These days we are all much more aware of the environment and our own individual impact on it. With campaigns to get rid of plastic straws and many coffee chains offering discount to those who bring a reusable cup, times are definitely changing. I saw a sign in the Deli in Jinga, Uganda this month […]

Every business receives complaints from customers from time to time. Even the most slick operation with the best product in the world will make mistakes or have mishaps which mean unhappy customers complain about the product or service they have received. Clearly every company strives to drive a perfect order process but sometime the most […]

Pareto power for the enterprise race and the vital importance of knowing your finances There is a massive line between attention to detail and perfectionism. There is also an unbelievable amount of challenge when it comes to building any enterprise or any kind and making it successful and the much higher chance of that company […]

By now I’m sure we’ve all heard of the famous book by Carol Dweck about the idea of having a growth mindset. They teach this sort of thing in schools these days – but many of us in business left school long before the book was published in 2006, and I think it’s crucial in […]

Many people seem to think that since selling my majority share in Pacific Direct my life would be stress free. I may well no longer be in control of a large multinational company with hundreds of employees on several continents – but I do have three teenage daughters, a husband, two dogs, a home to […]

I am often asked if I mentor in business. Often after speeches, by Linked In, requests from friends, indeed even in chance meetings and then sometimes when stalked. (In a nice way.) I’m afraid these days my answer is most often an immediate no. As a general rule, I don’t have a lot of free […]

Can the gig economy work for your business? So much has changed since I first set up Pacific Direct, but one of the major changes has been in the workforce mindset and expectations of how and where people should work and even when and sometimes if. Before my time people used to get a job […]

One of the most important parts of business and selling is connection. You need to be able to connect with your customer, or they will not want to buy with you. That’s great if your customer is the same age as you; they probably get the same cultural references as you, remember the same historical […]

Success in life is a matter not so much of talent as of concentration and perseverance. – C. W. Wendte Focus is something we don’t mention enough in business, but it’s something so incredibly valuable, not only in business but in everyday life. I was not top of the class at school, being more of […]

How do you motivate your staff to work hard, so that you get the best out of them? Traditional notions of management are great, if you want compliance. If you want engagement, self direction works better. – Dan Pink I’ve written a lot lately about things like company mission statements and staff appraisals; these are […]