One Year in Business, Ten Times Over: Why Most Retailers Drift

This week I was reminded of something my mentor and friend, Martin Norbury, often says.

“Most business owners aren’t ten years in business…

They’re one year in business, ten times over.”

It’s uncomfortable - because it’s usually true.

Most butchers and farm shop owners don’t struggle because they’re lazy or bad at what they do.

They struggle because they drift.

They move from one year to the next, busy every day, but without real clarity about what they actually want. And without clarity, everything feels important - new ideas, random promotions, half-finished plans.

That drift nearly always comes down to one thing: lack of clarity.

When you don’t know exactly where you’re going, you can’t focus on the things that genuinely shift the needle.

This year feels different for me.

I know what I want.

My targets are set.

And because I’ve got clarity, I can work backwards.

I know:

– How many customers we need to serve each week

– What our average transaction value needs to be

– What deserves attention - and what doesn’t

That clarity is driving my Q1 plans and my Q1 sales.

Clarity.

Knowing what you want your business to deliver for you.

And it’s exactly what I’ll be talking about on Tuesday at 7pm.

No fluffy goal-setting.

No buzzwords.

Just getting properly clear, so you stop drifting and start making decisions that actually pay.

If the last few years have felt like a blur of “busy but not quite where I want to be”, this will hit home.

Join me Tuesday at 7pm - and let’s get clear on what really matters.

Have a great week.

Mark