Brisbane business owners hit the same wall over and over. You've got a solid product or service, but growth rarely comes easy. Revenue stays flat, staff issues keep coming up, systems that worked last year don't work now.
It almost feels like the harder you work, the less progress you actually make.
When you feel stuck in the same place, coaching can get you out of that endless abyss. And the way out is not generic advice you could find in any business book. Real coaching looks at what's happening in your company right now and builds solutions around that.
Small business owners in Brisbane have access to programs, grants, and resources most don't even know exist. The stories ahead show what happens when you tap into the right support. Let's look at how two different businesses used coaching to create genuine Brisbane business success.
Even the most capable teams can fall apart without the right structure. This Fortitude Valley consulting firm had smart, motivated people, but behind the scenes, things were coming undone.
The 12-person team at this business advisory company was stuck in constant survival mode. Every day brought another urgent task, another missed handover, another late-night fix. With no clear systems or processes, burnout spread like wildfire.
And yes, we've all seen that "too busy to plan" excuse before. This firm lived it every single day. The business leaders knew something had to change, but didn't know where to start.
After looking closely at all of their systems, the coaching found out the root cause of the firm's struggles. It turned out, the real problem was that the firm needed a structure to support the team properly. Here's what they built:
It wasn’t glamorous work, but it paid off. Research shows that companies with strong organisational systems see significantly better employee retention and performance. This consulting business proved that the pattern holds after only three months of implementation.
The change was as good as Shakespeare’s plot twists! Staff retention improved by around 90% within a year. The team went from firefighting the wildfire to forward planning. Employees stopped thinking about leaving and started contributing ideas for growth.
What’s more is that the business developed new products and services to target different market segments across Brisbane's CBD and inner suburbs. As a butterfly effect, their revenue grew by 40% as operations became smoother.
Another story is about this Paddington restaurant that had no shortage of diners. But behind the full tables and glowing reviews, the owner was exhausted. The staff kept quitting, and profits were slipping through the cracks faster than the cash came in.
The venue stayed busy most nights, but the financial situation was drying up like the Sahara. Food waste was sky-high, and menu prices didn’t match costs. There were no proper systems to train new staff, so they kept leaving.
You might be wondering how a packed restaurant could be struggling. The answer came down to margins. Menu items were priced wrong, waste was out of control, and employees kept leaving because training didn't exist (yes, exactly what happened in The Bear).
Their coaching focused on the numbers first. The owner needed to understand actual costs before making any other changes. Here's what the business implemented:
It took six months of consistent work, but the transformation stuck. Their data showed customers valued quality over cheapness.
Profit margins improved from 8% to 22% within one year. That shift changed everything. Staff turnover dropped by 60% because employees received proper training and support. The team could focus on what they loved, creating great food instead of putting out fires.
Now, with solid systems and confidence in the numbers, the owner is planning a second location.
It’s proof that in hospitality businesses, being busy isn’t the same as being profitable. Once the owner stopped running on autopilot and started managing strategically, everything changed for the better.
None of these wins happened overnight, and none of them happened by accident. So what's the real deal here? Every owner made a choice to step back, get help, and do things differently.
They stopped trying to fix everything alone. That first step back changed everything. Pride keeps so many small business owners stuck longer than they realise.
No matter what, the numbers don't lie, folks. Each company developed a clear business plan with specific milestones. Vague goals like "grow the business" got replaced with concrete targets. Data and research drove informed decisions instead of guesswork.
Here's what worked across both businesses:
Growth doesn't happen by accident. These habits might sound simple, but together they make a powerful difference. Once these business owners committed to structure, consistency, and coaching, progress started to grow like Jack’s beanstalk.
All these entrepreneurs chose to invest in coaching before the crisis hit. They saw the warning signs and acted.
Always remember: Waiting until everything falls apart costs far more money and energy than getting help early.
Running a small business can feel like you’re doing everything by yourself. But in Brisbane, you’re never alone! It is one of Australia’s most supportive ecosystems for entrepreneurs, offering real tools, funding, and community to help local businesses grow.
So you have zero excuses to sit stuck! Here are some helpful guidelines for you to start being part of the business network.
The Brisbane Economic Development Agency provides expansion support for small businesses ready to grow. Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner champions programs that help enterprises succeed at every stage.
One standout example is the Lord Mayor’s Business Awards. For many winners, the recognition opens doors to investors, partnerships, and media opportunities that transform their trajectory.
There’s also the Brisbane City Council that operates a 24/7 Business Hotline for immediate contact and support.
The Brisbane Business Hub offers free workshops where entrepreneurs can develop skills and create strategies. You can utilise these programs to connect local business leaders with the tools and insights they need.
You’ll also find valuable data through the Brisbane Community Profile. It’ll help you understand your target customers and market trends before making big decisions.
And if you’re ready to expand beyond the local market, the Brisbane Economic Development Agency connects businesses to world markets through export programs. That can support your business with grants, trade shows, and global promotion opportunities.
Many successful business owners in Brisbane say the same thing: they didn’t grow alone. The city’s support programs, community hubs, and local mentors helped them find focus, accountability, and opportunity.
They could achieve success because Brisbane’s small business ecosystem is a collection of resources and a network built on collaboration.
If your business reaches a point where hard work doesn’t feel enough anymore, then yes, that’s usually the moment when coaching makes sense.
Check out this potentially relatable list! If any of these sound familiar, it might be time to bring in an outside perspective.
If you saw yourself in even three of the notes above, consider this guide to be your sign to get help. Business coaching can help you work smarter instead of just harder.
Keep in mind that the best time to seek coaching isn’t when things are falling apart. It’s before that happens. Too many business owners wait until the stress hits a breaking point. If you get support early, it would let you spend less money, avoid costly mistakes, and steer clear of burnout.
What It Really Takes: Remember that coaching only works when you’re ready to show up and do the work. The most successful clients aren’t just curious, they’re committed. They take the insights from each session and turn them into action.
So you’ve seen what’s possible. Real Brisbane businesses with improving revenue, culture, and operations with the right guidance. Now, it’s your turn to decide what comes next.
The truth is, no one builds lasting success alone. The business owners in these stories didn’t have all the answers. They simply reached out for help, took action, and committed to change. That’s where real growth begins.
Coaching isn’t an expense. It is an investment that pays off in confidence, clarity, and measurable progress.
So, start exploring what’s out there. Talk to a local coach. Attend a Brisbane Business Hub workshop. Connect with other entrepreneurs who’ve been where you are now.
Your next chapter could start today. One decision, one conversation, one small step at a time. Because growth doesn’t happen by luck. It happens when you decide to build with support.
