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Articles by Alan Manly
Six steps to making customers raving fans
We’ve all seen those charts featuring a row of bright yellow smiley faces, ranging from beamingly happy to neutral and then sad. Customer satisfaction is often measured this way. But one risk of using customer satisfaction surveys is that the questions may be tuned to produce results that support whatever trend or initiative the company is currently focused on. Sometimes, these initiatives are noble but difficult to deliver effectively.
Four mistakes I made when starting a business
Starting a business can feel like a leap into the unknown. You’re filled with enthusiasm and hope, eager to bring your idea to life. However, as I’ve learned over several decades of entrepreneurship, there are many pitfalls along the way. As Vernon Sanders Law wisely observed, “Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards.” Fortunately, I never made the same one twice.
Why being an entrepreneur is a lifestyle decision
“Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life,” Mark Twain famously remarked. Yet, many people find themselves trapped in jobs that feel more like a “day prison” than a fulfilling career. They suffer from a lack of pride in their organisation, minimal appreciation, an absence of challenges, and an unwillingness to go beyond basic requirements.
Why Australia's governments need to lean in and step up to back female founders
Let that sink in! As a long time senior policy adviser, advocate and mentor to many diverse female founders, I know the Government has missed something critical – how are we going to boost female founders, who receive only 11% of all venture funding (just 7% to 100% female-founded business), while delivering more returns than male-led companies.
France has arrested Telegram's founder and that has the potential to change the future of big tech
When Pavel Durov arrived in France on his private jet last Saturday, he was greeted by police who promptly arrested him. As the founder of the direct messaging platform Telegram, he was accused of facilitating the widespread crimes committed on it. The following day, a French judge extended Durov’s initial period of detention, allowing police to detain him for up to 96 hours. Telegram has rejected the allegations against Durov.
Square Peg's Paul Bassat launches Amplify, a citizen-based political policy lobby group
Bunnings CEO Michael Schneider, former Tech Council CEO Kate Pounder and ex-NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet turned BHP advisor are among a new board members of a new political think tank led by Square Peg’s Paul Bassat. Amplify is a non-partisan organisation, independent of political parties, and says it’s seeking to find the “uncommon ground” on issues Australians care about most.
Entries for Bupa's $390,000 eco-startup competition close next week
Applications for Bupa’s 2024 eco-Disruptive program, which is open to start-ups in Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong, close next Monday, September 2. The program gives selected startups with £25,000 (A$49,000) in initial funding and then £200,000 (A$390,000) if they win Bupa’s global eco-Disruptive competition.
Why finding your tribe is key to entrepreneurial success
The moment an entrepreneur decides to take the plunge and launch a unique value proposition, it often feels like a solitary journey. This decision is personal, driven by a deep desire to seize a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Analysing this moment reveals a singular experience—one person, one opportunity, one launch. It’s a scenario that can easily be seen as lonely, even though it might also represent self-actualisation, the pinnacle of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
Four reasons age is no barrier to entrepreneurship
When is the right time to cash in on your great new idea that has a unique value proposition? The answer is perhaps best summed up by the phrase “Timing is everything,” attributed to Buck Brannaman, America’s renowned horseman. This quote, easily understood in the context of horse riding and its inherent risks, is often shared by both the cautious and the brave. Ultimately, the right time to start is when it feels right, says Alan Manly author of The Unlikely Entrepreneur and CEO of CampusQ.
Why a CEO office isn’t the happiest in the building
The CEO office is more than a physical room: it is a position on a corporate organizational chart that has clear authority and responsibilities. The position is described by Investopedia as someone responsible for making major corporate decisions, driving the direction the company takes, supervising other executives and overseeing growth plans. They are accountable to the board of directors or stakeholders of the company and are often the public face of the organization.
The glory train: Why not all customers are worth having on your journey
Once a startup or small business has commenced trading, the idiom “the train has left the station” sums up the situation: No more second thoughts, no turning back. Alan Manly, CEO of CampusQ and author of The Unlikely Entrepreneur, explains that if business plans were put to music, the lyrics of the folk song “This Train” would be particularly apt. Why? Entrepreneurs and hope go well together.
Major warning as Aussies risk $510,000 life savings: 'Builder has no sympathy'
Knockdown rebuild (Alan Manly) The idea of building your dream home appeals to many of us. However, the reality is that the knockdown rebuild route is by no means smooth sailing. You're no longer a simple homebuyer, you're an entrepreneur. And it can quickly turn your life upside down. Recently some family members embarked on a knockdown rebuild project in Sydney and found out exactly that. They Sydney accountants did own a home.
