Good business is a piece of (Layer) Cake
Layer Cake, the 2004 British gangster movie, may seem an unlikely vehicle for delivering advice on good business. But, like their bright yellow Range Rover getaway vehicle, it does the job. So, let’s take some of the best quotes from this story of gangs, drug deals, and double-crossing and see where the sharp dialogue takes us.
“The art of good business is being a good middleman. Putting people together.”
– Daniel Craig - xxxx
Business isn’t about getting rich. That’s just the result of being good at what you do. If money is your only goal, then ultimately, the client and the employees suffer.
In one instance, a business owner had a philosophy of three before one. He would make $3 before he would spend $1 on anyone else. Yet people recognize that if your motivation is entirely selfish, and at some point, it hits the bottom line.
A business should be about bringing people together to improve things. Making things better means connecting goods and services; it’s connecting the people, connecting the haves to the have-nots in a way that moves everyone forward and enhances wealth.
Because wealth is about how we perceive a transaction, what we receive must appear equal to or of greater value than what we exchanged. One euro for one cup of coffee seems fair – it offers satisfaction and creates wealth. If I pay ten euros, the coffee isn’t worth it, and wealth is destroyed because what I received was less valuable than what I received.
As a business owner, you want to generate wealth yet still maintain a moral compass.
“It is vital that we work to
a few golden rules.
Always work in a small team...”
Small teams are often more effective than larger ones, especially when the odds are against them.
I was in Vietnam, working for a struggling advertising agency. They were losing money hand over fist because they were disorganized – their structure lacked layers. They had one lead, then everyone else. And if they had a problem, then everyone ‘ran for the ball.’
I changed that by putting in teams; three juniors and one senior, arranged by product areas.
By the time a new client arrived with a high-profile requirement to create logos, the teams were incredibly structured, busy, and already turning a profit. So, the only team available was a junior one, led by a young woman. Yet the other older, male team leaders started raising concerns. They weren’t happy, even though I knew she could deliver.
Just before they were due to present, the owner freaked out. He was not ready to take the risk and told everyone else to stop what they were doing and focus on the logos.
No surprise, the client chose the young woman’s logo, proving the power of focus and the importance of breaking down a structure into smaller units.
A small group of people become stronger, they become more effective, the responsibility is more personal, and they are driven to succeed.
When it’s personal, your brain works differently.
“...Only deal with people who
come recommended...”
A good recommendation from someone you know and trust is priceless. Then, when you work with the person they’ve put forward, you are buying into that trust – it’s already been built.
When you only have a LinkedIn profile to go by, you can’t be sure who you are getting. Even if they make a lot of noise online, you don’t have the same assurance level. Can they deliver when it comes to the crunch? You just don’t know.
Someone that has a lower profile but comes highly recommended is a sure thing. And they are going to bring privacy, respect, and security to the table.
After all, we don’t oversell ourselves. We go for the right job and then do it well. We focus on growing relationships and trust and moving us both forward.
“...it's like selling anything else:
washing machines, hand made shoes, blowj***s. As long as you don't take the piss people will always come back for more... But never be too greedy.”
Don’t be greedy – it’s no good trading long-term relationships for short-term wins. If you treat people fairly and with respect, they remember. You are on their list of what they can count on in life. And for most of us, that’s not a long list.
When a client calls and asks for help, they know they can rely on us. We will ruin our lives to make sure that theirs are improved. Yet we still turn a profit to stay in business, ready to pick up when the client makes the call.
In the first few years, until you have consistency, business can be challenging. When you start out, it’s a little like island hopping. You have some dry land to call home, and that’s your income. But if you want to go further, you have to start heading out to a few other small nearby islands. You need to know your rations will get you there.
It's the same in business. You keep your company lean until you are ready to invest. We’ve been able to keep our business unchanged fundamentally, but we are bringing in three times the revenue. We know that if the land disappears as we paddle to the next island, we can adjust to a lighter profile to remain in business. We don’t think that will happen, but we can handle it if it does. We stay efficient, evaluate what we are spending, and understand the value of our people who got us here.
The survival of our staff is equally important to us. We treat people fairly, and they step up when needed because they know we are in it together, and we all benefit.