Business coaching gives women entrepreneurs in Brisbane the tools to overcome obstacles and build real momentum. Many of these founders still experience slower growth than their male peers due to funding gaps and an uneven work-life balance.
Here at Brisbane Business Coaching, we understand the challenges women in business deal with every day. We’re here to offer practical guidance that helps you move forward.
In this article, we’ll look at why the right support is essential for women in business and how coaching can help them achieve progress. We’ll also discuss what it takes to move past that sense of feeling stuck.
Read on to learn how small, consistent actions can reignite your sense of momentum.
Support changes everything because female founders often deal with a completely different set of expectations and obstacles than men do. The playing field isn't always level, and that's just the reality.
It’s time to take a look at how these challenges show up in the day-to-day lives of women founders.
Women entrepreneurs in Brisbane face some unique local barriers that can feel pretty frustrating.
For starters, the city's business networks can sometimes feel like old boys' clubs. Like, when you're trying to secure funding, investors may ask different questions or hold you to different standards than they would for male founders (honestly, it’s frustrating when effort isn’t the issue).
Then there’s the local market itself. Some industries still carry outdated assumptions about who “should” be running things. Those perceptions can make it harder for women to be taken seriously or to build the professional credibility they’ve already earned.
Now, here's where things get even trickier for female business owners. While society debates fairness, women business owners are living the reality every single day.
For example, you're expected to do great professionally while also managing way more at home than your male peers typically do. Think about school pickups, household duties, and taking care of ageing parents. Seriously, the mental load adds up fast.
That’s why many talented female founders hit a wall long before they reach their full potential without proper guidance. It’s truly sad when you think about it.
Pro tip: Invest in your leadership skills. The more confident you feel in your abilities, the easier it becomes to lead with purpose.
Coaching for women gives you a structured and accountable partnership that goes way beyond simple advice. Specifically, you're building real skills and actionable strategies that fit your specific situation.
So what actually happens in these coaching engagements? Let's look at the details.
A coaching session is a confidential meeting where you focus entirely on your business goals. Some sessions take place one-on-one, while others bring together a small group of women founders who share insights and experiences.
Either way, the purpose stays the same: identify problems, brainstorm solutions, and set tasks you can actually complete.
Here's what typically happens in these sessions:
The effort pays off when you finally feel in control.
Now that you have a sense of what coaching sessions involve, it’s time to look at coaching programmes and the extra depth they offer. These programmes deliver ongoing, structured support for women business owners across Queensland.
A solid coaching programme typically includes:
As the weeks go by, you’ll notice how much smoother everything feels once you’ve got the right structure and backing in place.
Useful tip: Check out the Business Queensland Women in Business program. It presents state-backed support and practical resources for women who are looking to expand their networks and strengthen their business foundations.
Do you ever feel like you’re working harder than ever but still going in circles? Many entrepreneurs hit that point of frustration. You know something has to change, but you are unsure where to start. This is where a good coach helps clear the fog and brings your focus back.
We’ll now explain how targeted guidance helps you rebuild confidence and take control of your next steps.
Good business support gives women business owners a new way to see what’s really happening. Particularly, when you’re caught up in the day-to-day, it’s easy to miss the bigger picture. A mentor helps you step back, identify what’s off track, and figure out how to fix it.
Coaches also help you validate decisions you've been afraid to make and reframe challenges so you can see new options. For example, what feels like a staffing crisis might actually be a systems problem (sometimes, perspective is all we need).
Once you see the real issue, you can deal with it the right way. That kind of clarity gives you the confidence to make decisions and lead with a steady hand.
Pro tip: Keep an open mind during coaching sessions. The feedback that feels uncomfortable is usually the most valuable.
What happens when your business starts to feel messy and confusing? Coaching helps you clear things up and see what helps you move forward. In each session, you sort through challenges and gain more clarity on your situation.
More importantly, expert mentors don’t back away from asking the hard questions that force you to prioritise properly. This way, you stop wasting energy on distractions and focus on what grows your business.
Business coaching improves your company’s stability and long-term growth. For women entrepreneurs in Brisbane, coaching support helps you handle unique local challenges like funding access, network limitations, and work-life pressures.
In this blog, we've looked at why support is so important for female founders, plus how coaching helps improve your business. We’ve also talked about what it takes to move past feeling stuck.
Ready to find the support you need? Browse the coaches listed on our website to find the right partner for your goals.
Losing good staff costs small business owners more than just recruitment fees. Every time someone walks out the door, you're losing their knowledge, their relationships with customers, and the time you invested in training them. The disruption hits your team hard too, as they're left to pick up the slack while you scramble to fill the gap.
But wait, there’s a positive side to explore to overcome these devastating incidents. Through better leadership, stronger workplace culture, and genuine development opportunities, you can build a team that wants to stick around. Yes, you read it right.
This article covers the real reasons people leave, how coaching strengthens your leadership approach, and the specific strategies that help Brisbane small businesses hold onto their best employees.
Ready to strengthen your staff retention? Let's begin.
Letting go of an employee means spending weeks recruiting and interviewing, then months getting someone up to speed. During that time, your other team members are covering extra shifts and fielding questions from the new hire.
Sadly, that productivity gap costs you money every single day.
Beyond that, you're losing workplace knowledge, customer relationships, and the efficiency someone developed over months or years. Your remaining staff also watch people leave, and it affects how they feel about staying.
Eventually, when you only have 10 or 15 people on the team, losing one creates a hole everyone notices. The question becomes: what can you do about it?
Leadership coaching builds the skills that create workplaces people don't want to leave. Simple as it sounds.
It starts with self-awareness. When business owners and managers examine their own behaviour, they start noticing patterns they missed before. Maybe their communication style shuts people down, or their decisions leave the team feeling excluded.
Executive coaching works particularly well for managing directors who need to shift their entire approach. Drawing from our experience with Brisbane organisations, we've seen business owners realise they were creating the very problems they complained about.
One was micromanaging talented staff who just needed space to do their jobs. Another wasn't giving any direction at all, leaving people confused about priorities.
Your front-line managers need support, too. Since they’re the ones having daily conversations with your team, handling conflicts, and setting the tone for each workday.
Mentoring programs give these managers the confidence and skills they need to lead well. And when they feel supported, that feeling flows down to everyone else on the team.
Now, how do you implement these practices? It all starts with your work culture.
The environment you create has a direct impact on whether staff choose to stay or start browsing job ads. Let's look at what makes workplaces feel worth staying in.
Your team wants to know where they stand. That means creating space for genuine feedback so they feel heard instead of sidelined.
While employee surveys help gather input, they only work if you actually act on what you learn. This is why regular conversations beat annual reviews. But the reality is, problems don't wait twelve months to surface, so addressing them early keeps everyone on the same page.
