Thought Leadership Archives

Thought Leadership

How to Recruit a Successful Team Player

Lorne Noble
June 10, 2022

You run a business and you’re under pressure. Sound familiar?! You are coping, but the team is full to capacity. And then one of two things happens: An important team member hands in their notice. Or you win a big new contract. Suddenly there’s too much to do and you need to recruit. And…

Thought Leadership

Should You Be Chasing Profit or Growth? The Ultimate Business Conundrum

Lorne Noble
May 10, 2022

How do you judge whether your business is on track? For some, it’s all about the year-over-year increase in turnover. For others it’s about the bottom line. Profit. In essence, is success the amount you’re selling, or the amount you’re earning? The answer is that there isn’t one right answer. Different companies at different…

Finance, Thought Leadership

What Happens When Your Investor Wants to Cut Costs?

Lorne Noble
March 28, 2022

Sarah’s story Sarah founded her own business seven years ago. She made bespoke scarves. Each was made of the finest silk and was printed in the highest quality bearing an image chosen by her clients. Her hobby had become her business and as word spread it was clear that demand was outweighing her ability…

Thought Leadership

Are You as Motivated as You Once Were?

Lorne Noble
March 23, 2022

One of the things I love most about my job are the conversations with clients that venture into new territory. We begin by discussing their financial forecasting, or the impact of a specific investment. But it’s rare that a conversation stops there. We get to know about each other’s’ lives, passions and fears. What…

Thought Leadership

A Ratio for Success as a Business Owner

Lorne Noble
March 14, 2022

A Technician, an Entrepreneur, and a Manager Started Three Restaurants … Who Made It Work? Once upon a time, three very different people decided to start three very different restaurants. Mr. Burger was a culinary genius. He had worked in a number of restaurants and would come home each night to experiment with new…

CPG Companies, Finance, Taxes, Thought Leadership

3 Ways Consumer Expectations Impact Your CPG Business Taxes and Financials

Bert Wilson
March 11, 2022

Every business today is challenged to meet unprecedented customer demand at a time when supply chains are constrained like never before. It takes a strategic approach to ensure your goods reach consumers quickly and efficiently. And with a McKinsey & Company report noting that execution is now the strongest driver of profitable growth for…

Thought Leadership

How to Evaluate Yourself as a Business Leader

Lorne Noble
February 17, 2022

In my last article, I posed four difficult questions that every business owner or CEO needs to ask themselves. They are: Who appraises you? Who challenges you? Who guides you? Who replaces you? As you will have noticed, the first three have significant overlaps. The fourth sits apart. So, I will attack the first…

Thought Leadership

Four Difficult Questions Business Owners Must be Prepared to Answer

Lorne Noble
February 3, 2022

If you read my articles regularly, you’ll know I’m keen on evolution. Humans have been doing it for 300,000 years and we’re still not getting it quite right. For many businesses, standing still for just a few months might render them extinct! Typically, new businesses are shaped around your product or service idea. Building…

Thought Leadership

When a Business Leader Needs to Say ‘No’ to New Ideas

Lorne Noble
February 2, 2022

The world encourages positivity. We are lauded for accepting new ideas; for trying new things; for experimenting and taking risks. Businesses tend to exist because of people with positive mindsets. Investing in something new and throwing your reputation and future behind an idea requires a sense of optimism. If your default answer is ‘no’,…

Finance, Thought Leadership

How to Raise Capital Without Diluting Too Much of Your Ownership

Lorne Noble
January 27, 2022

Capital is the lifeblood of any growth business. Raising sufficient capital enables you to fund the development of your product before you start generating revenue, get your offering to market faster, and scale the business once you’ve operationalized it. But many approaches to raising capital require you to give away a portion of ownership…

Simple Startup Blog