by John F Kettley | Apr 21, 2026 | Construction Business UK, Leadership, SMEs
A lot of construction owners still talk about turnover as if it proves quality. It doesn’t. Turnover can tell you something about activity, scale or market reach, but on its own it tells you very little about how well the business is actually run. In construction...
by John F Kettley | Apr 6, 2026 | Leadership, SMEs
Culture isn’t posters. It’s the founder’s behaviour under pressure. If you really want to see a company’s culture, ‘don’t’ read the values slide, instead, watch what happens when something goes wrong. Culture isn’t posters. It’s behaviour under pressure. It’s how the...
by John F Kettley | Mar 30, 2026 | SMEs
Debt should buy appreciation, never depreciation Debt isn’t good or bad. It’s a tool. Like any tool, it depends who’s holding it and why. My simplest rule is this: debt should buy appreciation, never depreciation. If you borrow to fund something that creates durable...
by John F Kettley | Mar 2, 2026 | SMEs
TURNOVER IS VANITY. PROFIT IS PROOF. Turnover is a loud number. It’s easy to celebrate, easy to post and easy to hide behind. Profit is quieter. Profit is where the truth lives. I see the same pattern in businesses that come across my desk. Revenue is growing,...
by John F Kettley | Feb 19, 2026 | SMEs
The shift from broke to wealthy is tactical If you’ve ever spent years chasing money simply to stay ahead of bills, you’ll understand the constant background noise it creates. You work harder, push longer hours, and assume that somewhere ahead there’s a line you’ll...
by John F Kettley | Feb 5, 2026 | SMEs
Zombie businesses didn’t disappear after Covid. They learned how to survive without really moving forward. In 2026, they are easy to spot if you know what you’re looking for. Turnover creeps up at low single digit growth. Margins are thin but stable. Owners take a...