Think about how your team treats each other when pressure builds. In a supportive environment, they back each other up instead of competing for credit or avoiding blame. Social events can help build that connection, though only when they feel natural rather than forced.
Recognition plays into this, too. We're not talking about plaques that collect dust, but genuine acknowledgment when someone does good work. And believe it or not, these small moments add up over time.
Life doesn't happen between 9 and 5, and your staff know it better than anyone. Flexible work arrangements show you trust your team to deliver without micromanaging their hours.
Some need early starts for school drop-offs. Others hit their stride later in the day. Seems like not even a single day is planned to run as planned. When you respect that work-life balance, your staff notice and stick around longer because of it.
Good staff need room to grow, not just a steady paycheque. When people feel stuck in their current role with nowhere to go, they start looking for other opportunities.
We recommend providing training opportunities (yes, this includes the long-term employees) to show your team you're invested in their future. And sometimes it's as simple as letting someone shadow a senior team member or tackle a project that stretches their skills.
Building clear career paths makes a difference here, too. Your employees want to know what comes next. Maybe they won't all become managers, but they should understand how they can progress and what skills they need to develop along the way. This is where business coaching helps small business owners create development plans even when resources feel tight.
Mentoring programs also support this growth without breaking your budget. Pairing experienced staff with newer team members builds skills across your organisation while giving senior people purpose beyond daily tasks.
One-third of employees cite burnout as a reason for leaving. That figure represents people in your business who might be struggling right now.
Here's what makes a difference:
Ultimately, when you create a supportive environment around these issues, your team feels valued rather than expendable. Since we've covered what keeps people, let's look at how to put it together.
Don't worry, you won't need to overhaul everything overnight to build a retention strategy. This section breaks down this approach, so you can adapt easily.
Start with your review process to spot patterns. Do this by asking yourself: Are staff leaving after their first year, or are experienced team members walking out? Those patterns tell you where to focus your efforts first.
Once you know the problems, address them directly. Maybe your workplace culture needs work, or perhaps people aren't seeing clear paths forward.
If you need an extra hand, certified business coaching helps organisations like yours build plans that fit their resources. Through our investigation working with small businesses, we've noticed how generic approaches fail to deliver results.
Coaching programs equip your leaders to create real changes. What does this mean in particular, though? Well, we’re talking about making these strategies part of how your business operates, not just adding policies in a handbook.
All these strategies work better when you have support to implement them. Which is why, our coaching programs focus on developing the leadership skills that drive retention. This means helping business owners and managers build self-awareness, strengthen communication, and create workplaces where people want to stay.
Aside from that, our executive coaching supports managing directors who need to shift how they lead. That’s where leadership development programs extend that support across your organisation.
The bottom line: when your leadership team improves together, the benefits flow through to every employee.
Staff retention comes down to creating a workplace people don't want to leave.
We've covered the real costs of turnover, how leadership coaching builds better managers, the importance of workplace culture and communication, career development paths, mental health support, and practical strategies to tie it all together.
When you invest in strengthening your leadership approach, your employees respond by staying longer. Plus, you don't have to figure this out alone either.
Visit brisbanebusinesscoaching.com.au to explore how our coaching services can help your business build stronger teams, reduce turnover, and achieve long-term success in Brisbane's competitive market.
If you’re running a trade business in Brisbane, that means you're brilliant with the tools! You can wire a house, build a deck, or fix a blocked drain with your eyes closed. But here's something nobody tells you: being great at your trade doesn't automatically make you great at running a business.
The numbers don’t lie, and most trade businesses plateau within three years. Staff leave when you need them most, your quotes are all over the place, you're working 70-hour weeks, but you're wondering where the money went.
That's where trade business coaching programs comes in. Real systems for quoting jobs, keeping clients happy, and making actual profit. The kind of coach support that helps business owners move from constant firefighting to sustainable growth with less stress.
So, let’s get into how the right business coaching can turn a good trades business into a great one.
A massive shift is currently underway among trade business owners across Brisbane. They're moving from "just getting through the day" to actually thinking like business leaders. The difference shows in everything from their bank balance to how they sleep at night.
Here's the problem, though. You can be the best sparkie in Brisbane and still have no clue how to manage cash flow. Or how to keep a good team from walking out. Technical skills come easily. But the business side? That's where most trades hit a wall hard.
Look at the construction employment data. The industry has a 7.7% hiring mobility rate in 2025. That means, workers jump between businesses all the time. The high turnover is about more than just money:
Business coaching helps trade business owners solve the daily problems that textbooks never mention. You get practical strategies instead of theory that doesn't work on real job sites.
Trade business owners in the construction industry deal with unique pressures every single day. In construction, material costs can skyrocket overnight, clients demand fixed quotes but change plans mid-construction, and your workload can swing from drowning in projects one week to chasing payments the next.
Business coaching gives these business owners real strategies to handle the madness. Not textbook theory. Actual tools that work on job sites with real clients and tight deadlines.
When your coach understands trades, you get advice that fits your world properly.
You know what kills most coaching relationships? Some consultants give you the most generic advice that sounds brilliant in theory but collapses the moment you're on site.
You can wave your business goodbye, if you try to apply standard business theory when you're dealing with emergency callouts at 2am. Because cookie-cutter advice doesn't cut it here.
Generic business coaching fails for trades because the daily realities on a job site are too different from running an office or retail shop. The right specialists understand real life nuances inside out:
Effective coaching goes beyond quick fixes. Research shows that the best coaches focus on helping you develop your own problem-solving skills. They will teach methods you can rely on again and again. In the end, you build a toolkit that works for your specific business in your real-world conditions.
Brisbane's construction market adds another layer, too. Competition for skilled workers is fierce here. Major infrastructure projects pull staff away. Clients want premium work at competitive rates. Your coach needs to understand these local pressures.
When your coach gets trades, conversations move faster. No time wasted explaining basic industry realities. You jump straight to real support that helps your business grow.
Cash flow hits trade businesses differently than other industries. You buy materials upfront, pay your team weekly, but clients often take 30, 60, or even 90 days to pay you. Meanwhile, bills keep flooding in.
The survival data from RBA shows that more than half of new sole traders don't make it past three years. It’s the cash flow problems that kill these businesses, not lack of work (and we've all watched that happen to someone we know).
You end up robbing Peter to pay Paul just to keep going. One late payment from a construction client wrecks your whole month. Your profit margin looks good on paper but your bank account tells a different story.
Business coaching helps you implement better cash flow control:
The right coach shows you how to build cash reserves for slow periods. That way, you learn to manage business growth without running out of money when you need it most. The better control you have, the less stress and more profit you get in your pocket.
