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

Posted on November 3, 2020 by nigeldavis

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 >

Pond Skater or Deep Diver – which type are you in your businesses growth?

Posted on October 2, 2020 by nigeldavis

Every business employs people who want to come to work but as a result of the hidden concerns many face, most employees only get to enjoy that experience when the boss is away. Unfortunately, most SME’s don’t have the time, understanding or expertise to see what’s going on below the surface of a business as other challenges take precedence. So, if you’re the boss what can you do to change it? There’s usually a host of things that contribute to this malaise and whilst many of the staff will be only too well aware of the majority of problems within the firm e.g. a lack of engagement, openness, motivation, job satisfaction, responsibility, belonging, trust, ethics, and poor internal communication that negatively contributes to … Read More >

Import tariffs are changing from January 2021 – prepare for the UK Global Tariff

Posted on September 30, 2020 by nigeldavis

Despite the recent summer months of experiencing a more relaxed pattern of acceptable risk to our lives, here we are in October and the airtime being given to Covid is increasing daily as talk of a ‘second wave’ looms large this winter. So from a commercial perspective, it’s never been more important for us to follow government guidelines and do all we can to divert another lockdown. On another commercial matter, we’re now also becoming increasingly exposed to the effects of Brexit. Yes, that’s right. Remember that other political hurdle that lay heavy on our hearts and minds for so long? Well despite formally leaving the EU on the 31st January 2020 and Brexit largely playing second fiddle in the … Read More >

Covid – There’s a lot more needles in that haystack – you just need to know where!

Posted on June 29, 2020 by nigeldavis

In January 2019 I published a blog here and on LinkedIn titled ‘Retail Discounting – The Road to Ruin) http://www.genesisdm.co.uk/blog/index.php/retail-discounting-the-road-to-ruin/. It discussed the ease at which retailers feel pressurised to reduce prices across all platforms when competitors start discounting. Why wouldn’t you when, the guy down the street must surely be winning a larger piece of that pie? The blog also referred to the fact that all businesses, not just retailers are creatures of the environment, each is influenced by the economic, technological, social, legal, environmental and political pressures of the day and that brings us onto the pressures being experienced now during this terrible Covid pandemic. Never have any of us ever experienced anything like we’re experiencing right now. Even … Read More >

A note to all aspiring young marketers

Posted on May 11, 2020 by nigeldavis

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

Posted on April 23, 2020 by nigeldavis

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

Posted on March 31, 2020 by nigeldavis

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

Posted on February 28, 2020 by nigeldavis

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

Posted on October 29, 2019 by nigeldavis

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

Posted on August 2, 2019 by nigeldavis

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 >