Your Local Business Network - With Mark Ullah

16/10/2026

Last week I shared a post about spending time with my daughter and how quickly those moments pass. The feedback was fantastic (thank you): https://lnkd.in/p/gtyqGziJ

This week, I'm sharing a photo of me with two sticks hanging out of my nose. Why? Life is all about balance.

This photo was taken during a bit of self-care, or as my wife calls it, maintenance. As you can probably tell, the experience involved trust, courage, and a level of pain usually reserved for quarterly budget reviews or a labour government update on how they're "cough" supporting Australia Small Business Owners.

But it got me thinking.....

As dads, husbands and business owners, we're usually the first people to show up when someone else needs us. We're happy to solve problems, support the team, provide for the family and take on one more responsibility but often, we neglect ourselves.

The problem is, things rarely slow down.

I've learned that taking care of your mental and physical health isn't a luxury. It's not being selfish. It's not something you earn after you've hit your goals. It's actually part of the job - because when I'm healthier, I'm more present with my family.

When I'm clearer mentally, I make better decisions in business. When I take time to recharge, everyone around me gets a better version of me. The business doesn't need the exhausted hero running on caffeine, stubbornness and hairy nostrils!

My family doesn't need the guy who's physically present but mentally checked out. They need me at my best and sometimes being at your best means going for a walk, hitting the gym, taking a day off, talking to someone you trust.....or lying in a salon chair while someone shoves hot wax up your nose....

Success in business matters, but being healthy enough to enjoy it with the people you love matters even more.

Your business needs it.
Your family deserves it.
And so do you.

(P.S. The nose waxing was odd but surprisingly refreshing. Breathing has never been more efficient. 🚀)

Have a phenomenal weekend.

14/10/2026

The Escape Plan - A 90 Day Planning Workshop.

Plan your 2027. Take your Christmas break. Come back ready to kick goals.

Join me for a 4.5-hour, sleeves-rolled-up planning session for business owners. You don't need another business planning theory session. You need time away from the day-to-day to work out what matters, what needs to change and where you're going to focus next.

Here is what happens for most owners: Finish the year exhausted, make a few ambitious New Years resolutions, then get dragged straight back into the weeds in January, if it's not during your break.

The new way? Step back, get clear, choose your priorities (including what you need to do to actually switch off over the break) and build a practical plan you can actually execute.

You'll leave with:

→ A clear direction for 2027.
→ One or two priority projects to drive the business forward.
→ A practical quarterly planning roadmap.
→ Clear actions for the first 90 days.
→ A short list of things to stop, start and keep doing.
→ The confidence to take a proper break over Christmas and return knowing exactly where to focus.

Leave the theory at home, meet other local business owners, roll your sleeves up and get clear.

Registration link in comments. Spaces limited

09/10/2026

I was out for a walk with my daughter today.

She's 18 now.

Apparently that means she wont be hanging around much longer. At least that's what she keeps telling me. 😂

As we walked, I got the usual update on life... the boyfriend, the friendship dramas, the travel plans, the dreams and the random little things that seem insignificant until you realise one day you'll probably miss hearing about every single one of them.

It got me thinking... So many business owners tell themselves they're building a business for freedom, but somewhere along the way, they end up owning a business they can't escape from.

They're the first one in, last one out, stressed, overloaded and taking home less than they probably could working for someone else.

That's not a business. That's a job with more risk and worse holidays.

The whole reason I'm passionate about what I do is because I've seen what's possible when owners build a business that's actually an asset.

An asset that produces income, creates options and gives you the freedom to say yes to the things that matter.

Because when my daughter says, "hey Dad, want to go for a walk and have a chat"?, I don't have to check my calendar, ask permission, or worry about the place falling apart without me.

I just say yes.

One day shell be off living her own life.

The boyfriend dramas will stop being my business. The walks will become memories and I won't get those moments back.

Time is the one thing none of us can make more of, that's why its so valuable.

It's not profits. It's not exits. It's not valuations.

They're important and help pay the bills, but they're not the point.

The point is helping owners create the wealth, freedom and options to be present for the moments that actually matter.

The moment's you'll remember. The moments your family will remember. That's what's truly important.

Feeling pretty blessed today 🙏

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Photo of me and my daughter. One enjoying the walk, the other pretending she's not embarrassed to be seen with her dad. 😏

07/10/2026

Most business owners end 2026 reactive.

Then they start 2027 guessing.

Be honest.

What are your three priorities for next quarter which allow you to take a proper break and set up for 2027?

Not the wish list. The three that really matter.

If you had to think about it, you're not alone. December eats the plan. January arrives and you're fighting fires again.

Come with enthusiasm. Leave with a plan.

This is a quarterly planning session for local, owner-led businesses.

Its a focused working session. Not a workshop. Not a webinar. No slides about mindset.

We look at where the business actually sits, then set the few decisions that matter most for 2027.

Fewer initiatives, done properly.

Five levers. You'll pick one or two.

→ Improve margins. Price, mix, cost-to-serve.
→ Develop talent. Leadership depth beyond you.
→ Expand demand. Opportunities not tied to your network.
→ Amplify sales. Repeatable conversion.
→ Leverage systems. Operations that scale.

Trying to pull all five at once is how 2027 gets lost. So which one is quietly costing you most right now?

If you want 2027 to be deliberate, come alone to the The Escape Plan - A 90 Day Planning Workshop. Its a considered next step, no pitch.

Well talk about your business, what you need to do to end 2026 so you can take a break and what 1-2 key projects are needed to kick start 2027.

Spaces are limited.

Booking link in comments.