Sometimes, as a trade business owner, you end up hitting a ceiling. You’re maxed out on hours, but the profit doesn't match the effort. But you can't make shadow clones of yourself like a ninja, so how do you actually make more money?
This is where it gets really interesting. Business coaching helps you spot where you're leaving money on the table. Poor quoting systems can cost you thousands per project when your price is based on gut feel instead of actual numbers.
Take a local electrician’s success story. He has doubled his revenue in 18 months. He cut his working hours by 30% at the same time. How? Better processes and a team that actually functioned without him on every project.
The right strategies change everything:
A good coach teaches you pricing methods that work for trades businesses. You learn which jobs bring real revenue and which ones just keep you busy. Your sales process improves as well, so better clients come through the door.
The result? More money flows in whilst you work smarter. Your profit grows because every job finally counts properly.
Flying by the seat of your pants works when you're a small business. But once you grow, the chaos catches up fast. Jobs are missed, quality slips, and you're stuck firefighting every single day.
Now, I'm not going to sugarcoat this. Building proper processes takes effort upfront. But the payoff? Less stress and more freedom than you've had in years.
Business coaching programs gives you exclusive access to create a structure that actually works:
Good business models free up your time for what matters. You get more freedom to focus on growth instead of constantly solving the same problems over and over.
Trades business coaching is much more than motivational speeches or fancy theories. It’s a real system that helps Brisbane business owners handle cash flow, quote jobs properly, and build teams that stick around. The right coach understands your world and gives you tools that actually work on employment sites.
The trade businesses that invest in proper business coaching programs see the difference fast. Less stress, more money, and actual freedom to enjoy life outside work. Your future success doesn't have to mean working yourself into the ground.
Confidence comes from knowing your business runs properly even when you're not there. That's what separates the trades businesses that survive from the ones that truly thrive.
Does running your business ever feel like spinning your wheels in mud? You’re pushing hard, yet nothing seems to move.
Plenty of small business owners know that feeling, and while they love the idea of growth, they dread the uncertainty that comes with it.
There's a better way. Clear, measurable business goals let you focus your energy and actually see progress. These strategies will have you achieving more in 90 days than most businesses manage in a year (and honestly, the process becomes energising once you see results).
In this article, we'll show you what makes goals work, a simple process to create them, and how getting support changes everything. You'll reclaim control and watch your company grow faster. Stay with us to learn how it all works.
Goal setting separates winners from strugglers because written business goals create accountability and direction that gut feelings never can. And when you look closer, the gap between growing businesses and stagnant ones isn't luck or resources. It's having clear, documented objectives. Believe it or not, that difference comes down to one thing: writing your goals down instead of keeping them in your head.
Let's look at two reasons why goal setting creates that advantage.
If you run a small business, you probably know what it’s like to make decisions on the fly. You trust your instincts, make a few late-night calls, and hope things go your way. It feels normal because that’s how most small businesses operate.
However, the problem is that gut decisions don’t show you what’s really working. Without written goals, you can’t see patterns or measure progress. Over time, that lack of clarity leaves you reacting to problems instead of steering the business forward. That’s why you stay busy every day, yet growth feels out of reach.
Smart goals work like a roadmap because they break your destination into specific, trackable steps. Once this happens, the SMART goals framework changes vague wishes into concrete business goals you can follow and achieve.
Based on our experience working with Queensland businesses, we've watched tradies go from scrambling for work to selecting customers within 18 months. Take this example: One Brisbane tradie set a goal to add 3 new customers every month. Six months later, he'd hit it consistently and doubled his annual revenue. Those quarterly objectives gave him real wins to celebrate instead of just grinding endlessly.
Now that you see why goals work, let's get into the actual process of building ones that stick.
Setting business goals feels like something you've tried before. They start with excitement, then fade into background noise within weeks. But it doesn't have to be that way. The difference between goals that die and goals that drive results comes down to having a process that keeps them alive.
Here's the system that bridges the gap between intentions and achievements.
You've got the process now, but here's the catch: most business owners still struggle to stay consistent without outside support.
You might be wondering if you really need someone looking over your shoulder. Let's be honest here, most of us do. Based on our experience with Brisbane business coaches, owners who work with coaches hit their business goals three times more often than those going solo. The accountability alone changes everything.
Three reasons coaching accelerates your progress.
With the right support in place, those business goals you set stop being wishes and start becoming reality.
Small business growth doesn't happen by chance. It requires direction, measurable targets, and consistent follow-through. When you lack these elements, effort doesn't translate into results. The solution exists, and it's simpler than you think.
This article walked through why documented targets outperform vague intentions, a practical framework for building trackable objectives, and the role external accountability plays in maintaining momentum. You now have the tools to shift from reactive to strategic.
Brisbane's top business coaches are ready to help you set meaningful goals and stay committed to them. Visit our directory, find the right coach, and start your growth journey today.
The idea of starting a new venture in Queensland is exciting. But it's also tough because Brisbane startups usually hit some common roadblocks. These issues slow your business growth or kill the business completely.
Still, the good news is that you can avoid these mistakes. All you have to do is know what they are and how to avoid them (we’ll cover both today).
In this article, we’ll walk you through the top five errors local founders in Brisbane make. You’ll also learn how to fix those blunders easily and improve your business.
Ready? Let’s get going.
Most Brisbane startups fail because of internal issues like poor financial planning, ignoring local nuances, and a lack of a solid growth plan. When founders mess up these basics from day one, even the most brilliant ideas won't save them. That’s painful, isn’t it?
Anyway, here are the five most common mistakes that cause Brisbane startups to fail early and how to fix them.
Poor financial planning is the big kahuna. Seriously, it's the mistake that kills more Brisbane startups than anything else.
It happens because founders get obsessed with their product or service and forget the money side completely. Instead of tracking cash flow or forecasting expenses, they just hope everything works out (Newsflash: it simply does not).
We’re not making this up. SCORE found that about 82% of small businesses go under simply because they run out of cash... not because the idea was bad or customers didn’t care.
Want to know how exactly this problem starts? Most founders grab just enough capital to launch. But they forget about the hundred little costs that pile up before you notice. Software subscriptions. Insurance. That piece of equipment that breaks. You get the idea.
Then there's forecasting. Too many owners create overly optimistic projections and assume sales will ramp up immediately. They also don't plan for clients who pay late.
When reality hits, the money's gone. Poof!
Pro Tip: Don’t chase every shiny tool or subscription. Ask, “Will this make me money or save me time?” If the answer’s no, skip it.
When new founders see a business model crushing it in Sydney or Melbourne, they copy it word for word and drop it into Brisbane. Then they wonder why it doesn’t work.
The truth is, the market runs differently in Brisbane. Our city has its own vibe, its own buying habits, and its own way of doing business. If you ignore these differences, you'll waste months chasing the wrong customers with the wrong message.
