You know what I really admire about Richard Warley, our CEO?
From the moment he joined BigChange, he has stayed absolutely true to the company’s vision. He’s never been distracted by easy short-term wins or gimmicks. His determination to put the customer first has never wavered.
This laser focus has ultimately put BigChange in a strong position today amidst the many political and economic challenges facing the UK. Businesses need every advantage they can get right now. It feels like the Wild West out there, with crazy currency fluctuations and dire proclamations from the IMF and Bank of England.
The benefit of a laser focus on your core offering is this: you and your team know your product inside out because that’s all you sell. You aren’t trying to reinvent the wheel every day, churning out products people may not want. You aren’t confusing your customers or plunging headlong into untested markets.
Every entrepreneur needs to hone their offering right now if they are to remain relevant in the current climate. I see too many business owners who seem unsure of their purpose. They chase business in all directions, diluting their brand. Trying to get cash into the business, no matter what the customer or contract, may seem like a smart move when the world is on fire, but it damages your company in the long run.
I try my best to focus, but those who know me well will admit that I can be occasionally distracted… I have a million ideas every day, and it can be hard for me to prioritise. That’s why I have been so impressed by Richard’s approach to business. Richard's approach is the result of 30 years of experience in investment banking, private equity and operational leadership roles across Europe, Japan and North America. He knows that focus is key to operational excellence: when he became CEO, he said, "I am going to continue to develop BigChange JobWatch’s functionality and relevance to the market, all while maintaining our focus on customer success and excellent service” and that's exactly what he's done.
We are totally invested in our platform – a single platform – and the sole purpose of that platform is to help our customers reach all their business goals faster. Simple, right?
A good test of your business proposition is whether you can sum up your purpose in a single sentence. If you can do that, you know that you have clarity of vision.
If you need help, technology can do some of the heavy lifting. BigChange's customers use our platform to drive efficiencies and provide the kind of in-depth analytics they need to make better business decisions. You need to know which work generates the most profit, which jobs you should prioritise – and which contracts are losing you money or slowing you down. It’s time to take a page out of Richard’s book, find your focus, and give your business the best chance of survival.
