Wet Season

Jacob Aldridge, about 1 year ago

  Here's an interesting question: In a drought, do trees need less water? The answer is No - they need the same amount to continue to thrive. If they simply ‘make do' with what's available, then they may survive, but it will stunt their growth even into the next wet season.So I ask this as an analogy: In tougher economic times, do businesses need less strategy? Are you simply 'making do' without giving your strategy any thought, and without considering the next monsoon?The good news is that you're invited to the first rains of the next business wet season. You will shortly... Read More

Reach out and touch somebody

Jacob Aldridge, about 1 year ago

Increasingly, it's becoming important for businesses to understand what people feel about their brand, and to connect with their customers as real people, not sales figures.  It's this connection, evident from 'online communities' through to 'resort-style retirement living' that will shift our society from the current Positioning Era and into the Distribution Era. Creating and developing relationships - with clients, suppliers, and other businesses - is a key project Shirlaws works with our clients to achieve, and we make it easy.  Importantly, we practice what we recommend - did you know this weekly email is also published at ShirlawsOnline.com?This gives you... Read More

Business Intelligence

Jacob Aldridge, about 1 year ago

There's an old aphorism that 'Military Intelligence' is an oxymoron; in the current economic environment, it may be said that 'Business Intelligence' is also a questionable phrase. Naturally enough, I disagree. But even if we do agree that a lack of thinking contributed to the current situation, it remains clear that right now remains the time to act intelligently, to do the thinking. Victor Frankl wrote that "Between stimulus and response, man has the freedom to choose"; I tend to paraphrase this as "Between an action and your reaction, there is choice."No doubt, the world is acting upon you. Are... Read More