Here are some things that make Brisbane customers different:
The sooner you stop treating Brisbane like a test market, the sooner it’ll start treating you like a local.
Have you ever felt like you're running your business blindfolded? Like, you make decisions, spend money, and hire people, but you have no clue if any of it moves you forward. Sadly, that's life without a business development plan.
Look, a business development plan is your roadmap. It shows you how to find new opportunities, build partnerships, and make money. When you skip this process, you spend your days putting out fires instead of building something real.
Here’s an example. Unless you’re adventurous, you wouldn’t drive from Brisbane to Cairns without knowing the route. Yet founders try building million-dollar companies with zero direction. They can’t tell you where they want to be next year, and they have no idea how to get new customers.
Even numbers show you the differences. According to the latest statistics, businesses with formal plans grow 30% faster than those without one.
In our experience, a solid plan helps you figure out where to spend your time and money. Without it, you're just guessing at everything (it takes you to Nowhereland, which shouldn’t be fine unless that’s exactly where you want to go).
Pro Tip: Share your plan with your team. If you’re the only one who knows where you’re going, don’t be surprised when no one follows.
The fastest way to burn through cash is to have a non-existent marketing plan and try the "spray and pray" approach. Want to know how it works? You blast your message everywhere, cross your fingers, and hope something sticks. Well, sorry to break your heart, but it rarely works.
Unfortunately, too many Brisbane startups waste money on marketing like that. They run ads on five platforms at once, target everyone instead of someone specific, and don’t track which efforts bring in customers.
The money just disappears, and they wonder why that sales line on the graph remains flatlined.
You can solve that hopeless marketing issue with the fixes below:
If you treat marketing like an afterthought, don’t be shocked when customers treat your business the same way.
New founders believe they must handle every task themselves to save money, but this approach backfires quickly. For instance, they answer customer emails at midnight. They also design the website, do the books, write the marketing copy, and handle sales calls.
Meanwhile, the high-level work that actually grows the business gets ignored because they're too exhausted to think.
Here's the reality: you waste hours on tasks you're terrible at. A freelancer could've done that graphic design project you spent all weekend on in two hours. And those social media posts you agonise over? Someone else could handle them while you land that big client or fix your cash flow.
Let’s be real. The Beowulf days are over. You don’t have to fight every monster yourself. Just hire the right people and focus on what actually grows your business.
Based on our experience, that’s what successful founders do. They know when to let go, so they hire people smarter than they are and outsource what drains their energy. Then these founders focus on the few things only they can do (the things you can’t hire people for).
Sure, delegation costs money. But doing everything yourself costs the entire business. That’s a steep price, if you ask us.
When you hire a business coach, they help you gain an outside perspective that you can't get when you're stuck inside your own company.
Contrary to popular belief, you aren’t hiring them to tell you what to do. Rather, these coaches bring experience from working with dozens of other businesses. That means they detect patterns you easily miss and see problems before they become disasters.
We’ll get into more detail about how business coaches help you see the full picture.
You know how new business owners are always running around doing stuff, but somehow end the day wondering what they actually did? Yeah, that’s because they mistake being busy for making progress. It feels productive, but it’s mostly noise and motion.
That’s where a good coach helps. They help you stop spinning your wheels and notice the important bits. In other words, they’ll point out the two or three things that actually move the needle, so you stop wasting energy on things that don’t.
A good coach keeps you honest. If you say you’ll do something, they’ll check back later and ask, “So… did you do it?” You can’t bluff your way through that because they see right through you and push you to follow through, even when you don’t feel like it.
Business coaches also make you face your numbers (numbers never lie, Chico). Most founders would rather ignore the ugly stuff, but a coach won’t let that slide. They’ll sit beside you, crunch through the mess, and help you figure out what’s really going on before it gets out of hand.
Running a business involves knowing where to put your time and energy so it actually counts. When you plan properly, understand your market, and get the right people around you, things start to click, and your business grows.
In this article, we’ve covered the five biggest mistakes new entrepreneurs make in Brisbane. We’ve also shared how to avoid these issues and achieve the best results for your business.
If you’re ready to avoid more mistakes like the ones we discussed, check out our experienced coaches on our website. Do it today and take the first step towards sustainable growth.
Family-owned companies in Queensland deal with the mix of family life and work decisions. For example, when your business partner is also your brother, mother, or spouse, even tiny disagreements can escalate quickly.
If you’re concerned about these situations, don’t worry; we can guide you on how to handle them well without making things awkward with your family.
In this article, we’ll show how an outside coach’s perspective benefits family businesses. You’ll also learn how coaches handle tricky succession plans and help families grow without unnecessary conflict.
Ready? Let’s begin.
Coaching for family businesses works because it brings in someone who doesn't care about who said what at Christmas 2019. A good advisor focuses only on what improves the company's development and keeps everyone talking like adults.
Let’s take a closer look at how experienced business mentors support family enterprises.
Arguments in family businesses usually drag in years of old baggage and hurt feelings. Maybe Dad still sees you as the kid who crashed his car, which is why he doesn’t see you as the director making important decisions (tough one, we understand).
But if you get a coach, they step in as someone neutral who can set up clear rules for how you talk to each other. They help you separate roles, so ‘parent’ stays separate from ‘boss’. Then they build a proper process for handling fights before they ruin both your Sunday lunch and your sales targets.
Succession planning means deciding who will take over the business and when that should happen. A mentor helps you figure out if your son or daughter is truly ready to lead. Instead of just hoping things work out, you follow a clear plan that protects everything you’ve worked so hard to build.
To sum it up, a coach guides you to take the emotions out of big decisions so you can think clearly and choose what’s best for the business.
Pro Tip: Write down important decisions and agreements after every major discussion. It might sound simple, but it keeps everyone accountable and avoids those ‘I thought you said…’ moments.
Apart from hiring a business coach, QLD entrepreneurs can tackle specific challenges by getting support from the Queensland Small Business Commissioner and by applying for relevant grants. These are what you need to grow your family business during tough times.
It’s time to dig deeper into how these systems serve you.
The Queensland Small Business Commissioner (QSBC) helps small companies deal with red tape and disputes without going broke. The office provides advocacy, mediation, and clear guidance on regulations that would otherwise eat up your time.
Here's what the Commissioner does for you:
At the end of the day, the QSBC is there to make your life easier so you can focus more on running your business.
Finding the right funding requires a sound strategy and preparation. This is where a business mentor pushes you to figure out what you need and then builds a strong case for why someone should give you the money.
They simplify your funding process in the following way:
Once you’ve got your plan, your numbers, and your systems sorted, those funding doors start to open much more easily.
