A great business idea executed badly and other tales - Mark Fitzgerald-Cooke, Intelligent Business Partners

Leeds Business Podcast

This week we speak to Mark Fitzgerald-Cooke, MD of Intelligent Business Partners. Mark tells all about the difficulties in moving from print to online, a great business idea that didn’t work and how owning the process gives you power in a sector.

The business surgery segment answers the question; "I'm currently doing my business planning. How far in advance should I do my strategy?"

INTRODUCING MARK FITZGERALD-COOKE

Mark Fitzgerald Cooke is MD of business broker, Intelligent Business Partners. He has over 30 years helping people buy and sell cars, homes and businesses in the UK, Europe and Asia, working with brands like AutoTrader, Rightmove, Zoopla, proptech start ups and now with Intelligent. He is believed to be the only person whose feet were on EastEnders AND is related to former American President JFK.

For more information on our show sponsors, YFM Equity Partners, please visit www.yfmep.com (and tell them Phil from Leeds Business Podcast sent you!)

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

[00:01:30] Mark’s early career at TNT and key learnings

[00:09:30] A great online idea that wasn’t executed well

[00:16:30] Downsizing a business and moving it online

[00:31:00] The benefits of great training and Thomson Directories

[00:40:00] The learnings from working in Malaysia

[00:45:00] THE BUSINESS SURGERY

[00:49:00] Intelligent Business Services

[00:52:00] How to prepare your business for sale

[00:56:00] How to find the right advisor for your business

3 KEY TAKEAWAYS & BUSINESS LEARNINGS

• If you want to sell successfully, you need to be easy to buy
• It’s all about your people, and you need good people
• Business sales are normally driven by major life events

4 BEST MOMENTS

“co-operating online, with our offline competitors just didn’t work”

“you cant be the friendly face of doom forever”

“Hindsight is a great thing in business”

“Your biggest problem is themandownthepubsays.com”

VALUABLE RESOURCES FOR YOU

Fraser Five Step (FFS) simple strategy planning tool - https://philfraser.co.uk/fraser-five-step-ffs/

Website: www.leedsbusinesspodcast.com

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/leeds-business-podcast/

Website: https://www.intelligent.co.uk/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-fitzgerald-cooke-a693662//

Shout out tags: https://www.getaudience.co.uk

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YOU MAY ALSO LIKE (mentioned in the show)

https://leedsbusinesspodcast.com/podcast/helen-oldham

https://leedsbusinesspodcast.com/podcast/howard-moss/

ABOUT YOUR HOST

Phil Fraser went from an accidental kitchen table start up, with no investment, all the way to multi-million pound sale to a PLC 18 years later. He’s travelled the full SME business journey of launch, growth, scale and exit.

As well as hosting the Leeds Business Podcast, Phil now works with ambitious SME-owners as a Business Sounding Board (think somewhere between Business Coach and Business Mentor). In simple terms, he’s ‘a pair of ears and an extra pair eyes’ for SME Owners helping them to be better at what they do. Phil’s mantra is It doesn’t need to be ‘lonely at the top’. He helps Business Owners to be better business owners, by helping with their clarity and focus.

As a Business Sounding Board, he gives SME Owners the time & space to regularly discuss their challenges and opportunities, with no sense of judgement or bias, and in complete confidence. This allows them to explore their options in full, culminating with a list of issues to address/clarify, a clear target in mind, a roadmap to success, and a renewed enthusiasm and confidence for the challenges ahead.

See www.philfraser.co.uk to join his client waiting list

LEEDS BUSINESS PODCAST

Leeds, Leeds Business, Business in Leeds, Nous of Fraser, Business Sounding Board, Business Coach, Business Mentor,

Email: [e-mail]

Mentioned in this episode:

Pre roll November

As November is my birthday month, I've got three special offers for you. If you can say yes to the following four points, you qualify. You have to be a business owner, have three to 15 staff, a turnover of between 350, 000 and 3 million, and wanting to develop and improve yourself and how you run your business.