Lee The SME Owner

Chapter Thirteen - The Ideas Board

For a couple of days after his conversation with John, Lee couldn’t stop thinking about the question. Ideas he’d shelved over the years started creeping back into his mind—some from late nights at the office, others from quick conversations with clients that had never gone anywhere. John had framed it perfectly: stay in your lane, but widen the lane.

As Lee paced around his office, old thoughts mixed with fresh perspectives. Maybe there was more potential in this business than he’d ever considered. He’d always been focused on what was directly in front of him—getting orders out the door, keeping clients happy, and making sure the team was running smoothly. But now? Now it felt like the possibilities were starting to open up.

Finally, after a couple of days letting ideas brew, Lee was ready to sit down with John. They met at the office, a large whiteboard standing in the middle of the room. John greeted him with his usual easygoing energy, but Lee could sense that John was keen to see where this brainstorming session would go.

“So, what’s been rattling around in that head of yours, Lee?” John asked as he uncapped a marker.

Lee grinned. “More than I expected. Once I started thinking about it, all kinds of ideas came back.”

John nodded and motioned toward the whiteboard. “Let’s map them out. Nothing’s off-limits. We’ll prioritise later. For now, let’s get everything up there.”

Lee began slowly, jotting down ideas one by one.

• Selling more to existing customers: “You know, I think we’ve barely scratched the surface with some of our clients. There’s potential to deepen those relationships—maybe by offering additional services or upselling on certain products we already make.”

• New customer segments: “We’ve been so focused on our core market that I’ve overlooked some adjacent industries. What if we sold what we already make to sectors that need the same kinds of products but don’t necessarily know we exist? We could easily adapt without changing our production lines too much.”

• Expanding product range: “I’ve always wondered whether we could develop a new line of products. Something that complements what we already do but taps into new markets. Maybe something like custom components or specialised equipment.”

• Geographical expansion: “There’s also the option of widening our reach, geographically speaking. We’ve done well locally, but what about expanding into a nearby region? It wouldn’t be a huge leap, just a broader sales area.”

John listened carefully, writing each idea on the whiteboard as Lee spoke. When Lee finished, the board was packed with potential projects. Some ideas were clearly more feasible than others, but nothing was dismissed outright.

“Alright,” John said, stepping back and surveying the board. “That’s quite a list. Now comes the fun part—figuring out what’s worth pursuing and what might need to stay in the ‘crazy idea’ file for now.”

Lee chuckled. “Yeah, some of these are a bit out there.”

John drew a line down the middle of the board and labelled one side “Dead Cert” and the other “Nutcase.”

“Let’s start by categorising them,” John said. “Which ideas do you feel have the most solid chance of success?”

Lee thought for a moment, then pointed to the idea of selling more to existing customers. “This one’s a no-brainer. We’ve got a good client base, and they trust us. We could definitely explore what more we can offer them without too much of a leap.”

John moved the idea over to the “Dead Cert” side. “Agreed. You already have the relationships—now it’s about maximising them.”

They continued through the list, categorising each idea.

• New customer segments: Lee felt strongly that this was worth exploring, especially because it didn’t require much retooling of their production. It landed on the “Dead Cert” side.

• Expanding the product range: This idea ended up somewhere in the middle. It wasn’t impossible, but it would require more resources and potentially more risk. John labelled it “Likely” and parked it for further discussion.

• Geographical expansion: This one was a tougher call. Lee liked the idea of expanding their reach, but the logistics and the risk of stretching the team too thin put it more toward the “Nutcase” side, though John suggested they could revisit it in the future if the company’s capacity grew.

By the time they’d gone through the whole list, they had a clearer picture. The ideas were split across the board, with some clear winners emerging.

“That looks manageable,” John said, stepping back. “Now, let’s talk resources. What would you need to make the ‘Dead Cert’ ideas happen?”

Lee rubbed his chin. “For selling more to existing customers, it’s mostly about focusing our sales efforts. We’d need to put more emphasis on relationship management and maybe develop a couple of new offerings. But we wouldn’t need any major investments.”

John nodded. “That’s good. What about the new customer segments?”

Lee considered it. “We’d probably need to hire a salesperson or two with experience in those industries. But it’s not a huge leap—just an adjustment to our current setup.”

They continued down the list, mapping out what resources—people, time, money—would be needed to bring these ideas to life. It was clear that some ideas were more practical than others, but the beauty of the process was that Lee could see how even the more ambitious ideas could be broken down into smaller, manageable steps.

“What do you reckon?” John asked, capping the marker and turning to Lee.

Lee looked at the board and felt a sense of excitement bubbling up. For the first time in years, he didn’t feel like he was just running a business—he felt like he was building something, moving forward in a way that was both strategic and achievable.

“I think we’ve got a solid plan here,” Lee said, smiling. “Some of these ideas have been rattling around for years, and it’s good to see them laid out like this.”

John grinned. “That’s the beauty of it, Lee. You’ve got the foundation. Now it’s about widening that lane just enough to make it worth your while, without losing focus on what you do best.”

As they wrapped up the session, both men felt a renewed sense of purpose. They had a roadmap for the next phase—one that involved calculated risks, practical steps, and a clear path toward growing the business even further.

For Lee, it wasn’t just about getting ready to exit. It was about pushing his business to reach its full potential—proving that even after all these years, there was still room to grow, still space to innovate.

And that, as far as Lee was concerned, was the best place to be.