What facilitates a small business in Brisbane to grow and maintain that growth, especially when it’s a family-run enterprise? Two things: strong mental health and access to a coworking space.
When you care for your own mental health, you make better decisions and handle challenges confidently. Spending time in coworking spaces also helps by igniting fresh ideas and connecting you outside your usual circle.
We’ll get into more detail about these two support systems now.
If your mental health is in a good place, you make better decisions and handle stress more easily. But leading a family business can feel lonely sometimes. You can’t always share your worries with your staff, like putting your family home up for a loan.
That’s why we recommend hiring a business coach. They provide a confidential space to discuss those fears without judgment. In other words, the mentor becomes the person you can be honest with when the weight feels too heavy (a safe corner at last).
One great thing about coworking spaces is the people you meet. You get to work around other business owners from all kinds of industries, which enables you to step outside the family bubble.
For instance, you might hear how a tech startup fixes cash flow issues or how a cafe owner deals with tricky customers. Those chats spark ideas you can take back to your own business. Then a coach helps you decide which ideas make sense for you and how to turn them into action.
Better yet, you may even find new partners you’d never meet if you stayed in your usual office.
Family companies in QLD deal with different kinds of problems from regular businesses, but look at the bright side: you’ve also got something most don’t have: trust and commitment. A good business coach guides you through challenges and helps you protect those strengths.
In this blog, we’ve shown how coaching tackles severe issues like family conflict and succession. You've also seen how resources in QLD, like the Small Business Commissioner, can assist you with funding.
If you’re ready to hire a business coach, check out our list of coaches who understand the pressure you're under. Remember, the right support changes everything.
Business coaches of 2025 are pushing owners to move online so they can capture more customers, streamline operations, and stay competitive in a digital-first economy.
We've worked with many local brands that resist this change and risk falling behind competitors who've already adapted their marketing, operations, and customer service. They don't realise how much revenue they're losing until a tech-savvy competitor swoops in and takes their clients.
But you don't have to be one of them.
In this article, we'll share exactly why business digitalisation is important and how coaching speeds up the process. You'll learn:
Stay with us to know how you can future-proof your business and stay ahead of the competition.
The shift to digital is already here, and companies that haven't adapted are watching their competitors pull ahead. Right now, most people search online before they buy anything, whether it's a tradie, an accountant, or a local cafe. So companies without an online presence are losing the chance to connect with customers who are actively looking for their services.
Here's what you need to understand about this change and how it impacts a business:
Digital transformation means updating how your company operates, markets itself, and serves customers using modern technology. When businesses avoid going digital, they lose ground to competitors who show up first on Google and provide better customer experiences.
The modern marketplace rewards brands that meet people where they already are: on their phones, laptops, and tablets. If you're not there, someone else is taking that sale.
For example, a plumbing company that still relies on Yellow Pages ads and phone calls will lose customers to a competitor with online booking, Google reviews, and fast email responses. The gap widens every month.
In 2025, customers expect instant responses, online booking systems, and personalised services with the presence of digital technologies. Things are moving fast, and businesses without a solid online presence struggle to keep up with customer expectations.
That's why you need to update your marketing and sales process now. What we recommend, let’s focus on getting your brand found online, automating repetitive tasks, and using tools that track what's working. It’s because these strategic actions directly impact your profit and help your management team make better decisions about where to invest time and resources.
Now that you can see why digital adoption is unavoidable, let's examine the specific obstacles holding most owners back from making this transition.
Many small business owners struggle with these three main roadblocks: lack of technical know-how, tight budgets and time constraints, and no clear plan to follow through on digital changes.
Learn how to identify and overcome each of these obstacles to move forward:
We've seen many local Brisbane business owners freeze up when it comes to technology. They lack the confidence to use complex digital technologies and feel like they're falling behind every day. That's pretty normal considering most people started their companies based on trade skills or industry expertise, not IT knowledge.
However, the skill gap isn't permanent, and business coaching helps owners overcome these fears faster than trying to figure it out alone. The right guidance breaks down confusing tech into simple steps.
If you manage a small team with limited resources, you know how hard it is to find the time and money for digital upgrades. Every dollar counts, and spending hours learning new software feels impossible when you're already working 60-hour weeks.
That's where a business consultant can help you create a realistic plan that fits the budget and schedule. They'll show which digital tools deliver the fastest results for company growth, so you're not wasting money on things that don't move the needle.
Useful tip: Discuss your main time drains with the consultant so they can recommend tools that actually free up hours.
A professional coach gives the owners the outside push and accountability they need to get things done.
Here's how they bring strategy and keep you on track:
What's more, they make the whole process less painful by celebrating small wins along the way. So you get to feel good about progress instead of drowning in a sea of spreadsheets and software tutorials that all look the same.
Want to know which digital moves grow your brand instead of just adding more tasks to your plate? Well, the answer comes down to focusing on automation and customer experience. These two areas deliver the fastest returns because they free up your time while making customers happier at the same time.
In this section, we're going to cover specific tools and strategies a coach uses to give you a competitive advantage.
Good business coaching helps clients set goals by using digital tools to track their growth precisely. For example, they might suggest tools like Xero for accounting and HubSpot for customer management. These platforms offer features that save hours every week by handling tasks that used to require manual input.
The goal is pretty simple: to change manual processes into efficient digital workflows that work better. When you automate invoicing, appointment reminders, and follow-up emails, your team gets more time to focus on things that increase sales and profits.
Helpful Tip: Start by automating the most repetitive weekly task first, then build from there once you see the time savings.
Your coach lets you see exactly where customers get frustrated or confused in their journey with your business. Their recommended technology fixes these gaps and creates smoother interactions that keep people coming back.
For maximising customer satisfaction, focus on these two areas with the right advice and tools:
The right customer support systems help frustrated clients become loyal fans who refer others to your brand. So your marketing strategy should focus on making every touchpoint feel professional and personal. When the team spends less time on admin work, they can focus on higher-value activities like building relationships and closing deals.
A remote model lets any service hire talent from anywhere and reduces office costs. The employees get the freedom to work from anywhere, which means they're not tied to a physical location when opportunities come up.
This flexibility helps the service respond to customer needs instantly and adapt to market changes faster than operations stuck in traditional office setups.
If your company wants something similar, an advisor will suggest cloud-based digital solutions like Google Workspace and Slack to get you started without the headaches.
Once you get these solutions in place, it's time to look at how a business consultant future-proofs your growth for the long haul.
The difference between short-term wins and long-term success comes down to having someone who keeps you accountable and focused on the larger picture while you handle daily operations.
Let's explore how a consultant protects your investment and sets you up for sustainable growth:
Digital projects often drift or fall by the wayside when daily operations take over. The most significant factor separating successful initiatives from failures is external accountability and focus. And to maintain focus on your long-term vision, the consultant provides an external, professional view.
