Seven characteristics that seem to distinguish businesses which consistently perform better

1. Seven Pillars of a Better Business Lessons from working with the best owner managers

5. Work on the business, not in the business How much of your time are you working ON your business? Pillar 3: Become a strategist Based on “Are entrepreneurs the real barrier to growth?” by Colin Barrow and Liz Clarke Strategist (5%) Artisan (5%) Hero (30%) Meddler (60%)

7. Pillar 5: Stick to the knitting – and stand out from the crowd 88% of high growth firms succeed by selling more of the same to their existing customers and others just like them Products/services Markets Existing New Existing New Market Development Diversification Product Development Business Development 88%! Nearly 90% of successful growth businesses achieve their growth by selling more of their existing products and services to their existing customers and people just like them

11. Average sales growth Average profit growth Businesses which invest significantly in developing people are nearly all Champions or Profit Enhancers -10% 0% 10% 20% 30% -9% 9% 13% 20% 30% Unprofitable Growers Profit Enhancers Champions Grazers Pillar 7: Build a better team Based on work by Colin Barrow, Chris Brewster and Lesley Mayne Total population (size of blob indicates % of population) Investment in developing people (size of blob indicates % of total spent by population)

13. Tristram Mayhew, Go Ape, Small-Medium Sized Business of the Year in the National Business Awards 2009 and one of the UK’s 100 fastest growing independent businesses “ A wise owner manager would know that now is exactly the right time to invest in themselves ”