This remarkable episode takes us on a journey like never before. A journey all about the importance of physical wellbeing and how this is a vital part of your business strategy. I talk to my good friend, Jon Denoris, founder of “Club 51” London’s exclusive bespoke fitness studio, about the role that good health and physical well-being plays in business. It’s phenomenal, to say the least.

Jon, a trained “Exercise Scientist” who specialises in Exercise Psychology and Behavioural Change walks us through the striking similarities between a successful health and wellness regime and kaizen! I found this fascinating and amazingly true.

Kelvin Newman is the resident expert on Internet Marketing Podcast, UK’s most popular internet marketing podcast, downloaded by over half a million people. In this episode, I ask him what it takes to have such a well-respected podcast that continues to attract a huge following.

Today’s episode is a special one as I go back to my true Kaizen roots and speak with Bruce Hamilton, the President of the GBMP (Greater Boston Manufacturing Partnership), a non-profit provider of lean technology.  Bruce has extensive experience in all forms of Continuous Improvement including TPS, Lean and Kaizen, having worked in manufacturing and administration roles for a number of organisations.

Bruce is an author and actor in the 2004 video, Toast Kaizen (recipient of 2005 Academic Shingo Prize), used world-wide to introduce the basics of lean manufacturing, as well as Toast VSM (recipient of the 2011 Academic Shingo Prize).

We talk about the book he co-authored, a comprehensive multimedia training package, e2 Continuous Improvement System, the famous Toast Kaizen DVD and how this has taken a life of its own.

Bruce acknowledges the importance of having the right environment within an organisation in which ideas can be put into practice and one in which employees are not afraid to take chances.

Check out Bruce’s blog at www.oldleandude.org that covers a wide range of TPS-related anecdotes.

Links :

GBMP

Toast Kaizen DVD

23rd Annual Shingo Prize Conference

Gallery Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Problem Solving is the essence of any Continuous Improvement effort.  In this episode, I go back to the fundamentals of Kaizen and focus on the art of problem solving as a basic business improvement tool.

I discuss 10 common problem solving tools and techniques that will bring sustainable solutions and show how all of these methods hinge on 3 vital principles of

a)      Measuring the Impact of the Problem

b)      Taking Action

c)      Reviewing and Measuring the Impact of the Action

My Top 10 Problem Solving Tools

Is/Is Not Tool

Pareto’s 80:20 Rule

The 5 Why’s

Brainstorming

Checklists

Poka Yoke

Process Imagineering

Value Stream Mapping

Fishbone / Ishikawa / Cause and Effect

DMAIC

Image: Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

IdeaScale is a powerful online tool, based on empowering communities to have a say in driving innovation for a business by automating the process of collecting ideas and listening to your customers.

Running any business without the use of Intelligence or Insight is foolhardy. It’s akin to driving a car in pitch darkness, with the headlights turned off ! Although you might start the car, move a few metres, will you reach your destination? I doubt it.

Business Intelligence is what informs the best of business decisions, serving as the headlights for your business by showing where to turn, slow down and avoid obstacles on the journey to achieving your business objectives.

There are many ways to collect business intelligence and fortunately, today the internet provides a vast array of  free methods and tools to gather business intelligence and empower your decisions.

In this episode, I provide practical methods, mostly free and web based, to source for a balanced view of your overall business insight.

In particular, I cover details on how you can collect business insight around the 4 key areas of your business:

Customer Insight – listening to the “Voice of the Customer”

Organisational Insight - a powerful SWOT analysis tool

Competitive Analysis – spark Innovation by analysing your competition

Market Trends - strategies to stay ahead of the game

Enjoy !

References made in the podcast:

Techcrunch

Euromonitor

Nielsen

The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman

Viral Heat

Action Plan {filelink=1} Link

Dont forget to send me your questions on any Business Improvement , Kaizen or Continuous Improvement topic or issue.

The first 3 people to send me a question will receive the complete PIMP YOUR BIZ Package, 100% free !

Send an email to [email protected] or use the Contact Us Page to pose your question and stand a chance to win this awesome book package prize .

Main Photo Credit

Writing a solid Business Plan doesn't have to be as hard as you think.  If 2011 is the year you want to start a business, chances are, you're going to need a Business Plan.

Whilst some people see the process of writing a good Business Plan challenging, good practical help  is always at hand, if you look for it in the right places.

In this episode, I speak to Craig Frazier of Business Plan Examples about what inspired him to come up with  The Business Plan Toolkit, a DIY  business plan writing template. It is based on a real life coffee shop business plan and uses the familiar MS Word format so it can be updated for any small business.

The Toolkit also includes the 1 year financial Pro-Forma used to project profit and loss, as well as a break-even analysis chart to graphically display to investors where the break-even point is for sales and profit.

Craig discusses:

His entrepreneurial beginnings and what keeps him motivated

Why the Executive Summary is the Make or Break element of a Business Plan

Why a Business Plan should be for a specific audience  - i.e  board of directors, a bank or venture capitalist or for personal use

Getting Started and taking the first Step in Writing a Wining Business Plan

How he draws inspiration for the book Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion and Purpose written by Tony Hsieh, the CEO of Zappos  and to "stick with your gut"  while growing a business.

"If you can’t articulate who you are and what you want to be through a business plan then your company will lack direction and focus"

As a special gratuity gesture to a few lucky Small Biz Kaizen Podcast Listeners, Business Plan Examples has kindly donated 5 Free Business Plan Toolkits to the first 5 people to write a comment on this very post !

So Hurry and be one of the first 5 people to comment, and receive a FREE complimentary copy of this tried and proven template.

Leave Your Comments Below !

A really special episode in which my son, Tinashe, a Journalism and Communications undergraduate student, interviews me about my book, PIMP YOR BIZ, launched this week. It was great to be in the hot seat for a change and face the music. Amongst other things, I get grilled on:

Why not tap into the many, mostly free, productivity and business improvement tools available and unleash the power of web 2.0 business tools for your business.

In this part 2 and conclusion to the Google Introduction to business products presentation, Daniel Bornstein takes us through how YouTube has started to transform the face of search with some amazing statistics.