The five skills entrepreneurs need to succeed in 2024
While sometimes it can appear that becoming an entrepreneur comes with a dream lifestyle, trying to get a business off the ground during a cost-of-living crisis in a cash-strapped post-pandemic world is neither easy nor glamorous. However, it is doable. But you’re going to need a certain set of skills that will set you apart from everyone else. So, what skills does an entrepreneur need to succeed in 2024? Are you really an entrepreneur?
Starting out? Who do you need in your start-up dream team?
The decision to commence a startup is a watershed moment in an entrepreneur’s life. The great new idea has matured into a Unique Value Proposition and hopefully there is a business plan that suggests a viable business can be built. Now what? asks business strategist Alan Manly, author of The Unlikely Entrepreneur. Now it’s the moment when you will seriously consider building your start-up dream team. A leap of faith: employee number one The hardest person to employ will be yourself.
Five tips to bring out your team’s intrapreneurial spirit | Money & Life
Intrapreneurs are given freedom and support to create new products, services, and systems, and who do not have to follow the business’s usual routines or protocols. Alan Manly provides five tips on how to bring out your team’s intrapreneurial spirit. Everyone has heard of famous entrepreneurs, such as Gates of Microsoft, Musk of Tesla and of course, Zuckerburg of Meta. But what about intrapreneurs?
How to implement digital transformation for growing startups
Navigating a startup company is no easy feat, but learning how to implement digital transformation could be the key that unlocks long-term business success for you. In fact, research conducted by the MIT Center for Digital Business found that “digitally mature” firms who adopted digital transformation are 26% more profitable than their competitors, while also enjoying a 12% higher market valuation. This highlights just how crucial digital transformation is for businesses today.
Why there's never a perfect time to start a business
The topic of when to start a business is always controversial, but is there really ever a right time? Firstly, it’s important to examine who would actually want to start a business in the first place. Roughly 70 per cent of people aged 18 to 64 think they have the knowledge, skills and experience needed to start a company. Curiously 45.7 per cent believe that there are good opportunities but only 5.8 per cent are in the process of starting a business.
5 reasons why startups fail (and how to avoid them)
If you run a quick Google search on why startups fail, the screen lights up. After hours of reading, there are many really nicely written reasons why startups fail that touch all number of topics. However, we don’t just want to know why a startup fails, we also need to know what to do to make sure that doesn’t happen to us. Here are some red flags you should be looking for and how to avoid them, explains business strategist, Alan Manly. 1.
Five ways to encourage intrapreneurship – and why it's important to do so
However, businesses large and small are fast realising that doing so is a must if that are to thrive more than simply survive. Every idea should be fostered, valued and analysed on its merits – no matter where in the hierarchy it comes from. And so, we arrive at intrapreneurship. According to Investopedia, intrapreneurship “refers to a system that allows an employee to act like an entrepreneur within a company or other organisation”.
5 ways to achieve business growth - before you even think about expansion
If you’ve decided that your business needs to grow, there are several issues to consider before you invest the time, effort and money into expanding, writes Alan Manly, author of The Unlikely Entrepreneur. The first thing to ask yourself is if you really want it to grow and if you’re making enough money in return for the time and effort being invested. Your current work-life balance, which is important to most people, may not always be improved by building a larger business.
Welcome to the workplace of 2030
Some might think that 2030 seems too distant in the future to be taken too seriously. While the future is always difficult to predict, a series of trends and workplace developments have emerged that very clearly indicate what the workplace and organizational culture will look like and, more importantly, ‘feel’ like in seven years’ time. And it’s something that all CEOs and senior leaders should take very seriously.
Thought leadership can be an act of service. Here’s why.
Unless you’re a professional nose for perfumes or an astronaut, it’s unlikely you occupy a rarefied field of endeavor. For the vast majority of professionals, millions have the same job titles, qualifications and even skill sets. However, this ocean of sameness needn’t be your destiny. With some planning, you can create a position for yourself where you are in a ‘category of one’. And the way to do this is by establishing yourself as a thought leader.
Why saying ‘I don't know’ has made me a more authentic leader
Skip to content Menu Close As a business consultant, I used to fear telling my clients, “I don’t know.” As an expert in helping businesses grow and succeed, I always wanted to have the answers and advice my clients were trusting in me to provide. While I still desire to have solutions to my clients’ problems, I’ve come to find that this isn’t possible 100 percent of the time. I’ve accepted this and now use this to my own advantage and that of my clients.
5 tips for leaders to encourage ‘intrapreneurship’ in their staff
Skip to content Menu Close Everyone has heard of famous entrepreneurs such as Gates of Microsoft, Musk of Tesla and, of course, Zuckerberg of Meta. An entrepreneur is defined as a person who organizes and manages any enterprise, especially a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk. But what about ‘intrapreneurs’?