Here's how they ensure you stay accountable and focused:
Fun Fact: Most owners admit they've paid for software subscriptions they forgot about for over six months before cancelling them.
Based on your budget, team size, and industry, a consultant will recommend the right management systems that actually fit your workflow. There's no need to buy the fanciest tool if a simpler one does the job just as well and costs half the price.
So the consultant specifically matches tools to your actual needs, like choosing email automation for lead nurturing or project management software for team coordination. This strategic approach means you're investing in technology that scales with the business and supports real growth.
Every dollar spent on technology should come back to the business with a solid return. Otherwise, you're just collecting expensive digital clutter that nobody uses.
A consultant guarantees you're not throwing money at tools that sit unused or don't deliver value. They help track ROI, measure what's working, and adjust your strategy to focus on the tactics that increase profit and boost sales.
We recommend treating digital investments like any other business decision: test small, measure results, then scale what works. If something doesn't deliver after a fair trial period, you'll still have protected most of your budget for the next opportunity.
Many small business owners feel overwhelmed by technology choices, waste money on tools they never use, and watch opportunities slip away to competitors who adapt faster. But with the right coach guiding your decisions, you can avoid these mistakes and see better results.
We've covered why digitalisation is mandatory, the obstacles holding you back, quick-win solutions, and how coaching protects your investment. Now you know the exact steps to take and who can help you execute them.
Your competitors are already online, and customers expect digital convenience from every brand they interact with.
Visit Brisbane Business Coaching to connect with experienced coaches who help local companies modernise without the usual tech headaches and wasted budget.
Growing a business is a multi-layered undertaking rife with ongoing decisions that may have little to do with the inspiration behind your business idea. Sales and marketing are both foundational layers for a business's growth.
No business can be successful without both targeted approaches to generating revenue. But from the start, they require proper care and attention. Business growth can grow stagnant with slow marketing and sales. Even if you have a fantastic business idea, low sales and marketing plans can hold you back from success.
While it is easy to lump sales and marketing together in the planning process, they are both distinct business functions requiring attention and different approaches. A successful strategy begins with understanding the two and developing sales and marketing plans to support one another. Once you know them, you can integrate tools and marketing or even outsource the process to an expert agency.
The marketing plan is a communication tool to take your ideas and vision from your head to the customer's cart. It lays out four essential elements of a product: the price, the market, and where to find it. This stage is also what marketers call the 4Ps of Marketing: product, price, place, and promotion.
As you make this plan, you will set goals, home in on the marketing channel, and develop a marketing campaign. It requires teamwork and collaboration. Marketing goals are typically big picture and promote the overall brand, service, product, and company. The marketing team will price the product and market them in a way to bring in customers.
The sales plan focuses on the sales process — namely, the target market, team structure, and goals. A sales plan will outline tools and resources to hit the goals.
Sales goals are quantitative, centering on sales volume and quotas. You can measure these goals and re-evaluate them on a month-to-month basis. Understanding the sales targets will help managers set monthly sales goals for the individuals, teams, and departments responsible for ensuring sales conversion.
You can think of sales and marketing plans as a two-pronged approach. Both elements are necessary to start the conversation and close the deal with each customer seeking your product or service.
Marketing is what brings a client to the door (or the website). It entices people to learn more about your company, services, or products and gives them essential information about your business. Data can be anything from company values to the business model.
Sales channels operate to reinforce the company's offerings and convert curious visitors into committed customers. It intertwines with marketing to reflect company values and communicate with clients.
At this point, you may be wondering, “Why do I need a marketing plan" or "Why do I need a sales plan?” The fact is that you need both.
A marketing plan is how you make your product or service appealing to potential customers. Without a marketing plan, you won't be able to achieve nearly enough visibility. Depending on how saturated your market is, this low visibility could tank your operation.
With a sales plan, you can create a targeted approach to driving profits. Without a sales plan, you leave yourself vulnerable to profit loss. The production value, overhead costs, and other aspects of your product or service may not be worthwhile, but you won't know it until you have a sales plan to measure your profit and track your progress.
Stagnant sales also can be an indicator of a flawed marketing plan. It is easy to see how they work in conjunction.
Sales and marketing are two halves of a whole and should not operate in separate universes. You want just the right balance of both to have harmony, and to do so, you need plans that align the two areas.
These plans should share the common goal of attracting prospective customers and converting them into paying customers. At the end of the process is the essential nexus of any business plan: revenue generation.
Both your sales and marketing teams should share their goals and provide regular updates on progress. A common theme between both sales and marketing plans are the target markets, so this piece should align. The team can identify the target market or customer profile and use a standard definition or vision in their work.
Sharing goals and common themes will ensure each team has a solid and common foundation. It also will provide a reference for measuring marketing and sales performance.
Harmony between sales and marketing can lead to enhanced customer attraction and revenue generation.
When done right, both sales and marketing will create returning customers and a loyal base for business growth. Once you know how to differentiate the plans, you will need to capitalise on available resources for each type.
Just like the goals, some of these resources can overlap. For example, social media is a tool both sales and marketing can tap into it. Marketers can use it to promote content. Your sales team can use it to measure how many people buy through social media ads and your profile. When both groups work together, there can be harmony in the shared use and overlapping goals.
Some tools for each type of plan include:
Perhaps you are reading this and questioning where you will find time to create two different but cohesive plans. Maybe you have limited knowledge on the resources listed here and are inwardly groaning at the knowledge needed for effective plan creation. This part is where you ask yourself another question: Which is better for sales and marketing, in-house or outsource?
The answer depends on your experience, comfort level, knowledge base, and business needs.
Let's go through the pros and cons of each.
When you turn to a third-party agency to create your sales and marketing plans or to provide these services for you, you can benefit from:
On the flip side, some drawbacks of outsourcing include:
When you operate a sales and marketing team in-house, you have a different set of benefits:
Just like with outsourcing, there are some drawbacks to the in-house approach:
When deciding between in-house and outsourcing, know it is about what is best for your business. Consider integrating sales and marketing plans and reevaluate as necessary. You want to invest in these plans, so your brand sees excellent returns. The right choice is the one that provides focus on the essential functions: growing and operating a profitable business.
As a business coach, your job is to keep everyone motivated, always bring clarity of goals, and steer people in the right direction.
With that in mind, here are our top book recommendations to help you not just maintain your role as leader and mentor but also be at the forefront of your coaching business.
Mike Michalowicz's third book addresses a common mindset when starting a business: "One day, I'll be profitable." Profit First emphasizes that the more you delay profit consideration, you become less and less capable of figuring out how to drive profitability. Profit is the health quotient for business. Ask yourself: Is my business cash eating or money-making?
