Mike Boorn Plener

Mike Boorn Plener
Mike Boorn Plener is a Business Growth Specialist and Founder of Business Connector. Mike has the ability to swiftly analyse a problem and be the catalyst to generate practical solutions. Click to view Mike Boorn Plener's full profile

Change your mind

We have all learnt to focus. To get down to work. To ‘stick with it’. What happens when we’re wrong? For many ego gets in the way. Who wants to admit they’re wrong? It’s not exactly the socially cool thing in most circles. Here’s a way around it: it’s called pivot. Pivoting is based on the fact that you can ...

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Stop at 80%

Which means you’ve already read too far. Ouch. Sorry about that! I’ve worked with lots of people who are lovely human beings and good at what they do, but who have never really accomplished much. What’s wrong? Good old Pareto. With any given task you could keep working on. Keep perfecting your product, service, proposal, presentation or whatever you’re working ...

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How thin can you spread yourself?

The answer of course is, you shouldn’t. So what do you do at the early stages of a startup when there are more tasks than there are hands? How do you prioritise? First of all in early stage development you have to ensure you have complementary skills on the team. Say you start a software company you want at least ...

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Watch Despicable Me!

“What!?” Yes, I’m asking you to go and watch a cartoon. And if you’ve seen it only once, see it again. Why? Because Despicable Me is a breakthrough movie for entrepreneurs and business builders. It shows that nothing can be achieved without a team, and a large and loyal one at that. It shows the ups and downs as the ...

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Add more value

Most businesses have competition. Are you feeling the pinch? Many business owners, despite earning significant incomes, feel they’re charging too much. So the natural inclination is to discount. Whether it’s 50% off or two for the price of one, it’s still a discount in the mind of your prospect. Have you noticed how many top–end brands don’t discount. You don’t ...

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Don’t be lord of the plebs

This is more commonly referred to as ‘standing on the shoulders of giants.’ However, if you fail to stand on those shoulders you do end up being lord over an unholy congregation of misfits. Some people refer to it as “you become like the company you keep” or “you’re only as good as who you surround yourself with.” So am ...

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Eat healthy

Stop and think about it. You work hard. You have deadlines to meet, planes to catch, deals to make, people to meet. Now look for a moment at what you eat. Is that really the best fuel you can provide for your body to win this amazing race that owning a successful business is? If it’s not, reevaluate what you ...

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Remember love

This is going to sound philosophical, but really there are two ways to live: wIth love, and without. And you can have love in everything. Your work, your business, your food, your exercise, as well as the traditional love for your partner, your family and your friends. Why is love so important? Well, if you don’t love what you do, ...

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Fail fast

One of the most influential leaders in the Australian tech incubator space puts it this way: “Get your first customer in 48 hours. If you can’t, there is probably something wrong with your idea.” That really defines what “fail fast” means. See how quickly you can break it. See how quickly other people ‘get’ your idea; how quickly will they ...

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Teach others—be a mentor

Previously I said to have a mentor, but in my view it’s equally important to be a mentor. Several important things happen when you do. When you assume the role of the mentor you become an authority figure, and will be seen by people around you to be a wise person worth consulting. That can never be bad for business, ...

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