Robert Craven's business blog

The Business Link looks to be on its last legs (Private Sector Looks To Step Into Business Link's Shoes [yesterday's FT] and Government Confirms The Business Link's Demise [BusinessZone]).

Small Giants by Bo Burlingham poses big challenges to those who assume that by definition growth is a good thing.

Consultants, accountants, bankers and business schools all tell us that thriving companies grow their profits and revenues year-on-year (and if you aren’t doing it then you feel like you must be failing!).

But bigger is not necessarily better!

Burlingham looks at businesses that choose ‘the road less travelled’… they reject the pressures of endless growth and instead they focus on being the best at what they do, creating a great workplace, legendary customer service, and a sense of community (both locally in the workplace).

Six attributes of these ‘businesses with mojo’ are:

The conservatives are quite clear; they want to scrap Business Link. [We Need To Halt Meddling] Not quite sure what they will do with the money but that’s the world of politics and promises... to buy votes – or is it?

I asked for a show of hands at the Small Firms Summit in Burnley.

Who wanted to keep the Business Links? 45 hands went up
Who wanted to get rid of them? 5 hands went up
Who didn’t care? 70 hands went up

Again the ‘don’t cares’ represent the majority – the silent/disinterested majority.

I don’t mind people being 'for' or 'against', but 'not caring' is a problem.

Without starting on the “small businesses are the backbone...” monologue I must say that I am disappointed that so many people just don’t seem to care that much.

LINKS/POSTS

I have a sneaking suspicion that endless networking (a daily diet of endless breakfasts, lunches, seminars, Ecademy, Twitter and LinkedIn) may not be the path to riches.

Yes, it will keep you busy but is it the smartest way to get the results you want? You end up managing loads of relatively shallow relationships. These will be mostly based on furious exchanges of business cards and listening to a diet of elevator pitches from people pretending to be interested in you.

4 Steps To Growth During A Recession by Michael Robertois - a cracking little article from Harvard Business Publishing.

Can companies actually grow stronger during a recession? What can they do to capitalise on the problems that their rivals encounter during tough economic times?

Steve Jobs on the recession, reflecting on the last recession as well as the current economic climate...:

"In fact we were going to up our R&D budget so that we would be ahead of our competitors when the downturn was over. And that's exactly what we did. And it worked. And that's exactly what we'll do this time."

Here are four steps your company should consider now: