“Growth is never by mere chance; it is the result of forces working together” – (James Cash Penney, Founder of JCPenney) Every business decision carries profound consequences for the enduring existence of the organisation, and this is no more true than when it is applied to those decisions affecting business growth. Knowing how and when to expand, open new branches, roll out new features or engineer new products takes planning and is not something leaders should be trying to do by the seat of their pants in response to external events. A meticulously crafted business growth strategy is therefore essential to plotting sustainable growth. Here are the things you will need to consider when constructing yours. Set clear targets You know you want to be successful, but do you know what that success looks like? Just how much money do you want to make? What do you want the lifestyles of your employees and yourself to be like? What kind of turnover and profit would you consider to be successful? What would you like your reputation in the industry to be? If you haven’t considered the destination for your journey, how will you ever plot how to get there? Talk to customers You probably already realise the value of getting expert advice. Speaking to accountants about your finances, or lawyers about contracting just makes sense. But perhaps you have not considered that no one knows your customer’s needs quite like your customers? When choosing which customers to speak to, first look to those who are your ideal customers – those people who are getting good value from your services and who are happy with your products. By speaking to them, you will slowly uncover patterns for what you are doing right and what a successful business in your industry looks like. The next step is to speak to those customers who are not happy with your service and find out why. This will help you to uncover the opportunities you are missing, and the things you need to fix to get yourself onto the right growth path. Don’t ask these customers what you should be doing though, as changing everything based on the impressions of a few disgruntled clients is a sure-fire way to failure. Rather ask them what the challenge was that they came to you to fix, why they came to you specifically, and then what they were feeling at each stage of their journey. Once again, it is about uncovering patterns, and by asking these sorts of questions you will quickly work out whether you did something wrong, whether your services lack potential solutions the industry might need or whether you were simply the wrong fit all along. Now that you know what a successful client interaction looks like, and where your business is falling short, it becomes easier to see which holes will need to be plugged and where you can comfortably expand over the coming years. Build a road map Now that you know where…

“We need to do a better job of putting ourselves higher on our own ‘to-do’ list.” (Michelle Obama, former First Lady of the United States) The four-day work week has been in the news a lot recently with a number of significant studies and trials coming out in favour of the arrangement. While many would assume that workers are thrilled with four-day weeks, but that bosses are finding it hinders business, the results do not back this up. Repeatedly, these studies are coming out in support of the four-day work week with the benefits simply racking up. Here are the reasons why it just might work: Employees want it In terms of work schedules, employees are increasingly seeking flexibility, with a four-day workweek emerging as their top preference, according to a recent survey of American employees conducted by Bankrate. The survey revealed that a significant majority of full-time workers and job seekers, a staggering 81%, express strong support for a four-day workweek over the conventional five-day arrangement. What's more, an impressive 89% of these respondents indicated their willingness to make sacrifices in order to enjoy a four-day workweek. Among these concessions, a noteworthy 54% are open to working longer hours, while a substantial 37% are even willing to explore career changes or transition to different industries. Additionally, a considerable 27% are open to increasing their in-person office presence or working entirely on-site. Productivity Increases Many assumed that a four-day work week would hamper productivity, but a recent study in the UK that included 61 companies and more than 3000 workers found exactly the opposite. The study, which followed the companies and their workers through a six-month test of a 32-hour, four-day week, with no loss of pay for employees was the largest of its kind, making its results extremely impactful. Perhaps more impressive though, is that after the study was over, 56 of the 61 companies that were involved decided to continue with the shorter week indefinitely, and two more said they were voluntarily extending the trial. Among the benefits reported by companies were an increase in revenue over the same period in previous years, as well as a sharp decline in resignations. One company reported a productivity increase of 22%, a lower carbon footprint as well as an increase of 88% in job applications, and a 66% decrease in absenteeism. The results back up those achieved by a smaller pilot program that covered another 30 companies and 1000 employees. Employees are happier As for employees, well they were almost unanimously happy. Participation in the above trial led to a significant decrease in people saying they lacked sufficient time during the week to attend to their responsibilities towards children, grandchildren, or elderly family members. Additionally, they reported feeling reduced work stress as well as better mental health, more time for exercise, better sleep and generally less negativity. 55% reported an increased ability to work. The results also suggest that the shortened workweek could lead to better gender parity as the time men reported spending with their…