Business Growth Blog

As we draw near to the close of 2024, it’s a fitting time to revisit the power of a purposeful core strategy. Over the years, I’ve witnessed the transformative power of a simple, well-defined core strategy—one that is not only created but also embedded, communicated, and brought to life across every area of a company. … Continue reading Crafting a Meaningful Core Strategy

Over the years, we’ve worked with countless mid-market businesses, each with unique challenges, goals, and strategies. One common thread we’ve found is that many organisations struggle with defining the very reason they exist. Time and time again, when we ask business leaders about their core purpose, we get answers focused on profit or market share. … Continue reading The Power of Core Purpose

Over the years, we’ve worked with countless mid-market businesses striving to balance profitability with sustainable growth. Many of these companies face the challenge of navigating fast-paced markets while wanting to make a meaningful, positive impact on their employees, communities, and the environment. Through our experience, we’ve seen that the businesses which thrive in the long … Continue reading Conscious Capitalism – When Passion and Purpose Drive Your Success

You’ve likely heard the phrase “culture eats strategy for breakfast.” It is a popular phrase, often thrown around without careful consideration. I've heard various interpretations of this phrase throughout the years, frequently from those lacking a clear company strategy. The quote is often misunderstood and misused to overlook the importance of strategy. The reality is … Continue reading Culture Eats Strategy For Breakfast.

Working with many high-growth companies, there have been a handful of common themes which have emerged this year. One challenge is that their current organisational structure isn't keeping pace with their growth and vision. When this happens, it can feel like your team is constantly overworked, bottlenecks are popping up everywhere, and achieving those strategic … Continue reading How to Structure Your Team for Sustainable Growth

I've spent many years working with mid-sized businesses, and one of the common challenges I see is a lack of clarity around their core competencies. Identifying, understanding, and leveraging your organisation’s core competencies is essential to gaining a lasting competitive advantage in the marketplace. A lot of mid-market companies may think they know their core … Continue reading From Strength to Strategic Advantage: Your Core Competencies

What makes a workplace truly exceptional? In today's competitive job market, companies are vying for top talent. But beyond just offering a competitive salary, it's a strong company culture that fosters employee engagement, satisfaction, and loyalty that sets businesses apart. Building on our previous discussion about attracting the right people, this blog post dives deeper … Continue reading Creating a Strong Company Culture to Attract and Retain Top Talent

In my work with mid-market companies across New Zealand and Australia, I am often asked to help solve problems related to business strategy. Through my experience, I've identified three common frustrations that mid-market business leaders typically experience. These include: Lack of Alignment with Vision and Strategy: One of the most common concerns encountered is when … Continue reading Navigating Strategy Challenges for Sustainable Business Growth

As the only New Zealand’s only Senior Gravitas Impact Business Coach, I am thrilled and delighted to unveil the latest addition to The 7 Attributes of Agile Growth monograph series: ‘Executing With Excellence; How High Performing Teams Transform Plans Into Results’ by Ian Judson and Keith Cupp (Founder and CEO of Gravitas Impact). Are you … Continue reading Executing With Excellence

The faster a company wants to grow, the faster it has to exchange meaningful messages that get the right information to the right people. So, how do you ensure information moves through your business accurately and quickly? By establishing a solid communications rhythm. For an executive team, this means a rhythm of well-run meetings. These meetings … Continue reading Why You Need a Communications Rhythm

You would be surprised by the number of organisations that do not know where they want to be in the next 10 – 20 years. Without this clarity, how do you know whether the actions you are executing right now are right for the long term? Do you know whether you are being reactionary? Or … Continue reading Have You Set Your BHAG?

Having worked side-by-side with some of New Zealand’s top mid-market firms, I have encountered many business leaders in need of expert advice and support. When we start working together, one of the first things we tackle is the Hedgehog Concept – even before setting a Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG). You must understand the Hedgehog … Continue reading Have You Found Your Hedgehog?

