using four quadrants: the benefits and costs of changing and of staying the same. With planning steps and ethical limits.
10 min read
