Pruning makes the Plant Stronger

As a life-long fan of Gardeners' World (the Geoff Hamilton years, although I do remember Percy Thrower) I am a fan of a bit of pruning!

If you tuned in in the last few weeks then you will have seen Monty Don happily wielding secateurs and loppers.

There are many reasons to prune plants. Changing their shape is one, but for many of them the reason is to encourage new growth which will, for example, bear fruit (literally!) or produce stunning floral displays. Plants which are left to grow naturally may indeed produce fruit and flowers, but not necessarily in abundance. And indeed the long-term health of the plant in question may also be affected - properly tended plants will live longer. Of course, you have to feed them at times, and ensure an adequate water supply.

Why am I banging on about plants? Because it is the same with our businesses. Sometimes we have to get rid of the dead wood in order for the business to grow and flourish. I don't necessarily mean people - although that of course may be the case. People who are not contributing need to be encouraged to step up, but let go if that's not possible.

You may think of other ways to "prune" your business?

Letting go of products (and services) which no longer contribute to the overall wealth of the business. It may be tempting to leave them there, but you will probably find that deleting them and focusing on products that customers will want to buy will be a better strategy.

If your business uses a variety of suppliers, then you can consider rationalising them, and selecting the ones who give you the best deal (not necessarily the cheapest) and who will help and support you - it should be a win-win partnership. If a supplier consistently delivers late, has poor customer service and doesn't care about you then get the loppers out!

And, of course, customers! Making the decision to focus on the customers who "get" what you do, pay on time, give you great reviews and recommend you to their friends will help you to "open up the structure of the tree" - making room for more of the same!

So - let's see you get busy with your secateurs in your business - and let me know what you are doing to prune it ready for strong future growth!