In the meantime, if you happen to know any friendly publishers who might be interested in the story of a business from start-up to sell-out, via all sorts of dramas – part memoir, part business handbook, part comic novel – I’ll happily pay commissions for any successful introduction.

David Croydon

dave@hilltopconsultancy.co.uk

Publisher sought is a post from: The Unprincipled

Now we have an opportunity that could make or break us. What do we do? Go for broke, or act conservatively and try to stabilise the sinking ship before taking any high-risk decisions?

You’ll just have to read on to find out.

And while I have your attention, more than one of my regular readership has insisted that I must get all this properly published.  Well, yes, I’d love to, but as you can imagine, the publishing industry is as difficult to break into as any other creative industry, unless you happen to be connected to someone who is already rich and famous, so if anyone out there knows anyone in publishing to punt this at, I’d be eternally grateful.

Chapter eight is here is a post from: The Unprincipled

Losing more than half the business at the same time spells drama. And we all know what drama brings.  Yes, that’s right, a lot of shouting and potential violence.  Luckily we avoid the violence; the same cannot be said of the shouting.

Of all the 12 years of our existence, this is the second unhappiest (you’ll have to wait till the last chapter for the worst), and yet it all starts out so positively.

Just when you think everything is going swimmingly, life has a habit of reminding you of its fickleness with a hearty kick in the balls.  Chapter 7 is our biggest and most painful testicular blow.

The fact that there are four more chapters to this history means you know the blow isn’t fatal, but boy, it comes mighty close.

And if you’ve been with me on this journey from the start, whether actually or metaphorically, keep the faith: things get better.  A lot better.  As I mentioned in a very early post, the journey was a roller-coaster.  Chapter 7 is where we bottom out.

Enjoy, and don’t let it spoil your Christmas. It won’t be spoiling mine.

Merry Christmas, chapter 7 is here is a post from: The Unprincipled

We’re over the half-way mark now: six chapters down, five to go.

What happens when things go wrong (the first time): grappling with recession and the need to make redundant colleagues who have become friends, and trying desperately to stabilise the ship.

Plus, as we recover (sorry to spoil the story), our dip into the world of business advisors and consultants.

What can go wrong frequently does, and yet we still manage, within two years, to post record results and continue to win new business, even while we’re losing clients too.  It’s all part of the roller-coaster ride I promised you (and we’re far from finished yet.)

Chapter 6 hits the presses is a post from: The Unprincipled

A lengthy (too lengthy) description of the many and varied ways we found to motivate our clients, our staff and ourselves, generally involving large amounts of alcohol and frequently ending in bad behaviour and embarrassment all round.

As one of my erstwhile colleagues put it, after he had read it, “Finally you look like you might be having fun.”  If previous chapters have implied that everything was unalloyed tedium and grind, then nothing could be further from the truth.  If anything, we spent too much time (and money) on pissing the proceeds up the wall, and not enough actually running and growing the business.

There is an argument that we could have achieved our objectives a lot more quickly, if we had spent less time on this sort of fun and games, and more actually working.  But stuff that.  If you’re not in business to have at least some personal amusement, what on earth are you doing here at all?

Enjoy the journey…

Chapter 5 is now here is a post from: The Unprincipled

Chapter 1:
Palm-Tree Head and the Art of Conspiracy
Conspiring to form a breakaway from our current employer, taking as much business with us as we can, via a plethora of secret-squirrel meetings.  The business of setting up a business.

Chapter 2:
Dodgy Accountants: Pit Pony, Cardy Coxy and the Bookie’s Friend
The early days of the enterprise and our little local difficulties with the world of accountants – internal and external: fraud and incompetence in equal measures. ‘Dodgy’ sums it up really.

Chapter 3:
Sharp Practice: Creative Accounting in the Creative Department
Fun and games with the creative function.  To suffer one fraudulent Board member may be deemed unfortunate; a second looks like carelessness.

Chapter 4:
Cowboys (and Indians): Dodgy Clients
A walk through some of the work we do, featuring some of the less savoury characters we find ourselves dealing with.  Character defects (ours or theirs?) abound.

Chapter 5:
Motivation, Motivation, Motivation
A lengthy description of our efforts at client entertainment, staff motivation and self-motivation, thinly disguised as a continual succession of piss-ups, here and abroad.

The story so far is a post from: The Unprincipled

It isn’t always pretty; there are almost as many black Fridays as happy Mondays, but somehow we keep going.

As always, though, trouble is just round the corner.  Now read on…

Chapter 4 hits the (Word)press is a post from: The Unprincipled

Is there anyone out there who knows how to do it, and can communicate that in words of one syllable to an ignoramus like what I am?

All the other chapters are written (up to chapter eight is already in digital form, requiring only editing and checking), so further chapters should appear at fairly regular intervals through the rest of the Summer.

And if anyone knows a publishing house who might be interested in taking it on, once complete, I’m open to offers.

Chapter three is up is a post from: The Unprincipled

‘Ere we go is a post from: The Unprincipled

Finally the book begins is a post from: The Unprincipled