During the last 30 years of running my own business I have learned some really valuable lessons. These include being focussed on what you do and avoid the temptation to be distracted by the next new thing. At Quay Software we were forever looking to invent new products to sell to our clients but all we ended up doing was creating a support overhead that became increasingly difficult to manage. In the end the business lost focus and all the clutter distracted us from what we went into business to do and that was create a great back office system that people could use.

Suffice it to say, our competition went the same way, which has resulted in an industry that is supported by software that is overly complex and no longer fit for purpose.

When we set up Time4Advice we were determined to learn from our mistakes, which is why we are very clear about our mission and our values. Every strategic decision is tested by a simple question and that is, will our actions take us closer to or further away from our goal or mission?

At the end of the day it is all about knowing your reason for beIng, knowing who you serve and knowing you can deliver value to your clients and profit to your business. And then it is a simple matter of listening to Winston Churchill’s timeless speech – “Never, never, never, never, never, never give up”.