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	<title>www.RussellYardley.com - Opinions &#187; small business</title>
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		<title>Small Business Boards: Practice Vs Theory</title>
		<link>http://www.russellyardley.com/opinions/2011/07/boards-practicetheory/</link>
		<comments>http://www.russellyardley.com/opinions/2011/07/boards-practicetheory/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 30 Jul 2011 08:29:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Russell Yardley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[governance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[small business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[boards]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Russell Yardley]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[strategic planning]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.russellyardley.com/opinions/?p=278</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
			
				
			
		
The public and private feedback to my last post lamented that the real world does not usually align with my description of how boards should operate. But others like Dan Stojanovich opined that “boards do need considered, intelligent, informed, compassionate, practical, adventurous, creative, ethical and shrewd thinking, in order for the board to help clarify [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<title>Company Boards that Create Value</title>
		<link>http://www.russellyardley.com/opinions/2011/06/company-boards-that-create-value/</link>
		<comments>http://www.russellyardley.com/opinions/2011/06/company-boards-that-create-value/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 16 Jun 2011 03:25:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Russell Yardley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[small business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[boards]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CEO]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chairman]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Compliance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[decision making]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[directors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[governance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Managing Director]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[profitability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Russell Yardley]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Strategic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[strategic planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[strategy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Strategy planning]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.russellyardley.com/opinions/?p=267</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
			
				
			
		
The value that a board can bring a small to medium sized company is to:



assess the context and environment within which the company operates
provide independent evaluation of management
access to important relationships not otherwise available to management
drive strategic planning, and
verify the execution of plans

Directors need to give valuable insights, assessments, contacts/networks and leverage to bring about [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Increasing Business Value in Business Planning</title>
		<link>http://www.russellyardley.com/opinions/2011/05/increasing-business-value-in-business-planning/</link>
		<comments>http://www.russellyardley.com/opinions/2011/05/increasing-business-value-in-business-planning/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 08 May 2011 11:13:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Russell Yardley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[small business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[decision making]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[profitability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Russell Yardley]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[strategic planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[strategy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wealth creation]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.russellyardley.com/opinions/?p=249</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[To increase the value of the business, business planning must influence everyday activities so that all activities are aligned with the company goals. Critically these activities have to produce the outcomes necessary to achieve the desired company goals. Business planning has to make the right decision to direct how the resources of the company are going to be utilised. The best decisions create the most value for the business. The best strategic decisions deliver competitive advantages that are difficult to emulate but usually are expensive to unwind.]]></description>
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		<title>Set Direction Align Actions to Goals</title>
		<link>http://www.russellyardley.com/opinions/2011/04/setting_directions_aligning_goals/</link>
		<comments>http://www.russellyardley.com/opinions/2011/04/setting_directions_aligning_goals/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 23 Apr 2011 10:07:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Russell Yardley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[small business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[entrepreneur]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[innovation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Russell Yardley]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[start-up]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[strategic planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[strategy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.russellyardley.com/opinions/?p=200</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
			
				
			
		
Engage your staff to align their every day tasks to company goals
Since I sold my business in 2007 I have worked with a number of talented entrepreneurs to rapidly grow their businesses. I&#8217;ve enjoyed sharing my 25 years experience but because I no longer have the pressures of running my own business I&#8217;ve been able to [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<title>Addressing Business Frustrations can add Value to Your Business</title>
		<link>http://www.russellyardley.com/opinions/2009/10/addressing-business-frustrations-can-add-value-to-your-business/</link>
		<comments>http://www.russellyardley.com/opinions/2009/10/addressing-business-frustrations-can-add-value-to-your-business/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 30 Oct 2009 06:57:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Russell Yardley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[small business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[frustrations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Russell Yardley]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.russellyardley.com/opinions/?p=115</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Effective business people only worry about things that they can change. They ignore frustrations that they have no facility, resources or capability to fix. 23 years of experience in operating my own businesses taught me to frame frustrations in ways that they can be fixed. When a customer rejects an idea, an investor declines to invest, an employee won't work I have learned to look deeper and find out why. When I understand their reasons I can take action. Actions produce results which is what business is all about.]]></description>
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		<title>Mass Collaboration is Driving Specialisation</title>
		<link>http://www.russellyardley.com/opinions/2009/09/mass-collaboration-is-driving-specialisation/</link>
		<comments>http://www.russellyardley.com/opinions/2009/09/mass-collaboration-is-driving-specialisation/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 24 Sep 2009 05:03:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Russell Yardley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Collaboration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Knowledge or Digital Economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[small business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[innovation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Russell Yardley]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[specialisation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[strategic planning]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.russellyardley.com/opinions/?p=96</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Small businesses must take advantage of mass collaboration and specialise in what they do best. All tasks that can be achieved cheaper and at a higher quality by others must be outsourced and even those things you specialise in must be enhanced by collaborating with others who can help you improve.]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
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		<title>Business Planning: It&#8217;s a Lot More Than Strategy</title>
		<link>http://www.russellyardley.com/opinions/2009/08/business-planning-its-a-lot-more-than-strategy/</link>
		<comments>http://www.russellyardley.com/opinions/2009/08/business-planning-its-a-lot-more-than-strategy/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 25 Aug 2009 05:15:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Russell Yardley</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[small business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[operational planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[strategic planning]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.russellyardley.com/opinions/?p=77</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
			
				
			
		
The word &#8217;strategic&#8217; has become pretty meaningless through overuse. What is strategic and what is tactical? Is strategy just about direction and tactics just about the doing or operations? Company boards are said to be responsible for strategy and the management team responsible for operations. But boards seem to spend most of their time reviewing [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
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