Selling your business can be a challenge, especially if yours is a mid-market company with above $30 million in revenue and trading internationally. This is because most business brokers in New Zealand are only familiar with selling smaller businesses (less than $5 million in revenue). It can be challenging to find someone who is both … Continue reading Selling your Business? Plan for a Strategic Exit

We are delighted to share that our client, SalesStar, has been named the winner of the Excellence in Strategy and Planning award at the recent 2022 Westpac Auckland Business Awards. A true highlight of Auckland’s business calendar for over 15 years, the awards celebrate innovation and creativity in the business sector. I would like to … Continue reading SalesStar Wins at The Westpac Auckland Business Awards

There is no denying the impact inflation has been having on businesses, governments and households globally over the last year. It has been an especially challenging time for company CEOs and business leaders who may lack the experience of leading a company during inflationary times. I have experienced times like this before and have helped … Continue reading Countering Inflationary Threats

Is your team routinely missing their sales targets? Do your managers and executives tolerate underperformers? Perhaps you have noticed that quarterly or annual priorities are being missed? Persistent, annoying, and unresolved problems are a sign that you may have a problem with accountability within your organisation. When left to fester, a lack of accountability can … Continue reading Accountability is Critical to Business Success

Inflation has been on the rise over the past months, and economic data is now confirming the inflationary trend is impacting businesses, governments, and households worldwide. With my own clients and connections, I have been hearing horror stories of companies that have fixed prices too far out or been too slow in putting up their … Continue reading Inflation and the Impact on Company Cash Reserves

Inflation has been on the rise over the past months, with economic data now confirming that the inflationary trend is impacting businesses, governments, and households worldwide. CEOs and Business leaders worldwide should be considering strategic moves and tactical actions to counter the inflationary threat to their business' health, cash flow, and profitability. Gravitas Impact, a … Continue reading 7 Actionable Tactics to Counter Inflationary Threat

Behind every great business leader is a bookshelf of business books that helped them along the way—a collection of ideas, strategies and literary toolkits that they have turned to when seeking inspiration and knowledge. As a business coach to CEO’s and executive teams of mid-size market companies, I have read those same books and have … Continue reading Scaling up in 2022 begins with new knowledge

As a Senior Certified Gravitas Impact Business Coach, I have worked with many mid-size companies to maximise their growth opportunities and become market leaders in their industries. Working with over 300 companies, I have seen time and time again the difference made in having a well-defined simple core strategy that is embedded, communicated and alive … Continue reading Radical Alignment to a Core Strategy

If you’re going to stake your company’s future on someone, then you need to be sure they bring more than just expert opinion to the table. At SSBG, we combine practical business experience with rigorous international training and extensive experience with globally proven business growth frameworks. Our journey has led us through more than 30+ … Continue reading Proven Results: How Our Business Coaching Helped Mid-Market Companies Achieve Their Goals.

Attracting the right talent for your business can be a formidable challenge. I hear from a growing number of business leaders here and overseas lamenting the availability of talented people in their industry, especially when in competition with overseas companies trying to lure local talent. Or, they have been unable to attract specialised staff from … Continue reading How to attract the right people in a tight labour market

People often ask me why I chose to become a Gravitas Impact business consultant. My answer is simple - because Gravitas Impact is the best in what they do. Gravitas Impact is a global community of the world’s top business coaches. As an organisation, they are world leaders in helping mid-market companies scale and achieve … Continue reading The Gravitas Impact Difference

There is a common misconception in the business world that CEOs at the top of their game do not require the services of a business coach. A survey recently conducted by Gravitas Impact Premium Coaches on results before and after receiving coaching from one of their business growth consultants reveals a different story.

I am currently working with business owners and senior leadership teams as they review their medium-term strategy. Some have wondered if there is still too much uncertainty to be able to move forward or feel that they cannot see enough of what the future will hold to be able to commit to a plan beyond the next few months. Here is my advice…

The BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) is a concept originally from Jim Collins’ book ‘Good to Great‘, and is used in our coaching programs. Many organisations do not know where they want to be in 10 – 20 years. The result of this is not knowing whether the actions you are executing are right for … Continue reading Your BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal)

Your brand promise is not a marketing slogan. It is the key factor which differentiates you from your competitors. Your brand promise is what brings customers to you, so it must be both competitive and measurable.

We all know that customers are the lifeblood of a business. But how well do you know your core customer? Is your company in alignment to deliver the needs, wants, demands and desires that are important to your primary source of income?

Whilst it is an incredibly challenging time for business, many companies will survive and recover. For a number of companies, COVID-19 has provided their organisations with an opportunity to innovate and thrive.

Working side-by-side with top mid-market businesses across New Zealand and Australia, Leigh Paulden is often asked to help solve problems with growth. Leigh has identified the key reasons why businesses don’t grow as fast as they should or stop growing altogether.

