Evolving your business through change

[Peter Freeth]

Excellerate event 22nd January 2009

Excellerate launched their new learning centre in Warwickshire yesterday with a presentation from Managing Director Peter Freeth and a special appearance from Caroline Spelman MP, the Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

Caroline opened the event by talking about the importance of small businesses in supporting our economy through the potentially difficult times ahead, and the way in which small businesses are often more innovative and creative than large companies in dealing flexibly with challenges and the changing demands of the market environment.

Being responsive to change was the theme of Peter's presentation, and unlike much of the information being presented about the credit crunch, Peter's approach centred around recognising a time of change as an opportunity to evolve.

“The clues for how a business will survive a potential recession are all there in the natural world, when we look at the evolution of life and the way in which animals respond to changing environments”, says Peter.

Peter's book Change Magic expands on this idea and provides a practical approach to how a business can evolve in order to survive and thrive at a time of change.

Change Magic is now in its second edition and is available from all good book shops or direct from the publisher at www.ciauk.com

In relating the principles of evolution to business success, Peter offers business owners a unique and creative point of view on the problems that they may face in the future.

“It's easy to focus on only one aspect of the environment, such as the availability of customers, yet it's important to remember that every market, every environment is competitive. The more attractive an environment is, the more competition there is within it, so it's not a matter of finding the most abundant market, what you need to do is choose the market environment that supports you in becoming the business that you want to be, both now and in the future.”, says Peter.

“The changing market environment will favour the people and businesses most responsive to change, not the ones with the best strategies or business plans, because planning for the future does not control it. By recognising what you excel at and focusing on the feedback you get from your market environment, you will always be in the best position to respond to the changes that lie ahead.”