The Testing Phase in Start-ups!

I have recently been working with a couple of start-up businesses who are going through a first phase of testing. This is an interesting, scary, exiting, exhausting time for start-up entrepreneurs as they grapple to come to terms with how…

The End Of Charity

I really enjoyed reading this book.  Nic Frances shares his experiences of working for a charity and his own journey that led him to move into business development. Although the book does not discuss the social enterprise model, it does…

News Of The World – A Quick Thought!

News Of The World Closure – When A Brand Breaks Unwritten Rules This story is moving so quickly now it is almost impossible to keep up.  Just like in the Arab Spring uprisings, social media tools have led to a…

Is There Still Room For More Ice Cream?

I was recently introduced to an absolutely delicious ice cream brand called Gelupo.  Now I know you are thinking is this yet another great food brand Norman gets to work on and enjoy eating in the evenings?  Well, not quite,…

Seizing The White Space

I really enjoyed reading this book.  It is clear to me that the nature of innovation has changed dramatically over the last decade or two.  As companies look to grow through building new revenue streams they are increasingly faced with…

Business Model Generation

I would describe this book as almost like a mini guide to an MBA, or an exercise book for an entrepreneur.  The style of the book makes it easy to read and the visual look and feel of it is…

The Long Tail (New Edition The Longer Tail)

I really enjoyed reading the Long Tail by Chris Anderson.  The book considers the impact of several recent phenomena to demonstrate how the old conventional rules around building a business may no longer need to be applied.  In particular he…

Learning from other Brands

I have recently been trying to absorb a lot of information about different business models and how they affect the outcome of businesses. Two books I have enjoyed reading are “The Story of Green and Black’s” and “Innocent, Our Story…

Just how much does it cost to build a business?

I have just started working with a new client.  They have a great idea for a new food product and quite a lot of background knowledge to support their thinking.  They have some good contacts within the food industry and…