Are you in business for sales, or for profits?

Do you concentrate on increasing sales, or improving profits?

Sales are not always the answer to increasing profits.. In fact sales may be sending you broke.

The pressure is always on to increase sales, right? So you do just that. You put the effort into marketing your business, promoting your products and services. You achieve the increased sales, but somehow the profits don't seem to come with it. Are you making profits from those sales? And how do you know whether you are or not?

It's criminal really. Small business owners know they work hard and that they are good operators in their area of business. Despite this their business is always short of cash and they do not have the time to enjoy some free time with the family, or indulging in those other interests. Because they are always busy, they lack the time to identify the key constraints on them and their business. The profits they hope for are just not there. Is the lack of profits the result of a crime, or do they have a profit leak, draining the profits they deserve.

As a result you work long hours, seven days a week and rarely have a decent holiday.

Does this sound familiar?

Sales are not the issue. Profitability is the issue. Why should you be working so hard if you're not making reasonable profits?

Do you feel that your business is not giving you the freedom and the lifestyle you so desperately want? If only you could solve the crime of the leaking profits, the leaks draining profits from your business. If you could, you'd plug them. And regain control of your business, with the freedom and the lifestyle you went into business for.

Just to give you an example of what can be achieved!

Here is a graph from a client we have been working with for some time.

It shows their Sales by month over two years, and their bank balance at the end of each month.

• Notice how Sales are virtually identical over the two years (with one spike exception); and
• Their bank balance has moved from being always in overdraft, to being consistently in surplus.

What made the difference? It is not more sales, its more profits; their profitability has more than doubled. And they don't have to be working seven days a week in the business.

So how did this happen? We found the leak! They didn't have to chase more sales, and the weight of more debtors, and customers to service. They just had to find the leak, plug the leak, which they did, with a little bit of assistance from us. No big effort, no dramas. Find the leak, plug the leak, build the profits.

Our newsletter provides regular tips on finding, and plugging the leaks in your business. Subscribe and I'll send you a brief Case Study on how we helped our client fix their problem.

Like a water diviner checking for broken pipes, a profit leaks detective needs clues to find the leaks. In fact there are five areas in which you can start looking, just to narrow things down a little. You probably won't be leaking from all of them, but it is likely one or two may be the source of the problem. What you have to do is find the major leaks that are draining profits from your business.

Our newsletter provides on-going tips and clues to help you leak proof your business, as will the free articles you'll find on our site.

Of course we don't know your business as well you do; nobody does and it would be impertinent of us to suggest otherwise. What we do bring is knowledge of particular techniques and principles which can be applied widely to small businesses. I have successfully worked with businesses across a wide range of industries, from tourism to real estate, IT, engineering and manufacturing. And every time I have been able to identify some opportunities for improvement which had a positive impact on the business.

Many years of practical experience in business - hands-on direct management experience running a small business - enables me to bring you a deep understanding of how small business operates and the pressures you face.

And I specialise in working with small businesses because I understand the issues they face, the need to have greater control over their business and to improve their quality of life.

Do I hear you say "How much time will I need to put into this? I'm too busy to improve!" You can multiply the effectiveness of what you do by a factor of 10, given the right tools. For example, we spent only a couple of hours a month with one recent client but over six months they took the business from operating on the limits of their overdraft to having a positive bank balance. And they had more time to do the things they wanted to do plus money to invest elsewhere.

Do you need:

• Clarity on your current situation - Three leakages may be stopping you from reaching your profit goals and efficiency. What are those leakages and how can you plug them permanently?
• To know your strengths - Learn the keys to identify strengths in your business, and the opportunities for improvement. And how to personalise it to your specific industry;
• More free time - How to get 30% more free time from your business, while increasing profits;
• More sales - Why most sales opportunities slip by. Learn how to increase sales by as much as 20% - 50% more in less than three months, whilst retaining margins;
• Better gross profits - Gross Profits can create huge profit or drive you to despair. Learn how to increase your gross profits, no matter what situation you are in right now;
• Lower costs - Trimming operating costs will lower your breakeven point. Learn how to identify and remove the ‘hidden iceberg' in operating costs.
• Greater efficiency - Can you identify the opportunities for improvements in productivity or processes;
• To know what's happening WHEN its happening - Learn 6 key business indicators for understanding and controlling your business;

So what should you do? Subscribe to our free newsletter for a start. It's all about creating the profitability and cash flow which will enable you to have the freedom, in time and lifestyle that you want.

Why Subscribe? What will you get?

1. A free newsletter which contains tips on these and a whole range of other factors which you can use to help create the profitability you seek.
2. Access to a range of free articles on improving your business.
3. The opportunity to take advantage of special events, and get special bonuses and offers no one else sees.
4. You can, of course, unsubscribe at any time.

And just to get you started, a bonus article!

I mentioned above that Gross Profits can create huge profits, or drive you to despair.

The Case Study tells you how one business was able to find and plug the leaks and so improve their profitability and free time. Improvements like these are usually much easier to implement than chasing sales or cutting costs.

So that's a good place to start!

A little reassurance - what do our clients say?

He has a calm common sense, no jargon approach to explaining how business works.

Over the last three years Adam has had a huge impact on the way we do business today. He has a calm common sense, no jargon approach to explaining how business works. Some of the valuable points learned were in marketing, proper use of job cards, time keeping, and the successful estimating of jobs to improve our margins to name just a few. We plan to continue our relationship with Adam with further mentoring.

Julie Shugg, Managing Director, AKS Welding and Fabrication Pty. Ltd.

We thought that we knew everything that there was to know about our business.

The Business Overview was a real eye opener for us. We spent a long time deciding to undertake the overview and thought that we were far too busy to set aside the time to actually submit the required information.

We thought that we knew everything that there was to know about our business. How could we not? We spend every day working massive hours. How could someone that knows nothing about IT possibly offer any worthwhile information? All of these perceptions were blown away with the knowledge that the overview provided. The overview offered so much information that we gave it to all of our staff to read.

The Business Overview showed us that whilst we made a profit, other businesses in our industry make a bigger profit with less man hours.

The success of any business today depends on providing a quality service to its customers, the overview helps put us in a better position to achieve the desired result.

Stacey Harris, General Manager

Territory Technology Solutions Pty. Ltd,

It is clear to see that our progression and accomplishments have been developed and nurtured to an extent that could not have otherwise been achieved.

Recognition of Adam's earlier findings and a desire for improvement prompted the re-engagement of Adam for development of a strategic business plan. Adam dissected all aspects of Fluid Power's operations, undertook a customer and staff survey and involved all employees implementing workplace improvements for achievement of strategic goals.

With the development of our strategic business plan some 10 months behind us now, it is clear to see that our progression and accomplishments have been developed and nurtured to an extent that could not have otherwise been achieved. There have been numerous improvements initiated by staff that directly effect processes and working environment and an obvious management ability to plan rather than continue to evolve, including the adoption of a quality system.

Rob Bonney, Director, Fluid Power Darwin

So click here now!

I bet your family would appreciate seeing more of you.

Adam Gordon

PS As the old saying goes, "sink or swim". You don't have to wait until your business has gone down the gurgler because profits have been draining away. You can find the leaks, and plug them - NOW!

PSS Is there something bugging about this page, something that is just not right, or that (horror) I spelt incorrectly? If so, let me know through this link. And thank you!