Three ways to use digital tactics to recession-proof your business
Skip to content Menu Close From automation to cybersecurity, digitalization has a huge part to play in your company’s financial outlook. Irrespective of your industry, it will make a significant difference in your company’s ability to survive economic uncertainty. Here are three digital tactics for business leaders looking to recession-proof their business. 1. Invest in automation With turbulent economic waters on the horizon, the old adage that time is money has never felt truer.
The five key skills of all successful entrepreneurs
Once the decision is made to follow a certain career path there is one question to ask – what skills will be needed? CEO of Universal Business School Sydney and author of The Unlikely Entrepreneur, Alan Manly explains the five key skills all successful entrepreneurs must have. In the case of skills to be a successful entrepreneur, perhaps the secret is that there is no secret. Skills can be innate or learned, while the outcome may well be the same. So let’s look at what having a skill is all about.
Here are seven simple ways to develop a lifelong learning mentality
Skip to content Menu Close As we enter another new year, goal setting and plans for self-improvement are front of mind. While health often tops the list of areas for self-improvement, education and learning are often relegated to the pursuits of students and deprioritized after school or university. A lifelong learner is someone who actively pursues both formal and informal education, training and development, whether for career advancement, personal satisfaction or both.
Can you actually learn to be an entrepreneur? - BusinessToday
Throughout the past few COVID-dominated years, we’ve seen the fortunes of the wealthiest people in the world skyrocket to new heights. One thing that all of these rich listers have in common, is that they are entrepreneurs who started from very little and fought their way to the very top in business.
The hidden and the overlooked
Unveiling the obscured costs of starting a business. The world is in the midst of an inflationary environment that hasn’t been seen for many decades. Labour shortages and high materials costs are all being exacerbated by supply-chain issues. While these rising costs are becoming more obvious by the day for consumers, we’re also starting to see businesses struggling to deal with them.
5 tips for leaders to bring out your team's intrapreneurial spirit
Everyone has heard of famous entrepreneurs such as Gates of Microsoft, Musk of Tesla and of course Zuckerburg of Meta. But what about intrapreneurs? An entrepreneur is defined as a person who organizes and manages any enterprise, especially a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk.
The hidden costs of starting a business
ney doesn’t get a mention. If the motivations are not monetary what would be the hidden costs of starting a business? Isolation The first cost of starting a business is isolation from the herd. Noam Shpancer Ph.D. in Psychology Today is quoted as saying, “Human beings are herd animals. We survive only in highly coordinated groups. Individually, we are designed to pick up social cues and coordinate and align our behaviour with those around us.
5 business success secrets from an unlikely entrepreneur
When you think of a typical entrepreneur, you might envision a tech-savvy Zuckerberg-ish type with quality education or $$ behind them. But in truth, there are many forms of entrepreneurs, and not all of them are as you’d expect, writes founder of Group Colleges Australia and author of The Unlikely Entrepreneur, Alan Manly. I’m neither a genius nor over-educated, and I’m definitely not the creator of a world marvel – but I created a thriving global business from scratch. And you know what?
The most common yet avoidable mistakes that cause startups to fail
As CEO of Universal Business School Sydney (UBSS) and author of The Unlikely Entrepreneur, Alan Manly OAM has seen many startups come and go. He shares the top seven avoidable mistakes he’s seen over the years that cause even the most promising startups to fail. The secret to success may well be that there is no one secret at all. Likewise, there is no one way to avoid failure. However, there are some well-worn paths that startup entrepreneurs seem to revisit time and again.
The five toughest business lessons no one tells you
As an entrepreneur with decades of experience, Alan Manly OAM is now the CEO of Universal Business School Sydney (UBSS) and author of The Unlikely Entrepreneur. He shares the five toughest business lessons he learned the hard way, so you don’t have to. When you’re winning, people perceive that you’ve learned the required lessons, and that is certainly true for me.
The five habits of successful people post COVID
The secret to success is perhaps that there is no secret. Observation of successful people can give some insight as to what differentiates them from the crowd since their habits are on display for all to see. Post-COVID, everyone who will survive in business will have acquired some facets of the skills listed below. Failure to adapt may well lead to another COVID business fatality. However they are acquired, these habits are highly rewarding in careers or business.
3 ways to keep customers coming back post-COVID
A lot has changed in the two-and-a-half years since COVID started, writes Alan Manly OAM, CEO of Universal Business School Sydney. Digital experience has grown and business needs to look at different ways to keep customers coming back. With COVID slowly becoming less intrusive across the country, most businesses are now fully open and trying to adapt to a new way of working.
Five networking tips when you're feeling rusty
Before COVID we all thought that it was natural to meet and greet in a herd environment. Psychology Today even stated, “human beings are herd animals… we survive only in highly coordinated groups”. But during COVID, networking was made illegal. Not since the Spanish flu was such severe restrictions on networking recorded. One hundred years later there was a solution of sorts to the need to herd by humans. It was called Zoom.
