The SME7 Story – it started with a book…

Chris Ogle explains “Why I Wrote This Book”

Chris Ogle, MD & Founder - SME7

Having worked with a number of businesses both large and small over the past 30 years, I have found myself repeating a whole repertoire of experiences, stories and examples of situations to business people that I meet on a daily basis.

The Internet and the Digital Revolution is not a new phenomena to me personally and the concept of an ebook is well known to me, but I had never looked upon myself as an author or indeed having knowledge that might be relevant to a wider audience. It was only whilst talking with a fellow Digital Coach (one who had already written an ebook) that it was suggested that why don’t I write an ebook?

Running a business has always been a challenge and although much of the mundane work has been computerised, business owners are constantly beset on all sides by new things which can seriously undermine all the good work if we’re not careful. Of course Business can always be unseated by Bad Debts which can ruin the finances or even a breakdown in communication between the business owners, these things will always be there, but sometimes the challenges can be much less obvious.

SME Businesses have gone through quite a change since the PC and Windows first came along and now even more so since the Internet has made its appearance in the late 1990’s. Email, Web sites and even some online services have already been encapsulated within the general ‘norm’ of running a business today.

So why the book?

The book that started it all...

Right now we are on the edge of a Digital Revolution… this is not some new Marketing Strategy (although that is a part of it), or some new ‘must have widget’ without which our business is doomed, no, we are on the brink of a complete change in the shape and style of how businesses will look as we move through the next 10-20 years. What I mean is that the whole approach to how a business operates from offices to staff and systems will shift. Why? because the Internet allows us to change to a way of working which we will enjoy more and cost much less.

But… to know where we are headed we must understand where we have been? … how we got to where we are? … what is happening right now and therefore visualise the way it will be in the future.

The book is a summation of business experience from the last 30 years. A trip down memory lane in some cases but taking on board the important elements that have led us to today. In the book I have sought to bring together all the knowledge that I have accumulated from each business that I have worked with, and put it together in an ‘easy to follow’ 7 step process that will guide Business owners through the coming years. Actually, when working closely with clients I verbally cover everything in the book typically over a 3 year period, now I have put all the details into this book ‘In 2 The Clouds’ so that anyone can have access to the experiences not just those I meet.

Drawing on influences from 7 Habits of Highly Effective People – Stephen Covey, the 4 Hour Work Week – Timothy Ferris, Napoleon Hills – Think and Grow Rich and Anthony Robbins – Unlimited Power, the book will serve as a guide and reference book for anyone running an SME business today.

And it’s this book which provides the backbone to the SME7 programme…