Strategic Growth for Enterprise

06/09/2022

SGFE welcomes business people interested in developing and learning new business skils

11/05/2022

This is the perfect advice for Mental Health Awareness week!

Children's books often hold simple pearls of wisdom that we could all benefit from bearing in mind - so take the words of Christopher Robin with you this week and beyond.

09/05/2022

According to the mental health charity Mind, at least one in six workers are experiencing common mental health problems. Poor mental health is costing UK employers between £33-42 billion a year. If you are a private sector employer, the cost to you is an average of more than £1,100 per employee each year.

This week is Mental Health Awareness Week, so here are some ways you can create a mentaly healthier workplace:

- Promote work/life balance - discourage a competitive 'start early finish late' culture, and don't expect everyone to be available outside of work hours.
- Encourage talking about mental health - the stigma is still strong, so normalise talking about issues related to stress, anxiety and depression.
- Educate and train managers - your staff should be aware of the signs of mental health issues so they can offer support when it's needed
- Support employees - Provide flexible working options, and encourage people to take care of their mental health, even if that means taking time off.

People who engage in hobbies, spend time with their loved ones, and take time to care for themselves make better, more productive employees.

05/05/2022

There doesn't seem to be an end in sight for the cost of living crisis - interest rates and inflation continue to rise, and the confidence of UK consumers in the economy and their finances is suffering. "The five-decade old market research firm GfK's survey found customer confidence to have fallen to one of its lowest levels since 1974."

With people's disposable income rapidly decreasing, businesses need to be prepared for lean times ahead.

The risk is more pain for consumers now if it tries to avoid inflation worsening in the future.

03/05/2022

There are a lot of factors that affect how successful your business is, and one of the most crucial is your brand position.

Your position is what your brand is all about; the laser focus of who you are and why you’re important in the eyes of your customers. It’s the conversation that takes place before any marketing, and it can stand on its own as a USP.

Understanding what you stand for and who you are – the very essence of why you’re doing this – is the key to unlocking success in a multitude of areas. Once you know your position, you can develop the right marketing, and build your business model around it.

Why is it so important? Positioning creates customer loyalty, brand integrity, and a business that’s driven by a single shared idea. It’s not only powerful; it’s crucial if you want to see your brand grow.

If you want to learn more, we're running a Positioning Masterclass on Thursday 19th May - sign up here: https://www.sgfe.co.uk/positioning-masterclass/

29/04/2022

What are SGFE's values? Well, first and foremost, we are always in pursuit of excellence. We are experts in our field, and strive towards being the best.

Our mantra is 'CANI' - constant and never-ending improvement, and we're always looking to see how we can do things better.

We play to our strengths, make sure we're prepared and produce high-quality work.

We do more training that we ask clients to do, and we're constantly reviewing our processes and asking for feedback. We believe that you're never finished learning, and we don't want to become complacent with our knowledge.

27/04/2022

Today is National Administrative Professionals Day!

This is when we take a moment to appreciate and recognise the work of all the secretaries, administrative assistants, executive assistants, personal assistants, receptionists, and other administrative support professionals.

They are the life-support system of our businesses, and let's face it, without them, most of us wouldn't know if we were coming or going, or what we're doing when we get there!

So thank you to everyone working in these roles - you're our heroes!

25/04/2022

So much of the business world is focused on success - attaining it and celebrating it once it's been reached. But how much do we really learn when everything is going right?

It's not easy, but we learn as much, if not more, from our mistakes. Take risks, try new things and see what happens. Nothing is truly a failure if it helps you grow.

21/04/2022

The outlook is pretty gloomy for small businesses right now. Insolvencies are expected to increase by 21%, and half a million jobs are at risk as businesses try to navigate the range of challenges they face.

Rising costs, staff shortages, wage increases and late payments all make for difficult times, especially for new businesses - research shows that startups less than three years old are the most at risk.

Now is the time to make small but impactful changes in how your business works to make it more effective and efficient. Clearly defined job roles, and a plan for who is responsible for the majority of the time-consuming admin work will free up a lot of time and space for CEOs and owners to focus on the bigger picture.

Insolvencies are expected to increase by 21% this year as small businesses face myriad challenges, according to research

19/04/2022

The term 'risk profile' might be a familiar one from investment circles, but executive teams can also use business risk profiles. These can be used as strategic and contextual metrics that help them to manage any risk-based decisions they have to make.

Having a risk profile for your business can help you make difficult decisions, creating a contextual understanding to support or reject ideas. If circumstances change, you also have a consistent benchmark to keep you on the right path.

Learn more about how risk profiles can help your business, and how to find out your own risk profile, by reading our blog.

Do you know your risk profile? If you do - how are you managing risk in your business? Make sure you have the right risk profile in your business.

15/04/2022

One of the frameworks we use the most in businesses is functionality. It's essentially a tool for separating business tasks into different areas, and figuring out who is repsonsible for what roles.

One of the most important, but often most overlooked area is what we call 'Red', because it's the lifeblood of your business.

It's the business admin, accounting and finance, HR, legal and compliance, premesis management and so on. Without it, your business can't function, but it takes up the most time.

That's why it's so important to make sure you have people in your team who's role is mostly, or entirely, Red. They can keep on top of all the essential jobs, freeing up others to focus on growth and strategy.

13/04/2022

There's nothing worse than being told what to do in your business by someone who has no business experience. After all, you want the person who's helping you to know what you're going through.

That's why it's so important that all the coaches at SGFE have owned businesses - they've been in your shoes so they can empathise and understand things from your perspective.

Find out more about how our experienced team of coaches and consultants can help your business grow this year on our website - send us a message and we'll be in touch.

Find out more about us. SGFE (Strategic Growth for Enterprise) helps businesses looking to Grow and sell their business. Meet the team of Growth coaches.