Five savvy ways to impress investors into supporting your startup
With a degree of economic uncertainty in the air as interest rates rise around the world, being able to get investors on board is more important than ever. Being able to clearly demonstrate your ideas to external parties is only going to become more critical, writes Alan Manly OAM, CEO of Universal Business School Sydney (UBSS) and author of The Unlikely Entrepreneur. Let’s look at five ways to impress investors and give them confidence in your ability to deliver: 1.
Lessons for startups: The five foundations required to create an outstanding business
So, you’ve managed to survive your first year of running a startup. Congratulations, you’ve made it further than most. Unfortunately, your journey is far from over and it’s time that we had a bit of a reality check, writes Alan Manly OAM, CEO of Universal Business School Sydney (UBSS) and author of The Unlikely Entrepreneur. By now, you’ve likely learned that running a business is nothing like what we see in the movies and far less glamorous.
How the private sector can join the fight against modern slavery
Skip to content Menu Close According to the United Nations (UN), it is estimated that there are over 40 million men, women and children in situations in modern day slavery today, with about half in Asia alone. These victims, who can be found in factories, construction sites, within fisheries and sex venues, are forced to work for little or no pay, deprived of their freedom, and often subjected to unimaginable suffering.
How to leverage your existing employees to bridge the talent gap
The other pandemic. This is no ordinary fight for talent. It is rough, unscrupulous, disruptive and breathtaking in its enormity. It is also global. 75 per cent of Australia’s CEOs are concerned about the availability of key skills and worldwide, 54 per cent of companies report talent shortages. And, unlike the COVID-19 pandemic, this pandemic has been brewing for some time.
Why entrepreneurial success is only possible if you invest in yourself
No matter how large or small the enterprise, many entrepreneurs become so laser-focused on business success that they can tend to put their own wellbeing on the backburner. But for true success, entrepreneurs must invest in themselves as much as their business, writes Alan Manly OAM, CEO of Universal Business School Sydney. One thing all of us have learned over the past 18 months is that we can’t afford to take our health or our family for granted.
The five foundations that create a lasting business
So, you’ve managed to survive your first year of running a startup. Congratulations, you’ve made it further than most. Unfortunately, your journey is far from over and it’s time that we had a bit of a reality check, writes Alan Manly OAM, CEO of Universal Business School Sydney (UBSS) and author of The Unlikely Entrepreneur. By now, you’ve likely learned that running a business is nothing like what we see in the movies and far less glamorous.
The Coming $60 Trillion Wealth Tsunami
Creating Purpose, Meaning and Impact for the Next Generation: In July 2019, a remarkable event occurred that went largely unnoticed. That particular month was when demographers believe the United States had more members of the Millennial generation than the Baby Boomer generation. While the number of Millennials will stay fairly static over the course of the next 25 years, the Baby Boomers group will (for obvious reasons) continue to decline.
The Emotionally Strong Leader: Building Effective And Collaborative Workplace Relationships
Time is up for the irreproachable leader whose very presence can cause waves of terror among employees. So too is it up for the stoic, detached, and unflappable leader whose inability to be seen as anything but in control creates tense and inauthentic interactions. What we need today are leaders who embrace their feelings, who understand themselves from the inside-out.
Accelerating Leadership Cultures Through the Lanes of Sports Innovation and Team Dynamics: A Must for Corporate Unison
High performers are, in a way, the easiest to lead: in their own capacity, they are usually world-class players. They are perfectionists and specialized generalists with a deep sense of discontentment with the best of their individual output. These factors also make high-performing teams (HPTs) the most difficult to lead – especially because they comprise world-class performers with well-developed egos who bring their diverse personalities and temperaments to the game.
6 Habits of successful entrepreneurs
Over the past few years, the success of leading businesses and entrepreneurs has been thrust into the spotlight like we haven’t seen for many years with company values and profits surging. While no two businesses or entrepreneurs are the same, there are common traits that many of these most successful people exhibit. These range from the need to “Get sh*t done with no excuses” to the ancient wisdom “it’s first bitter then sweet”. Where do you fit in?
Can you actually learn to be an entrepreneur?
Skip to content Menu Close Throughout the past few COVID-dominated years, we’ve seen the fortunes of the wealthiest people in the world skyrocket to new heights. One thing that all of these rich listers have in common, is that they are entrepreneurs who started from very little and fought their way to the very top in business.
Five ways entrepreneurs can invest in themselves to succeed
No matter how large or small the enterprise, many entrepreneurs become so laser-focused on business success that they can tend to put their own wellbeing on the backburner. But for true success, entrepreneurs must invest in themselves as much as their business, writes Alan Manly OAM, CEO of Universal Business School Sydney. One thing all of us have learned over the past 18 months is that we can’t afford to take our health or our family for granted.
The missing ten percent - you get what you pay for: opinion
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