Icebreaker Incite Q1 2013

The challenge for most businesses remains; how to create value? Some Observations:

• Wolseley, the American trade distributor giant, is typical of Plc’s pruning their global portfolios to focus on the best opportunities and stem the rot that faces their businesses such as those in Southern France and Ireland. These dificult regions are where the great but very tough challenges remain.
  
• SMEs are less mobile and struggle to set themselves apart from the competition. Lower barriers to entry enable newly restructured competitors and new entrants to attack on price, but they often fail to deliver. This failure costs customers and the market dearly.
• The exporting fad is more often than not a lethal distraction for an SME. Those that achieve £25m turnover often need professionalising to get beyond that point.
• Specialist businesses are emerging with breakthrough business models such as niche IT services that are able to attack with devastating focus, leaving those with broader services struggling.
• 20-50% European Youth Unemployment raises some real business threats beyond the corporate social responsibility.
  

What has been learnt?

• Courage and truth are core capabilities. Conversely what happens when not much of either are in abundance is very interesting; creating the “Tyranny of Tolerance”. More
• Many business owners have been happy with their pile – but become bitterly disapointed and lost when they contemplate a sale!
• To focus on SMEs, as corporates aren’t really developing. An example of this is the UK Automotive Industry’s main improvement only being at OEM level. OEMs still cling to the same SME Automotive supply base that it did in the 1990s but leave SMEs with even less options today. more
• China will become in phase 3 a major game changer more
• In all of this, most have forgotten how to sell, and the sales process is non-linear.
• Much support is flawed; how can banks have 25% growth targets when the economy is flat! Professional services steer away from SMEs as they can’t make any money or difference.
• Cash in SMEs doesn’t grow on business plans or trees.
• Resourcefulness is in very short supply.
  

  What have I changed?

  I am taking portfolio chair roles on a nominal fee and equity basis to enable SMEs to realise their potential. The selection criteria are straightforward; business owners wanting to “attain their full worth”.
  

  What is unchanged?

  “The art of choosing men is not nearly so difficult as the art of enabling those chosen to attain their full worth.” ~Napoleon

  Enabling those to “attain their full worth” remains the core of the Icebreaker Executive approach that John Webster and I have pioneered since 2006. So we have an exclusive formula to deploy.

  Icebreaker Executive were shortlisted for a global finance award in 2013 maybe that’s just “bon courage” as the French might say… Thank you for your support, its good to know how much hard work is recognised.

  Courage is not highly regarded as business capability. It is mentioned 21x in articles on the icebreaker website. If you are aware of any business owners looking to attain their full worth please forward this email or just get in contact by replying.

  With best regards, Tom

  PS. SME’s must have immediate cash generating results.

The “Tyranny of Tolerance”

Nissan the new North Sea Oil?

China phase 3

Finance Global Awards

Icebreaker Get to Growth

Growth is the route to realising value.

… Which growth is good growth ?

Icebreaker Motivation

Icebreaker Change

Icebreaker Capital