TESTIMONIALS
"I’ve just read your weekly brief below (in detail) and it is a brilliant global coverage of the ‘here and now’ – and especially of the ‘there and then’!
I think your analysis and helicopter view is not only spot on (IMHO) but also a timely warning light for everyone to take on board, the earlier the better.
Your brief is very well presented in brief, simple paras with strong punch lines to make us think and feel more ready to take action.
I am grateful to be on your mailing list; to better prepare for the likely outcomes over which most of us have little control.
Being warned is half the solution to avoiding the crises ahead, so thank you for this.
After 36 years at board level in several countries I applaud your work."
Best regards
Jon Golding, BSc(Eng), MBA, PGCHE, CITP, FCIB, FCICM, FCSI, FCMI
Chartered IT professional, Chartered Banker, Chartered Fellow Securities & Investment Institute
"In the 30 years I have been involved in higher
education, this is one of the best packages I have seen for non-financial managers. The software is user-friendly and guides non-accountants through the profession's complexities, dispelling the
mystique." "Every principal in further education should purchase a copy"
Dr. Philip Dunn, University lecturer and author UK
" Colin was there at the beginning of my career and over the years has proven to be a significant mentor
to me. Colin is an inspirational business educator and is passionate about industry
and in challenging all of us to think outside the box and to strive for new knowledge. His weekly bulletins are thought provoking and prompt us into action, supported with excellent material and case
studies it gives confidence in taking the difficult first steps of progress. Colin is never afraid to say what we are all thinking in the hope of keeping us ` Fit for Business`. With his help I am a
very successful business man with knowledge of business and people management. With Colin`s continuous involvement I will be successful with every new business venture."
Tony Gill
CEO
encore Direct Plc and encore Washington Ltd
2002 Entrepreneur of the Year
UK
" I have been a colleague of Colin Thompson`s
for over four decades and have enjoyed reading his many communications and
thoughts on business and business process. I have always respected his opinions and from time to time have been able to implement some of his suggestions. His advice hasbeen extremely helpful".
Dr Tim Watts
Group Chairman
Pertemps Group
UK
" Colin Thompson`s Business Models simply work!
Since two years now, I frequently use the information and guidelines given by Colin through his website, weekly bulletins and personal contact. As a German Scientist in the medical as well biomedical field, I constantly face international competition and with Colin`s help, I stay on the top of most of my issues surfacing on a daily base. I highly recommend for any business, no matter in which industrial field or branch of Science, to get first hand experience using Colin`s years of knowledge in Business Management and Marketing."
Prof.Dr. med. Hans J. Kempe
President/CEO
Genopuls Technic LLC
Germany
"Although I`ve arrived in this industry not even a year
ago, I did recognize
immediately the thought leadership and authority that comes from Colins person
and work. You`ll find many very committed and brilliant people in this
industry. However, Colin out performs them with his passion for this business,
his impressive heritage, his ability to simplify the complexity of Digital
Printing and his open mind, enabling him to not only concentrate on Document
Management but also on other very promising parts of human life"
Jan Hol
Senior Vice President - Communications
Oce
Corporate Headquarters
Venlo, The Netherlands
`From Strategy to Shareholder Value - A Value Creation Approach`
"A lecture by Colin at Cambridge University which is a "MUST" to those who strive to be `The Managing Class of the 21st Century`
Dr. Luis L. Bravo-Sampedro
Group Managing Director
Societe Europeene D`Ingenierie
France
"Colin Thompson is acknowledged as one of the foremost
consultants in the graphic arts arena. His reality based experience has been used to good affect to help those operating in the sector to take their business to a different level. He has a no
nonsense approach and quickly recognises the core of any issue enabling him to provide relevant and appropriate solutions."
Sidney Bobb
Chairman
The British Association of Print and Communication
London
UK
" I have been a colleague of Colin Thompson`s for over two decades and have enjoyed reading his many communications and thoughts on business and
business process. I have always respected his opinions and from time to time
have been able to implement some of his suggestions. His advice has been
extremely helpful".
Tim Watts
Group Chairman
Pertemps Group
UK
" I have known Colin for many years than I care to remember and in that time I have worked for him and with him and at all times found him to be a
horoughly professional man. His knowledge of Print and Packaging is first
rate, his ideas and views on this wonderful industry of ours are sound and
astute, at times controversial, but always illuminating. When Colin is asked to
deliver on a project or assignment you can always guarantee it will be thorough
and precise and always ahead of schedule. I hope that we continue to work
together for many more years to come".
Dominic Grudzien
Joint Managing Partner
Harrison Scott Associates
UK
` Excellent recommended resource centre for Management Issues for all our
students globally`
Prof H. Sandhu
Cambridge, UK
"Colin and I worked together in the USA almost two
decades ago and we remain in contact over the years as we follow each others` career. I have always enjoyed reading his communications, publications and thoughts on business and business process. I
respect his opinions and from time to time have been able to
implement many of his recommendations within my print manufacturing businesses here in the United States. His advice has been extremely
insightful"
Casey Campbell
President and CEO
Printegra
USA
" Colin
is a first rate professional and trusted business
advisor. He is sharp, relevant, authoritative and eloquent. Collaboration with him is a pleasure, and I have learned something new and valuable at every interaction with him and his highly-regarded
business materials."
Mark Surguy
Commercial Lawyer
Pinsent Masons
UK
" I would like to say how valuable your regular business news wires and information have been over the years. Masses of good ideas, information and
advise. Keep up the good work, Colin".
