Blogs

An order book is a company’s diary of work it has won but not yet done. Here is how a beginner can read one honestly — how many years of work it holds, whether it is growing, what is quietly excluded from it, and whether profit and cash actually follow the work.

Nearly every good company was built on one idea that worked. Whether it can find a second one decides the next twenty years. A plain-English guide to the second-act test — what it means, why the first act always ends, and five simple checks anyone can run.

A company publishes what share of its staff left during the year. Most beginners never look at it. A plain-English guide to staff turnover — what the number means, why it quietly shows up in profits years later, and how to read it without guessing.

Rising sales can mean two completely different things: the shops you already had are selling more, or you simply own more shops. A plain-English guide to same-store sales growth — what it is, why it is so hard to fake, and how to check it in an afternoon.