During the last few months of 2019 I was kept busy assisting clients with their quarterly and annual reviews. Listening to them as they reflected upon their performance and discussed pressure points, I was reminded that no business acts in isolation. There is always a chain, you rely on your suppliers. If they are not performing, your business will look bad and this will affect your business growth. Learn how to avoid this situation…

In some of my previous blogs, I have written about the importance of strategy, framework, and having the right people in the right roles for your company in order for your company to thrive. However, another important ingredient to success is ensuring that your staff’s goals and values are aligned with those of your company, … Continue reading Are you and your staff on the same page?

The third reason for stalled growth lies with how you execute your strategy – how you get your staff to do the things you want them to do to achieve your goals. If you and your staff are not productively implementing a great strategy, growth will be hampered and your company will perform poorly. The best way to boost execution is with the ‘4 Disciplines of Execution’ – let me explain why.

During the last decade, strategy has been the main focus of high-growth companies around the globe. This is because a well-executed strategy is the driving engine behind revenue growth. If you are a mid-market business, are having problems increasing your revenue, then it is time to take a closer look at your strategy. This is … Continue reading What Stalls Business Growth? Having a Weak or Non-existent Strategy.

In business, your people are most likely the biggest “investment challenge.” And I say challenge because as a growing business you need to hire people that are not only right for now, but who will help you move the business to bigger and better things in the future. In my work with companies, both medium … Continue reading Hiring People with Tomorrow in Mind

In my work with mid-market businesses across New Zealand and Australia, I am often asked to help solve problems with growth. Over the years I have identified some key reasons why businesses don’t grow as fast as they should, or stop growing altogether. In part 1 of my blog series I look at the capacity of your people and highlight the changes that you can make to get your business back on track.

The nine lies about work that will help you become a better leader Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall* are co-authors of the book, Nine Lies About Work: A Freethinking Leader’s Guide to the Real World. In it, they discuss reasons why the ‘established rules’ of business can actually hamper growth and cause businesses to fail. … Continue reading Book Review: Nine Lies About Work: A Freethinking Leader’s Guide to the Real World

I was surrounded by mid-sized business leaders from around the world at the recent EntreLeadership Summit when I was reminded that kiwi businesses are really good at innovation. We have to be, as the NZ market is too small to provide sustainable business growth for anyone with big aspirations. However, whilst we may be great at innovation, NZ businesses are still not thinking big enough.

We recently had the privilege of seeing Patrick Lencioni live. He is a business expert in team management and the author of eleven best-seller books including 5 Dysfunctions of a Team. His advice to the mid-market business owner was to stop favouring technical skills over behavioural/attitude skills when hiring someone. The key takeaway: hire on attitude.

Yes, it is true that economic activity in China weakened in 2018 and official statistics placed real GDP growth at 6.6 percent in 2018. But, and it is a big but, China still has one of the most enviable growth rates in the world. Looking at the facts what can we expect in 2019 and what opportunities could your company be taking advantage of as a result?

Successful business leaders surround themselves with the best people. And if you’re going to stake your company’s future on someone, you need to be sure they bring more than opinion to the table. Gravitas Impact (GI) Coaches are recognised as world leaders in business growth. The only two GI certified business consultants in NZ are from SSBG.

Are you a business leader who is worried that you are not growing fast enough? Or are your sales increasing too quickly and your growth is outstripping the capabilities of your team? You know there must be a better way to scale up, but which framework will work for your business? The Four Decisions Framework will help resolve these issues so you can achieve scalable success.

One question I am often asked is “what is the difference between clients that grow fast and those that take a little longer?” Interestingly, the answer has remained the same in my 17 years of helping businesses grow. The businesses that grow better, faster and smarter are those that have their people strategy right.

During a meeting with a growing business last week, the CEO said he was sick of dealing with ‘people drama’. He wanted advice to build a strong culture so he could focus on running the business instead of dealing with HR issues. Sound familiar? We spoke to a number of mid-market growth companies and asked them how they hire with company culture in mind.