Stefan Olsberg
Chairman
Voice Connect Ltd
UK
`Strategic Leadership to Raise the Bar`
"Colin is one of those rare breeds of business man that have actually done
it, worked in industry at various levels with skills and experience that have
developed new start up company's, business turnarounds, re-engineering,
acquisitions, mergers and new corporate identities as a successful Managing
Director and displayed his entrepreneurial spirit many times throughout his
career.
In this publication he has brought together his thoughts on almost every area
of business that you may get stuck on, but he has done it in his own unique
way. Each Chapter is to the point and written in lay man's terms, which serve
as a good reference tool if you wanted to pick and choose chapters for study. SMEs need as much practical advice and business tools for success and this book I would describe as a business toolkit
for success.
Don't just read it, but put the ideas into practise. Business is simple, but not easy. I believe this publication is much more than the title suggests`. `Raise your Bar` and you will be very successful after reading this excellent publication".
Karl George MBE
Managing Director Andersons KBS Ltd - Chartered Accountants and
Multi-disciplined Business Consultancy UK
" I enjoy reading Colin`s weekly bulletin news as his management perspective is unique to the printing industry, and his ability to `pinpoint` target areas for print management to concentrate on key
changes required to be more successful and profitable, is absolutely required in the print industryenvironment of today and tomorrow."
Terry Nagi
USA`s notable Strategic Planning and Marketing Guru
" Colin Thompsons` website provides a welcome resource for SME`s. The
range of services presented in a professional, accessible manner will be of use
to most businesses. Having known Colin in one of his Managing Director
positions (Forms UK plc). I am aware that his experience is as wide as his
website proclaims - and he through the website, he has found an ideal way to make that experience available to the maximum number of potential beneficiaries
worldwide."
Dave Broadway
Managing Director
CFH Total Document Management
UK
"Colin is never afraid to express his beliefs about the industry and certainly offers a talking point not only in a highly informative manner, but also sometimes in a very light hearted way. I look
forward every week to his very knowledgeable pages and I distribute again to my colleagues within the college".
John Procter
Business Manager Printing
Leeds College of Technology Print Media Skills Centre
UK
"On one of my first instructions, I was able to use the
`Valuer` to
illustrate to a prospective purchaser of a printing business that the cashflow
would not support the return the BTA was claiming. There was a difference of
£80k in valuation! This enabled my client with a stronger bargaining position -
negotiations are ongoing. A recent enquiry led Business Confidential to
convince a retained client that if certain actions were taken the business they
were buying would produce a return, which met their expectations; this was done
using the `Valuer`.
We are using the `Valuer` to underpin the Business Finder and add value to the service with a Valuation appraisal."
Colin Spencer Halsey - Business Confidential - an advocate of the Valuer- UK
" For some while now we have been party to your website and find the
information interesting and informative with of great value to our members and
very much appreciated"
David Pryke
CEO
Institute of Paper, Printing and Publishing
UK
"We use Valuer as an add on service to compliment our existing business
services. To be able to show a client, in a relatively short time, an estimate
of the value of their business and plan with them ways to improve this value is
not only is a good fee earner for the firm but also demonstrates top service to
our clients. Valuer assists us to do this and more"
Kelly Greer,Greer and Wong - Chartered Accountants UK
" Colin helps us with our successful Board Level Appointments with many of
our clients, who wish to receive top class qualified advise on short-listed
candidates"
George Thompson
Joint Managing Partner
Harrison Scott Associates
U
`Colin as helped me, my management team and all our personnel and my business since 1999 in the following areas; Sales increased by 92%, Net Profit increased by 50% plus, updated all Assets,
implemented new computer systems, new management systems, mentor/coach and contributed to our successful business. Colin is an excellent and powerful Non-Executive Director who helps me, my personnel
and my business become more successful`.
David Pearson
Managing Director
Pearlan Decals Limited
UK
"I must say how delighted I am with it. My client was asking me what he could sell his business for. It's a good strong business, well known locally. As a result we added his details into
Valuer. The conservative value came up as being around £450,000 and by tweaking at some of the figures it was creeping up to £500,000.
Coincidentally, only today another client has told me he wants to sell, and
what do I think his business would be worth. Well, I now have an answer. He is
meeting with me on Tuesday to put together some figures. It has put a new level
of support I can give my clients. Well done and many thanks for your
foresight."
John Savage Total Accounting Ltd UK
" I find Colin`s thoughts on leadership very motivating and inspiring. He has a very good grasp of the forces reshaping attitudes to work and leadership in the 21st century"
Aston Colley
Managing Director
Arron Print Ltd
and
Director of the British Printing Industries Federation
UK
" Thank you for your weekly bulletins which I always view with fear. Fear that says, I am not doing the things I know I should be doing. You always seem to `hit` the `right` spot and there is always something valuable in your writings"
Tony Collinson FCA
Collinsons
Chartered Accountants
UK
"The `Enterprise Business Model` is a most impressive piece of
software. The achievements of continuous incremental efficiency and financial
improvements throughout the business are very much aligned with the Beacon
Press management philosophy. The `EBM` provides a simple, effective structured approach to understand how to establish, implement and maintain these essential on going improvements in each area of
business activity".
Mark Fairbrass, Chairman - Beacon Print Limited UK
" Excellent and powerful publications to help you to become more successful"
James Shand, Chairman-Xplor UK
"Valuable information and well structured. I have been very impressed with
all the publications and business models that have helped me"
Nigel Brown, Director-WMH Ltd UK
"Time well spent on understanding accounts and finance, what a great way
to learn"
Kevin Lambi, Computer Technician-South London College UK