AI Is Coming for Your Livelihood—What Are You Going to Do About It?
Artificial Intelligence isn’t knocking politely at the door anymore—it’s already in your office, on your phone, and competing for your customers’ attention. The pace of disruption is ruthless. Analysts estimate that up to 90% of current jobs could be replaced by AI within the next decade, and small businesses are not immune. Whether you’re running […]
Why Most Small Businesses Fail—and How WRN Turns the Odds Around
Roughly 50% of small businesses fail within five years, and nearly two-thirds don’t survive a full decade, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The reasons are painfully consistent: weak planning, poor marketing, and lack of expert guidance. Ironically, most founders know they need help—but early-stage businesses rarely have the cash to afford qualified […]
Turning Weak Signals into Strategic Advantage
In times of rapid economic or social change, weak signals often hold the key to future success. These are the faint hints—emerging behaviors, unmet needs, or shifting attitudes—that reveal where markets may be headed long before the mainstream catches on. Business owners who learn to recognize and act on these signals can pivot toward new […]
Standing Out in a Crowded Market
Independent retailers often struggle to survive against big-box chains. A boutique outdoor gear shop faced this exact battle. Competing on price was a losing game, and matching inventory was impossible. So they asked the Market-Focused Planning question: Why would a customer choose us? The answer wasn’t “more products” or “lower prices.” Instead, it was community […]
How Market-Focused Planning Helps Businesses Win Where It Counts
When a small software company named HealthSpace struggled to stay afloat, its leadership was at a crossroads. They had an innovative concept, but reality painted a different picture: undercapitalized, no coherent marketing plan, and customers drifting toward competitors. The question wasn’t whether they were working hard—it was whether they were working on the right things. […]
My AI Writes Better Than I… Well, Kind Of
I’ll admit it: my AI writes better than I do. Not Shakespeare better, but definitely “that kid in high school who actually read the assigned book” better. Give it a prompt, and suddenly it’s churning out polished paragraphs like it’s been mainlining caffeine and thesauruses since dawn. Meanwhile, I stare at the blinking cursor like […]
The Origin of Market Focused Planning: Why Narrowing Your Focus Expands Your Impact
In the early 1990s, a strategic shift was born out of necessity. While working with the International Centre for Agriculture and Science, alongside Dr. Roger Moore, we coined the term Market Focused Planning—a deliberate move away from “navel-gazing” strategies and toward a discipline grounded in how the market sees you, not how you see yourself. […]
Pivot to Profit: Leveraging Market Focused Planning in Times of Market Disruption
In an unpredictable business environment, relying solely on traditional strategic planning often leaves companies ill-prepared for sudden market shifts. Conventional planning methods typically begin from within, driven by internal biases, assumptions, and objectives that create a misleading sense of control. When unexpected changes arise, these internal blind spots quickly become evident, making established strategies obsolete […]
How to Profit from the Global Trade Shake-Up: A Wake-Up Call for Canadian Business Owners
Let’s not sugar-coat it: the global trade system just got flipped on its head. The U.S. has effectively rewritten the rules of engagement with a near-universal tariff structure. The old playbook is toast. And while the headlines scream trade war, savvy business owners see something else: opportunity. Crisis = Catalyst for Smart Entrepreneurs Here’s the […]