One of the challenges facing businesses today is the execution gap. Even when the economy is roaring, many companies find it difficult to put their strategy into play. The internal issues that often lead to this problem are likely to be exacerbated during an economic downturn or softening. When this happens, how can businesses close … Continue reading Execution Strategies In A Softening Economy

We have been closely watching the growth of the African market and believe there is a great opportunity for the NZ mid-market in the medium to long-term. The NZ business opportunity in Africa has evolved with the market at an exponential rate. To help you understand the market better, here are a few key points that may surprise you.

You have your strategy, your team, and your map. You know what needs to be done, but you just can’t seem to get out of the strategy phase. Why is execution such an impossible task for businesses? The answer is delegation and basic planning. Here’s how to address your business execution problems head-on.

Here we discuss the pros and cons of a board of directors vs an advisory board. More and more mid-market growth businesses are turning to advisory boards to improve and grow their business. This is particularly so in New Zealand and Australia, where the cost of a board of directors … Continue reading

The mid-term US elections are over and the power in the US has been redistributed, but still, most NZ businesses who export are concerned about the steady escalation of the US/China “Trade War”. To mitigate risk, mid-market companies are strengthening their relationships with regional trading partners in interesting ways.

Some things are vital to the health of a business and setting time aside to prepare your annual plan and priorities is one such activity. My advice to leaders in the mid-market is to set a date for your annual planning workshop before the end of the year so you have your strategy set before you leave work for Christmas…

Corporate values – or core values, dictate how you hire people, how you change behaviour, and are the foundation your company culture is built on. Core values provide clarity – a final should/shouldn’t test for all behaviours and decisions made by everyone. Managers and leaders should be able to operate by the philosophy that “if … Continue reading The Strategic Method To Setting Company Values

The ability to think strategically is the one leadership skill that can set your team and your business apart. But why is strategic planning important? Business has changed rapidly in the last 10 years, product lifecycles have shortened, outsourcing has reorganised entire sectors, real time marketing and social media are mainstream tools and the world’s … Continue reading Harness the Power of Strategic Thinking

The reason why great execution is so important to a growing business is because execution drives profits and time management. Here are the top 10 reasons why companies fail at execution and some tips to help you execute better. If you get these things right, your business will grow.

The fact is that business growth requires cash. A reason why businesses find cash flow management difficult is that it’s not easy to run the numbers to see the impact of making different financial decisions. To ensure your cash flow position is strong, you need practical and actionable tools.

A key to scalable growth is strong leadership, but very few people are born leaders. As you grow your business you also need to grow as a leader. Here is what I learned from leadership expert John Maxwell that will help determine your success.

As part of my rigorous Gazelles International re-certification, I’m expected be across the thinking of the best business leadership minds globally. The good news is that so much of the learning converges around three key themes. Here they are…

Congratulations to the team at Orbica for being a top three finalist in the SupersizeSME BNZ awards. I’ve had the great privilege of being part of the Orbica journey from early on and have watched them use Scaling Up to grow from 2 to 15 staff in just 15 months.

A business will only grow as fast as the CEO grows themselves and their senior leadership team. Leadership development is the key to business growth. It’s the concept that if you want to grow sustainably, you need knowledge, tools and support.

In her book: Multipliers, Liz Wiseman explains why some leaders drain capability and intelligence from their teams, while others elevate people to produce better results. Here’s what I learned from seeing her live.

Many businesses make the mistake of viewing their accounting team as pure overhead. As a result, many businesses under-invest in this part of the organisation. This is a error in judgement as one of the best investments that a company can make is boosting the numbers side of the business. Hiring just one additional accounting … Continue reading How a CFO Can Help You Generate More Cash in Your Business

If you are a business leader who is looking for action and results and who has a sense of urgency about growing your business then take the time to find the right person to help.

Bad apples in a team can cripple your business, but many leaders delay getting rid of unproductive or destructive staff at the expense of their existing team members. The secret to addressing this is in your recruitment strategy. Find out how.

Are you looking for a new job? Do you want to join a “professional” family where both your personality and skill are valued? Or are you an employer, who is still looking to get the right person on the bus and sitting in the right seat? Internationally, assessing a person’s core values when hiring is … Continue reading Your Company’s Core Values Should Drive Your Choice in Staff

Kick off 2018 positively with some measurable goals to achieve by the end of the year and some goals for your first quarter. It involves thinking strategically, sticking to the plan and executing effectively. 

A focus on reducing bottlenecks and increasing flow in your business operations will increase employee happiness as well as create a path for growth and profitability.

