0403 881 105 mark@businesscoachmark.com.au

Category

Useful Tips

A curated collection of diverse business insights, tips, and reflections to support your growth as a business owner or entrepreneur.

22 articles

How to Write a Business Growth Plan for Your Small Business (With a Working Template)

Business Growth Small Business Growth Small Business Growth and Strategy Useful Tips

How to Write a Business Growth Plan for Your Small Business (With a Working Template)

A Simple 90-Day Business Growth Plan Template One of the biggest reasons business growth plans fail is because they’re too complicated. I’ve seen beautifully designed 40-page documents that never get opened again after they’re written. Instead, I encourage business owners to use a simple one-page growth plan that gets reviewed every week. Here’s the framework […]

The 5 Business Growth Stages Every SMB Owner Must Navigate

Business Growth Useful Tips

The 5 Business Growth Stages Every SMB Owner Must Navigate

Every Business Hits Different Challenges as It Grows Every successful business moves through predictable stages of growth. Each stage brings new opportunities—but also new problems that require a different way of thinking. If your business already feels like it’s growing but you’re worried about burning out, read our guide on How to Scale a Small […]

Business owner reviewing flat revenue figures at their desk - Revenue Ceiling

Business Coaching & Mentoring Useful Tips

Why Your Business Has Hit a Revenue Ceiling — And How to Break It

You’re working harder than ever. The team is busy. The phone is ringing. And yet — at the end of the month, the revenue number looks almost identical to what it was twelve months ago. That’s not a motivation problem. It’s not a marketing problem. It’s a revenue ceiling — and it’s one of the most common, and most frustrating, patterns I see in Australian small businesses.

Planning System

The 90 Day Planning System That Drives Business Growth

Planning system built around 12-month goals often fails because it lacks urgency and flexibility. Many business owners start the year motivated but lose momentum within weeks. The gap between planning and execution becomes too wide. A 90 day planning system works because it compresses time. It forces clarity on what truly matters now, not someday. […]

Reclaim Your Time

23 December 2025

How to Reclaim Your Time as a Business Owner

Reclaim your time as a business owner caught in the daily grind, because it’s more than just a catchy phrase, it’s the starting point for achieving clarity, growth, and a more balanced life. It’s the number one challenge I hear from business owners across Sydney, especially those in trades, manufacturing, and local services. They’re stuck […]

Scale a Small Business

10 November 2025

How to Scale a Small Business Without Burning Out

Scale a small business, three words that sound exciting, promising, and if we’re being honest, a bit overwhelming. For many business owners, the idea of growing their business is tied up with long hours, constant pressure, and the nagging feeling that something’s always about to fall through the cracks. Let’s get real. You didn’t start […]

Cash Flow Forecasting

31 October 2025

Cash Flow Forecasting for Sydney Small Businesses

Cash Flow Forecasting is the simplest way to get control of money in and money out so you can sleep better at night and make confident decisions. For owner-operators across Sydney, predictable cash means paying the team on time, staying on top of BAS, and grabbing growth opportunities without panic. In this article I will […]

Job Costing

Job Costing That Actually Protects Margin

Job costing that is simple, accurate, and practical for SMEs. Protect margin, price with confidence, and stop profit leaks with a clear five-step framework. job costing is the difference between feeling in control and flying blind. If you do not know your costs per job until weeks later, you are guessing on price and hoping […]

4 Reasons You Need Small Business Mentoring Support

Business Coaching & Mentoring Entrepreneurship Small Business Growth and Strategy Useful Tips

1 February 2024

4 Reasons You Need Small Business Mentoring Support

Small business mentoring is an invaluable asset for entrepreneurs and business owners. It provides the guidance, expertise, and support necessary to navigate the complexities of running a business in today’s ever-changing market. By understanding the importance of mentoring and leveraging it effectively, small businesses can achieve sustainable growth and long-term success. The Importance of Small […]

