Sorry, no blog this month – we’re working on our new website!

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Thanks for checking in again, but we’re sorry to say that there’s no blog this month as we’re carefully busy preparing our new website with lots of new information about the extended services that we’re now beginning to deliver for our current and future clients.  We’ll have so much to share when the new site goes ‘live’ in the next few months. There will be news about our latest commercial business relationships that are sure to help you develop your business from seed to sale, advice on strategy and planning, corporate governance, non-executive and consultancy advice, mergers and acquisitions, marketing technology suggestions (and let’s be honest, there’s still plenty of businesses struggling to get to grips with this), news oh how you can … Read More >

A note to all aspiring young marketers

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  If you’re an aspiring young marketer, I really hope there’s something you can learn from this blog that helps you propel your career. I’m a big advocate of having goals, things that make me strive towards something, to give me direction and a purpose in life. Not everyone thinks like this and that’s fine, but if you’re looking for direction in marketing, I’d say the Chartered Institute of Marketing is a valuable partner and ally and well worth the price of membership. Prior to 2003, I was employed as Sales & Marketing Director in a modestly sized private business that employed around 30 people. I was paid well and enjoyed the variation in my work but felt that the … Read More >

Too little (Business & Marketing) planning, will lose your business tomorrow

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As COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc around the world, I thought it would be useful to share this blog post from 2017 that more important today than ever… I’m fairly sure I work hard to develop and safeguard my business, my children tell me this regularly – my wife has given up telling me. But this blog isn’t about how I work because I really don’t see it as ‘work’ as I get paid to do something I really enjoy, helping other business owners to see their businesses in a different way (cliché I know, but true). What I wanted to do in this blog was to show how others can benefit the same way. You see it’s not just … Read More >

Steering a course through COVID-19

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As we navigate through the global COVID-19 pandemic we all share a thought for all those workers that continue to help us and keep society functioning. This turned my attention to all those in the healthcare profession, council workers, food retailers, couriers, postal workers and those in the Merchant Navy who bring essential goods to our shores from around the world. It reminded me of the late 1970’s when I served in the Merchant Navy initially joining Tate & Lyle’s small fleet of six vessels where I  joined the largest and newest of two sister ships, a 30,000-tonne bulk carrier called MV Sugar Carrier (yes, that’s me in the photo). During my early career at sea I took my ‘Steering Certificate’, a process … Read More >

The Key to Growth is Understanding your P&L Summary – Part 4 Finance

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If you’ve read my three previous blogs on how to perform well as a Non-Executive Director, then you’ll have already started to build a good picture of the type of person that’s required for such a role. Exemplary skills in Governance, Strategy and Leadership are all essential attributes none of which can escape the need for a clear understanding of the financial position of the client company. Having worked with small to medium sized businesses for my entire career, I invariably see the senior management teams focus on the day-to-day needs of the business and its customers. All too often the Profit & Loss (P&L) is something they might have initially looked at once a year when they sit with … Read More >

“Speak softly and carry a big stick” – Part 3 Leadership

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Theodore Roosevelt’s words, “Speak softly and carry a big stick and you’ll go far” was a reflection of his military capabilities which were designed to convey the principle that it was far better to use intelligent forward thinking in order to avoid a costly crisis. It’s clear that such a phrase has a threatening connotation but it’s especially clear that it’s far better to have a solid understanding of the situation. Not everyone can be or wants to be a ‘leader’. Many are happy to follow, whilst some believe they are better leaders than those that do, and some are placed in leadership positions when they’re not qualified to be there. There’s different types of ‘leaders’ too, some are autocratic … Read More >

Senior Marketers make great Non-Executive Directors – Pt2 Strategy

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Following on from last month’s blog where I spoke about the Governance skills already embodied within senior marketers, I wanted to follow this on with another of the four skills a Non-Executive Director should understand and be able to encouragingly influence amongst the executive team, this month is ‘Strategy’ (and its progression).  The term was used by the military for controlling and directing operations and movements in a war or battle in order to accomplish a long-term overall aim. As such, business also has numerous ‘battles’ to overcome at both the micro and macro levels before accomplishing its next objective. Unfortunately though there are many pitfalls that can arise en-route, namely from: staff appreciation, acceptance and adoption of new strategies, … Read More >

Senior Marketers make great Non-Executive Directors – Pt1 Governance

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Progressive thinking marketers have always been an asset to their employers because they’re able to get the best for both the consumer and the firm that employs them. But they’re also more likely to be able to appreciate and drive value into the most challenging areas facing the business. Where others see risk, the ‘dialled-in’ marketer sees opportunity; where others may become distracted and disengaged, the marketer again sees opportunity, and when others see burden and bureaucratic red-tape, the consummate marketing professional sees opportunity. So why does this contribute to becoming a great non-executive director? Let’s just consider GDPR, where I personally had several senior executives, business owners and even one company chairman each claim this was just another unnecessary … Read More >

The Art of Pricing (Premium pricing decisions that can develop a brand)

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Think that there’s just three options available for pricing our goods, and services, a low-range, a medium-range or a high (premium) price and that’s all there is to it? Wrong. There is a real focus, almost single-minded determination required when it comes to the pricing of products and services, because without it you’ll struggle to have a sustainable business over the long-term. Here at GDM, we mostly work with manufacturers and retailers, and although their customer groups vary, both groups operate in highly competitive environments despite being in some lucrative niche markets. So, with so much competition, how do they steer a path that means they’re not willing to compromise on their long-term success? Well the simple answer to that … Read More >

Detailed market intelligence reports come as standard!

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There’s a saying that, ‘nothing in life is free (if it has value)’. Of course, there is one obvious exception that we humans value every day which is the very air that we breathe. Sure, put us on a rocket to Mars and it’s feasible some large corporation might want to charge for it when we arrive to cover the cost of our ticket, but right now air is definitely and thankfully free. So, with that in mind I wanted to see if there was anywhere else I could apply this theory, that, ‘nothing in life is free (if it has value), and disappointingly I couldn’t think of another example, so by all means let me know if you can. … Read More >