Best quote: Profitability isn’t an event; it’s a habit.
If you're a 'what needs to be done' person, this is the book for you. Traction highlights the need to have systems in place and in paper to get you from mindset to execution. This book brings in a 6-component business model called EOS that summarizes all you need to do to plan for your future, get all things done and make sure nothing falls through the cracks.
Best quote: In summary, successful businesses operate with a crystal clear vision that is shared by everyone. They have the right people in the right seats. They have a pulse on their operations by watching and managing a handful of numbers on a weekly basis. They identify and solve issues promptly in an open and honest environment. They document their processes and ensure that they are followed by everyone. They establish priorities for each employee and ensure that a high level of trust, communication, and accountability exists on each team.
I enjoyed this book so much I listened to the audio book twice in a row and then bought a few hard copies to give to few clients who were having problems, specific problems that this book outlines in glorious detail.
Rather than slave for your business, create your models and methods with yourself in mind. Gerber insists the entrepreneurs should not be enslaved by the business. Build in a way that does not make you feel trapped.
Best quote: If your business depends on you, you don’t own a business—you have a job. And it’s the worst job in the world because you’re working for a lunatic!
You may have the mindset, the desire, and the skills to achieve your definition of success, but the real difference lie in whether you’re a decision-maker or a procrastinator. Procrastination means giving up on yourself, it means paying too much attention to others opinions about you and the possibilities in your life, it means looking at successful people and asking yourself “What if?” when it will probably be too late to change something. Think and Grow Rich tells you that taking action equals making decisions.
Best quote: Action is the real measure of intelligence.
You should always run a company as if it will last forever, and yet you should also strive constantly to maximize its value, building in the qualities that allow it to be sold at any moment for the highest price buyers are paying for businesses like yours. Don’t become synonymous with your company. If buyers aren’t confident that your business can run without you in charge, they won’t make their best offer.
Best quote: Once you’ve isolated what is teachable, what your customers value, and what they need most often, document your process for delivering this type of product or service.
If you want to achieve something, forget setting goals. Set systems. The most effective way to change your habits is to focus not on what you want to achieve, but on who you wish to become. This book outlines the 4 Laws of Behaviour Change that are simple to build better habits.
Best quote: You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.
The Checklist Manifesto explores the fundamental importance of the humble checklist in organizing and managing complex processes. Gawande speaks from his own experience, explaining how even the most competent surgeon, operating without a checklist, can miss a critical step. The increasing complexity of modern surgical procedures has made checklists essential, he argues.
Gawande focuses on medicine, but he also delves into the use of checklists in the aviation, construction, and investing industries. In Gawande’s view, the elaborate processes that characterize the modern world demand that we turn to the checklist, a simple tool that’s been around practically forever.
Best quote: Under conditions of complexity, not only are checklists a help, they are required for success.
Over decades of coaching and training thousands of people, David Allen discovered that most stress people experience comes from inappropriately managed commitments they make or accept. Essentially, the book differentiates ‘what getting things done’ is vs just ‘thinking of getting things done.’ If you’re looking to get clarity of thought, minimising distraction and time wasters, this is a good book to read.
Best quote: There is usually an inverse relationship between how much something is on your mind and how much it’s getting done.
This is the book recommended for those who want to delve in ecommerce for the first time. If you’re tired of your 9 to 5 job or looking to add a second revenue stream, this book will teach you product development and outsourcing, pricing strategy and promotion with lots of valuable online resources.
Best quote: Can’t find a quote or review
Artistry, empathy, taking the long view, and pursuing the transcendent - these qualities have been scorned in the business world and ignored by schools. But it is now time to use both sides of the brain for the brave new world of the 21st century where workers of all stripes will need many different skills to navigate three or four separate careers.
Pink states that individuals and organizations that want to succeed in the future are going to have to ask themselves three questions:
1. Can someone overseas do it cheaper?
2. Can a computer do it faster?
3. Is what I'm offering in demand in an age of abundance where people are looking to satisfy their aesthetic, emotional, and spiritual demands?
Best quote: Good luck in the age of art and heart.
Most people believe that the best way to motivate is with rewards like money—the carrot-and-stick approach. That's a mistake, says Daniel H. Pink.
In this book, Pink exposes the mismatch between what science knows and what business does—and how that affects every aspect of life. He examines the three elements of true motivation—autonomy, mastery, and purpose-and offers smart and surprising techniques for putting these into action in a unique book that will change how we think and transform how we live. While this is generally a management and leadership book, it will help you get more insight about your own motivations and how it affects many more situations outside the workplace.
Best quote: There’s no going back. Pay your son to take out the trash—and you’ve pretty much guaranteed the kid will never do it again for free.
At the core of this book is the Law of Attraction: what you think about, talk about, believe strongly about, and feel intensely about, you will bring about.” Canfield emphasizes that if you want to be successful, you have to take 100% responsibility for everything that you experience in your life. The book is comprehensively divided in 6 parts, tackling success principles initially then leading to actionable points translating into leadership, relationships, motivation, mentorship and so much more.
Best quote: The world doesn’t pay you for what you know; it pays you for what you do. There’s an enduring axiom of success that says, “The universe rewards action.” Yet as simple and as true as this principle is, it’s surprising how many people get bogged down in analyzing, planning, and organizing when what they really need to do is take action.
This collection of John's blog posts are a candid, sometimes serious, look at that the challenges business owners face in building a successful and profitable business. A good part of the book deals with micromanagement, poor implementation, bullying and other nuances that make the workplace or business dreadful.
Best quote: There is something basically wrong in the organisation if there are insufficient systems to protect the company without the need of micromanaging.
Everybody Matters is about caring for and treating people in your organization as if they were, (and in a sense they are) your family. He emphasizes that true leaders realize that all of their people are mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, sisters, brothers with lives that matter. They are not merely employees to help an organization succeed, or to use to help the leader succeed. He says that “caring” is the key difference between leading and supervising, whereas most people in leadership positions are merely supervising. You may find this idea mushy but the book also details the practical manner with which he set about to realize it, and the success with which he’s implemented it.
Best quote: We simply asked, “Why can’t business be fun?”
The central theme of the book is literally delivering happiness as a business by living a life of passion and purpose.
Delivering Happiness details the story of Tony Hsieh and his company Zappos, an example of how thinking long term and following your passions first can lead to not just profits, but a happy life for you, your employees, and customers.
The book provides an alternative approach to corporate culture that focuses on the simple concept of making people around you happy, and by doing so, increasing your own happiness.
Best quote: Money alone isn't enough to bring happiness . . . happiness [is] when you're actually truly ok with losing everything you have.
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