Leading your business

Anna Stubbs • April 14, 2023

Times of crisis are defining moments for great leaders. Consider the contrasting results that different countries experienced with Covid-19, based on the approach their respective leaders have taken.


Great leadership is effectively guiding or influencing your team to work towards achieving your goals. Leadership is always on; there is no place to hide in a time of crisis.


Consider the four quadrants of great leadership:
1. Vision. Clarity of what you want, what the future looks like for the business and team, and how you’ll know when you’ve got there.
2. Energy. Leading by example, with positivity, to inspire and motivate the team to be the best they can.
3. Focus. Sharing the common purpose (why your business exists for your customers), setting clear expectations and defining what a great day’s work looks like for everyone on the team.
4. Empowerment. Providing constant feedback, training and support, and delegating effectively without abdicating responsibility.


Now consider the key responsibilities of a leader:
- Implementing the plan. What is your new plan and how will you ensure that everyone knows their role in making it happen?
- Providing a framework and structure for business improvement and innovation. A crisis is a time to reinvent, re-engineer, innovate, and adapt
- Monitoring performance against the plan. How will you make sure you stick to the plan, celebrate success, and take corrective action when things start to go pear-shaped?
- Motivating and inspiring the team. What meetings and other communication forums are needed to ensure that everyone on the team remains engaged and part of the bigger picture?
- Promoting a great business culture. What are the business’s Core Values and rules of engagement that can play to the strengths of the team and foster a supportive and fun environment?


With the above in mind, what leadership skills do you need to sharpen?

Talk to us about how we can help you get the best from your team and business.

“Anyone can lead when the plan is working. The best lead when the plan falls apart.” - Robin S. Sharma

Business credit: using loans to grow your business

By Anna Stubbs • August 21, 2025
Whatever stage you’re at in the business journey, having an injection of additional working capital is always welcome. Being able to borrow money and take on managed debt in the business is what allows you to fund the next stage in your growth. But how does your credit profile affect your ability to borrow as a business? And what types of debt financing will help you expand, grow and scale up the company? Let’s explore the impact of your risk rating and the types of finance that may be available  Your credit profile: and how it impacts your ability to borrow Your credit profile is a measurement of your risk as a borrower. It’s how banks and specialist business lenders assess whether you’re a good business to lend to. Lenders want to know you have the revenue and cashflow needed to repay a loan. This will generally be assessed based on your business credit score and your overall financial health and forecasted business performance. With a good business credit score, your application for a loan is more likely to be accepted. With a poor credit profile, those doors to potential lending are more likely to be closed.

5 ways to get in control of your business finances

By Anna Stubbs • August 21, 2025
Having proper control of your business finances is a big advantage. It helps you make well-informed business decisions and keeps your organisation profitable. With so many digital tools for managing your bookkeeping, accounting and management reporting, it's never been easier to manage, track and forecast your financial position. But what are the main tools you need? And how do you set up your financial systems, apps, processes and reporting to put yourself back in the finance driving seat?

Protecting you and your business: using trusts

By Anna Stubbs • August 21, 2025
Have you ever wondered about the best ways to protect you and your business? In this series, we’ll look at the key ways to use trusts, insurance and risk-management techniques to protect both your personal assets and the future of the company. In this article, we’ll look at how you can use a trust to shelter your assets.