First 100 days business
strategy
Richard Lucas
MA (Econ) Cantab 1985-1988
PA Cambridge Economic Consultants 1989-91
Based in Kraków since 1991
www.skk.com pl
www.isl.pl
www.Unicard.pl
www.argostranslations.com
www.prmcorporate.com

Presentation Goals
Be useful
Set an example
Share knowledge
JRL rule
Participation involvement

Main priorities for first 100 days
Must do Don’t do
Clients
Costs
Competition

Main priorities for first 100 days
Must do Don’t do
Clients
Costs
Competition

Distractions early in life of a start up
 EU funding applications
 biz plans
 impressing your friends (cool furniture,
office opening parties, logos,
advertising, business cards)
 Happy clients, revenue about costs

Free Money is an addictive drug
If you’ve got money from rich
uncle, 10 years work, and a VC
remember the parable of the
Prodigal Son..
think like a small business/behave
like a big one

Before you start
 Talk, think. „making it happen”, not „the idea”
 Try to buy it
 Think
– problems with it, try it on friends, potential clients
– how to make it happen
– How to make money out of it? Be ready to
chance your plans as things happen
 Let clients decide what you do (usually)

Once you start
 Prioritize, /clients are most important
 Make them so happy they will talk about you
 Time management/Getting things
done/Work hard (its your secret weapon)
 Concentrate on client(s) Do it yourself
 Ask them for ideas (what could be better)
(Enterprise Auto)

Features of successful start ups
 Aim high - be a first class supplier
 Good working environment for people
Making money
 “not aiming to the cheapest, but the
best”
 delivering outstanding value price
performance

People
 Great people are the bed rock of a market leader’s success
 “Party” test.
– high energy level, internally motivated
– intelligent, friendly, motivated, responsible, ambitious,
– Naturally curious, questioning
– self confident enough to admit mistakes/I don’t know, but willing to
change, find out
– Belief in self improvement, accepting change
– Tolerant, supportive of others’ success, celebrate group
achievements
– Relevant skills, willingness to find out, learn, acquire grow
 Why not? Rather than why?

Culture - management
 What you are doing, what is going well (badly) help
you be successful. Give you feedback
 Get your hands dirty” attitude. Managers work, don’t
just sit there, they set an example
 Managers should aim to get to know/bring the best
out of their team/, have individual time with people
who report to them
 Agree and set clear and demanding goals and
expectations

Productive Culture
Meetings have to be productive
– If you don’t know the objective clarify or don’t go
– Topic / agenda presented before the meeting
– Always (written) Who? What? When?
Criticism must be constructive
– What is the problem, What is the cause of the problem, What are the
possible solutions, Which one do I think is best
Get things done/time management
– Action orientated. Better well executed good idea, than over
discussed great idea
– Staff should know to manage their own time. (urgent/important) set
realistic daily and long term priorities and goals …

First 100 days business
strategy
Richard Lucas
MA (Econ) Cantab 1985-1988
PA Cambridge Economic Consultants 1989-91
Based in Kraków since 1991
www.skk.com pl
www.isl.pl
www.Unicard.pl
www.argostranslations.com
www.prmcorporate.com