Many businesses struggle with their people, especially when they start to scale. Discover how to ensure you have the right team to help grow your business.

Confusion over what accountability, responsibility and authority really mean can severely impact productivity, team performance, and business growth.

Article originally published in Canterbury & Auckland Today magazines. Too many New Zealand businesses are holding themselves back from sustainable growth by failing to develop an effective business growth strategy. And many of them don’t even realise it. That’s the conclusion mid-market business coach Leigh Paulden has reached after many years of helping companies overcome … Continue reading Do You Have a Growth Strategy or Just a Goal?

If you are an employer, you need to get the right people on the bus and get them sitting in the right seats. Easily said! So how do you achieve this? Internationally, the use of assessing a person’s core values is widely used to drive employment decisions. In New Zealand, we are finally cottoning onto … Continue reading Core Values Should Drive Your Employment Choices

New Zealand is a small country and we have to think big for our businesses to survive. But today, thinking big is not enough – we have to change our mindset and outthink our competition.

What does strategy drive in a business? Revenue growth. If your bottom line is not growing then your strategy is wrong. If your company is not growing or growing as fast as it should be, it is most likely time to revisit your company’s strategy. This decade, across the globe, strategy is the number one … Continue reading Strategy Drives Revenue Growth

When assessing your business growth strategy, ignore the global trends that could affect your organisation at your peril It’s not unusual for market-leading companies to fall behind start-ups. Not only are they too comfortable in their positions, but they are also blinded by their current reality. I often observe mid-market companies who are being blindsided by new … Continue reading Are You Blinded By Your Current Reality?

Accountability vs. responsibility vs. authority. Although they look and sound different, they are often interchanged haphazardly. What do we really mean when we assign responsibility, make someone accountable or give authority? Confusion surrounding the application of these terms in an organisational context can be very damaging to a business – it’s how problems fail to … Continue reading Accountability, Responsibility, Authority: The Crucial Difference

Are you a manager or a leader? Are you even sure of the difference? Knowing and understanding the key differences between the two roles is vital to a firm’s successful growth. Small companies can often get by with just a charismatic leader – the person who has the vision and talks the big talk, but … Continue reading Leading and Managing are Very Different

Not all exporters are made equal. While a signifigant amount of our country’s wealth depends on exporting, very few individual exporters are responsible for a large chunk of that. I have seen time and again, the same barriers getting in the way of exporting success – or even stop a company from exporting altogether. This … Continue reading Five Barriers to Excelling at Exporting

By Rowan Larsen, Executive Director of The Human Resources Project Most growing businesses find the human resources aspect of scaling up challenging – especially when many of these organisations don't have a dedicated HR function or lack confidence executing HR initiatives. The good news is that implementing basic HR building blocks is fairly straightforward, doesn't … Continue reading Scaling Up – An HR Perspective

It is extremely important for an organisation to be clear on its core ideology, because until you understand it, you can’t work out your strategy. To understand your core ideology, you need to know what your core values and your core purpose are. These are two of the fundamentals of strategy and a check when … Continue reading Core Values Vs Core Purpose – and their Roles in Strategic Business Growth

The core values of your business define who you are and what you stand for, and they help drive the way you act. According to New Zealand’s only senior certified Gravitas Impact business coach, Leigh Paulden, this directly impacts your profitability. So, what really are your core values, and how do you make them work for … Continue reading Do Your Businesses Core Values Really Impact Your Bottom Line?

If your company is creating something valuable and distinctive, then your workforce can’t be normal To differentiate your business you need a strange culture and strange people, says one of New Zealand’s leading business consultants. And finding these strange people is the role of your marketing team. Across New Zealand, the number one issue facing … Continue reading Downright Strange – You’re Hired

Business strategy is the number one focus of companies across the globe this decade. Many are rethinking their fundamental approach to quickly changing markets. “The challenge is balancing all the complexities of strategy while keeping it coherent and simple,” ― Verne Harnish. The challenge is balancing all the complexities of strategy while keeping it coherent … Continue reading The Seven Strata of Strategy to Help you Define your Business

Article published in Canterbury Today magazine, February/March 2014 By Leigh Paulden, 20 February 2014 If I were to tell you< that by using a simple checklist, you could reduce the management time in your business by as much as 90 percent – would you believe me? It’s true, and many mid to large size companies … Continue reading How a Simple Checklist Can Improve Your Business