What’s so great about a start-up?

I’m not kidding. Who cares? It’s a topic that keeps cropping up in my circle of friends/business acquaintances. Startups, startups, startups. It’s an obsession with some people. I’ve noticed it a lot recently. There are startup programmes at all the universities. There are incubators. There is funding to do it. There is support. There is a [...]

Somewhere over the rainbow…

It’s been a long month. (Scratch that. October WAS a long month, and now we get to see how November pans out. Here’s hoping eh?) So yeah, it’s been a long month. A long month of ups and downs. A lot of time spent reflecting. A lot of time spent searching. Even some time spent [...]

Can Aspirational Be The New Exit?

Like everyone else, I woke up this morning to the news that Steve Jobs has died. I’m not overly sentimental. I won’t be attending any iPhone vigils. I won’t shed any tears. I didn’t know the man, and I have no personal feelings about his death. But early this morning, as I checked my Twitter [...]

Paying attention to customer service starts with paying attention…

OK. I admit I’m not a food critic. I’m not a chef and I’m not in any way qualified to write restaurant reviews. I’ll put my hand up right away and admit all of that. Setting those facts aside, this may be a slightly odd post – half restaurant review, half customer service advice. You [...]

If the ship is already sinking, you probably can’t get it fixed…

As someone who has owned and run a business for the past six(ish) years, there is nothing that makes me sadder than to see a business close its doors. No matter whose fault it is, how stupid the decisions were, or how incompetent people have been, it still makes me feel a bit sick to [...]

It’s never too early to ask for some help…

…but it may very well be too late. In some ways I’m going to have to tip the old hat in @craig_mckenna‘s direction. His latest blog about the responsibilities that consultants have to their clients played out in my mind as I have been working with a new client. How many businesses suffer because they [...]

I’m just going outside and I may be some time…

It’s been a while since I had the time to sit down and write. Too long. Things have been pretty hectic here at Designate HQ, and most of it is falling on my shoulders. I have a new team of people starting up in the next couple of weeks but, until then, it’s crunch time [...]

It’s January 10th and it’s time to kick 2011 into gear.

I’m back in Edinburgh. It’s cold, grey and crappy out. Very much unlike the weather I have had for the past three weeks in Florida. I had a great break. It was a much needed break. And I really took the opportunity to switch off. I didn’t take any work home with me, and I [...]

MacBook Pro for sale

Ok, this isn’t a marketing post, but it’s renewal time for all the kit in my office. With the new iPad taking over my mobile role, I am selling my MacBook Pro. It’s, well, a MacBook pro. Normal wear and tear applies after three years of love. It was top of the line when I [...]

Two eyes are good. Four eyes are better.

That’s not a joke about people with glasses. This week I’ve had a timely reminder of why it’s really important you have other people looking at your business. Outside people. People who are fresh. People who have no pre-conceptions or agendas. This week we’ve had a new girl start with us. As a sort of [...]