Ian Smith | The Portfolio Partnership

Exit Strategy Vs. Keep It Strategy

by Ian Smith | Nov 3, 2013 | Exiting your business

Is there a difference between running a business to ensure you can exit and cashing out one day Vs. running it to keep it forever? Yes there is, the last 24 months. Every owner needs to run a business as if they wanted to cash out one day. The ones who are committed...

The Power of Questions

by Ian Smith | Oct 31, 2013 | Operational Tips

We all know how important a good question is. The incisive interrogation of Richard Nixon by David Frost. Ronald Regan’s question for the nation prior to voting in 1980 – Are you better off than you were four years ago? Questions define you. Great...

Adding Professional Services to Your Product Business

by Ian Smith | Oct 27, 2013 | Operational Tips, Scaling

It seems so obvious why wouldn’t you have done it already? Well, rolling out a services business on the back of your product business requires careful consideration. I’ve done it several times and I’m currently helping a client execute the...

Successful Selling Improves The Person First Not The Company

by Ian Smith | Oct 24, 2013 | Selling

It sounds plausible. You focus your marketing story on outcomes you deliver for companies. Your sales team’s chatter is all about how they can improve prospect company X. They’ve improved similar companies. It’s a slam-dunk! Certainly focusing on...

Is Your Balance Sheet Fit For Scaling?

by Ian Smith | Oct 20, 2013 | Basic Finance, Scaling

Raising venture capital immediately transforms your balance sheet into a platform for scaling. Of course failure is still a high probability. Especially if you execute the wrong things. But that immediate injection of capital allows management to roll out their...