07/10/2026

The biggest job in the business is usually the only one without a job description.

Funny, really.

Everyone else gets told what they’re responsible for.

The salesperson has a target.

The ops manager has KPIs.

The marketing team has a plan.

The owner?

“Congratulations. You’re responsible for everything.”

Sales.
People.
Cash.
Customers.
Strategy.

The thing that just broke five minutes ago.....

And somehow, they’re supposed to figure out what they should actually be working on.

So we built a job description for the owner.

It's called the Ideal Business Evaluator.

100 questions across the stuff that actually creates business value - finance, marketing, sales, strategy and people.

→ Red: they haven’t touched it.
→ Orange: it’s kinda okay.
→ Green: it’s completely done and being used.

Then you add up the greens.

Most owners score below 30 out of 100.

That gets their attention.

They know their trade back to front, but they’re standing in the middle of the business dealing with staff, customers and whatever has just gone wrong.

An advisor can stand outside it and see what the owner is doing and not doing across those core foundations.

More importantly, the owner completes the Evaluator.

They choose the scores.
They see the gaps.
They reach the conclusion themselves.

Call us old-school, but that’s far more powerful than an advisor walking in and telling them what’s wrong.

Then the conversation becomes simple:

What do we turn from red to green first?

In the SME world, something as simple as giving an owner clarity on where their time is best spent can transform the entire business.

Wanna run through the Evaluator?

Reckon you can beat 30/100?

Reach out anytime.



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https://www.thegrowthandexitcollective.com/contact

28/09/2026

What if the fastest way to increase your broker commission isn't finding more listings, but helping vendors create more value before they sell?

Too often, brokers walk away from businesses that aren't quite ready for market. Yet many of those businesses have significant untapped value that could translate into a higher sale price, more buyer interest, and better outcomes for everyone involved.

At the next AIBB Broker Strategist Forum (https://lnkd.in/p/g5DhsbYa) , I'll be sharing a coaches perspective on:

→ Increasing enterprise value before sale
→ Creating stronger, more marketable businesses
→ Improving buyer confidence
→ Generating larger commissions through higher transaction values

Well also walk through practical frameworks that help brokers assess vendor readiness and identify opportunities to build value before listing. Because sometimes the best deal isn't the one you list today.

Its the one you help prepare for tomorrow.

📅 Wednesday 21 October 2026

🕚 11:00am AEST

🎟️ Free for AIBB members Register: https://lnkd.in/gzK8-Tk5

18/09/2026

Coaching doesn’t fail in the session. It fails in the 13 days between sessions.

Every coach knows the pattern. Client’s fired up after a session. Full of clarity, full of intent. Then two, three, four weeks pass with no session booked, and that momentum quietly disappears.

It’s not that the coaching didn’t work. It’s that nothing was holding the client accountable in the gap, when the real work actually happens.

I’ve built a coaching accountability portal to close that gap. It gives your clients a simple place to track commitments, log progress and stay on track between 1:1s or group sessions, so accountability doesn’t disappear the moment the call ends.

White labelled (your brand), built in reminders (from you) and the ability to manage all of your clients (from one place).

I’m looking for 10 to 20 coaches to trial it before the soft launch. This is for (ALL) coaches who are non-fluff, genuinely care about moving clients forward, and want a way to keep that momentum alive even in the weeks you’re not face to face.

One person from the group of 20 will be drawn at random for a full year of free access.

If that sounds like you, register your interest by commenting “COACH” and we will hook you up, or, just jump straight on a register in your own time - link in comments.

If you know a coach in your network who fits this, tag 🏷️ them or send this their way ♻️ .

I’m only looking for people who take accountability as seriously as I do.

16/09/2026

I delighted to be speaking at an event hosted by Cate Boleyn from QLD Rent Roll Brokers, on 19th November 2026.

The program brings together experienced industry professionals to provide practical insights across the key areas of selling a rent roll, from valuation and maximising sale price through to deal structure, legal considerations, processes, and preparing your business for a buyer.

You’ll gain a clearer understanding of:

→ How rent rolls are valued and what drives buyer interest
→ How to maximise the value of your rent roll before going to market
→ Common misconceptions about selling
→The different types of buyers and what they are looking for
→ How the sales process works from appraisal through to settlement
→ Deal structures and key legal considerations
→ How strong processes and procedures can add value to your rent roll
→ What you can do now to put your business in the best possible position for a future sale

Whether you're considering a sale in the near future or simply want to understand what makes a rent roll more valuable, this session will give you a clearer picture of the market and the steps you can take to prepare.

Join us for an informative morning designed to help you make better decisions about the future of your rent roll.

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/rent-roll-readiness-program-for-sellers-tickets-1998164604120?aff=oddtdtcreator

10/09/2026

It takes a lot to make me grumpy.

I think the older I get, the less time I have got for excuses in business - especially when it come to owners making profit - which ultimately brings them freedom, family holidays, expansion, scale and a business which becomes more of an asset, than an okay paid job.

Sometimes the truth in business, no matter how brutal, is the right advice.

07/09/2026

Most newsletters are too long. Mine included. So I’m fixing it.

From now on, facebook / Insta gets the short, punchy version - the bit you can read while waiting for your coffee.

The full edition lives on the website, where you can actually sit with the ideas instead of drowning in your inbox.

Expect sharper takes on growth, value and exit, shorter editorials and the occasional challenge to how you’re thinking about your business.

Don't be shy, have read and let me know what you think.

Link in the Newsletter below.

Thanks all,
Mark.

A new format for the newsletter Hey guys, a quick update. I’m changing the way I publish the newsletter.