Always Adding Value

I love to ski- it might in fact be my favourite thing to do in the whole world. The freedom, the thrill, the complete solidarity between yourself and the slope. I'll always be so thankful for my parents for giving me the opportunity to learn this skill and develop a beloved hobby; I wasn't always so thankful though. In fact for a long time I absolutely hated skiing and I hated my parents for making me do it- I hated the falls, the cold and the fear that came from dangers of uncertainty. Then one day I got on the slopes and realised all that time and effort had meant I could probably ski in my sleep and I fell in love with what I'd hated. In this respect skiing is a good analogy for starting a company up and scaling it into a success- and today I'm going to explore the similarities between growing a company and learning to ski responsibly (and not so responsibly.) Starting a company is the easy part- growing that company is the difficult part, it requires timing, h...

I know football isn't everyone's cup of tea- in fact some people couldn't think of a less interesting topic to read about- but I promise this isn't an article about football; this is an article about the subtle art of building a balanced and successful team whether that be on the pitch or in the office. Football and business are two of my passions in life though so it only seemed natural to look at the similarities that can be found in both when it comes to the difficult balancing act that is identifying where your business excels and where improvements can be made. Building from the back When looking at a football team, your defenders are often the under appreciated, un- glamorous and organised figures who keep thinks ticking over and prevent you from conceding silly goals- much like the Customer Service team. For both its all about, process, effective communication and providing a sense of calm in a chaotic environment. They're easy to forget and often ...

Added Value is defined as "an element added to a product that makes it more attractive to customers" by Collins English dictionary.  So whats the point of this post then you may ask? Since we have an easy to digest definition a google away?  Well adding value extends so much further than simply popping heated seats into your new BMW or knocking off the joining fee for all those January gym goers looking to shift the Christmas calories they've worked so hard for. To add value is to look at the world through the eyes of someone who is never quite satisfied with what they're offering- always seeing that it could be made better, more efficient, more reliable and always making those minor adjustments to consistently and constantly add value. Imagine an astronaut-its less the glitz and glam of shooting into space and piloting a rocket and more years of studying so you're prepared to make complex mathematical calculations hurtling through space where there is no ma...