What Makes a Great Leader

Is there such a thing as ‘a born leader’ or is great leadership learned? Why do some businesses perform poorly while others productive? In almost all cases the team is a direct reflection of its leadership. What is a good leader? What are the characteristics of a strong and effective leader in business? I talk […]

Key Characteristics Of An Effective Team

Having a happy and effective team are the signs of being a Great Leader! If you’re unhappy with your team, it may have something to do with your leadership skills.Your team is your biggest investment and this needs to be communicated with them effectively. They need to have complete trust and faith in you. Learn […]

Tips for Buying a Competitor Business

For an SME business owner, the offer to purchase a competitor business can seem irresistible. While acquiring a competitor can increase your market share and accelerate your growth, it is essential that the purchase is handled in the correct way to ensure the decision does not stunt your future growth or harm your existing business. […]

Self-Reliance and Running a Successful Business

The paradox of self-reliance What is self-reliance? My perspective on it is that, first and foremost, self-reliance is about learning to take responsibility for our own value judgments. Ultimately this is what gives us independence from other people. It is quite a paradox because self-reliance is often understood to mean not taking any advice or […]

The Importance of a Vision, Mission and Culture Statement

Vision, mission and company culture often get mentioned in the same breath, however they are in fact three concepts that are quite different. Vision and mission statements often get mixed up and interchanged unintentionally, so let’s clear up the differences between the two first. A vision statement is the guiding light of your business, something […]

1 February 2022

Covid’s Effects on Small Business & 5 Tips for Combating the Top Issues

It’s no secret that Covid has affected the economy around the world. However, small businesses and their owners have taken the hardest of hits. As a small business owner, it takes drive, resolve, and industry savvy to maintain your business in the first place – add a global pandemic, and things become even more complex. […]

Top Warning Signs Your Team Lacks an Ownership Mindset

How often do you find members of your team throwing up their hands in frustration, stressing out because work has piled up, or feeling like they are going unnoticed and unappreciated? It gets difficult to maintain a profitable business when team members lack an ownership mindset. Products, processes, and customer service deteriorate rapidly, and you […]

COVID-19 Your Business and You

Here we are. While it’s a challenging time for everyone, it’s also essential to take steps now to make a plan. This period of crisis isn’t going to last forever. All will be back to normal eventually–we need to bridge this period of relative uncertainty. Mindset and Opportunity You need to take care of yourself […]

1 December 2021

Eight Ways to Improve Your Work-Life Balance as a Business Owner

Do you bring your work home with you? Are you guilty of responding to emails from your phone in bed? Do your loved ones have to drag you away from your laptop on the weekends? If you answered yes, you’re likely struggling with work-life balance. It’s fair to say that most people are constantly working […]

1 November 2021

How to Identify Weaknesses and 5 Steps to Overcome Them

Everyone has weaknesses. Whether you’re a neuroscientist, athlete, plumber, student, or something else, it’s fair to say that there are areas in which you excel, and others that you struggle with. However, weaknesses aren’t always so obvious. Sometimes we gloss over the areas in which we lack, but the ability to identify weaknesses is critical […]

Top 7 Ways to Reward Great Employees and Boost Team Member Retention

It’s no secret that hiring good talent is a challenge right now, both in Sydney and around the globe. So, once you’ve got great employees on your team, it’s critical that you recognize and reward their work. By doing so, you make employees feel valued, which increases employee engagement, gives them a sense of purpose, […]

1 September 2021

How to Stop Worrying and Embrace Your Imposter Syndrome

We’ve all felt it at one point or another – the panic-stricken feeling that someone, somewhere will realise that you aren’t actually capable of completing the task at hand. Whether you first felt it as a child in school or at your first job, imposter syndrome doesn’t just go away. For most of us, it […]

Seven Easy Time Management Tips for Small Business Owners

As a small business owner, you wear many hats. You’re responsible for product development, marketing, customer service, business planning, finance, and more. Even if you have a team of people to delegate these tasks to, you likely still have final approval. Naturally, there’s a learning curve when figuring out how to adequately divide your time […]