When starting out in business you need to learn to trust your gut feeling about new prospects and avoid jumping at every opportunity offered – “If it looks like a lemon, smells like a lemon and tastes like a lemon … it’s probably a lemon” – Run away!

Mapping out your business journey is key to success.

Business can be hard. Even if you have previously been a manager in someone else’s company, running your own business is an entirely different matter. It can easily become overwhelming. Simply being good in your chosen field is no longer enough to keep the wheels on the wagon.

The last paycheck as someone else’s employee is a big landmark for any new business owner. Making that choice to steer your own destiny and become the captain of your ship is a big decision.

We conclude our visit around the (business) gardens with an amble in the ‘vege garden’ – administration. This is the place where we plan and cultivate future nourishment; keeping the pests off our crop.

This is the second blog of my garden shed series. If you think of your business as a home with three gardens, we are now visiting the ‘back garden’ – operations. This is the place where we spend the most time.

A good way to think of your business is as a home with three gardens. In the first blog of three in this series, I will share some tips on cultivating the first garden – sales and marketing – where creating curb-appeal and ‘keeping up with the Joneses’ matters.

Here’s why choosing a business coach is a lot like making the choice to fly or drive to your destination.

When starting out in business, doing what you do for customers is just the tip of the iceberg. The reality is, there is so much more to running a business that's hidden below the waterline. By working through a Business Health Check, I can help you find the gaps and develop an action plan to make positive progress towards building your business.

What made sense for your business yesterday may well change today and almost certainly will tomorrow. You need to remain forever watchful and flexible to the changes in your world.

There are three common themes I discuss when meeting new clients. These are the three areas of focus that any business needs to balance to be successful: business development, operations and administration. So how should you juggle them? Read on...