You’ve probably noticed I’ve been talking quite a lot about McFreedom and having a McFreedom mindset recently.

And you’ve possibly been thinking ‘ What on Earth is this McFreedom thing all about?’

Well McFreedom is a word I use to describe ‘The freedom to scale, grow, sell or franchise your business or run it from a beach somewhere if that's what you really want to do.’

The Mc of McFreedom is a little nod to McDonald's who inspired it and the Freedom, because that's what The McFreedom System®️ will give you.

Ok. But why the focus on Mindset?

Because most people have a very strange mindset around systems in relation to their business. They see them as really hard work; something that they have to do in addition to their day job and the thought of systemising really doesn’t rock their boat.

Personally, I don't like the word 'process', largely again because of what it inspires in people. It makes them think of bureaucracy and box-ticking and all of that really boring, soul destroying stuff that they think they’ll have to do.

McFreedom - and The McFreedom System®️ - is all about making your life easier, and to do that you need to change your mindset around systems.

Mindset is one third of something I like to call my big MAC ... what a surprise!

Mindset because you really do need to change your mindset around systems and what they will do for you.

Action because you absolutely have to take action. What’s the point in learning something new if you don't take action on it. And

Consistency because you need to be consistent in the action that you take. You need to make it routine. You need to follow it, if not religiously, then with a real fervour and a relish and a belief that it's going to make your life that much easier.

So Mindset, Action, Consistency ... your big Mac.

Do you have a positive big MAC when it comes to systemising your business?

Do one thing: Think about it!

[Adapted from Marianne's new book Simple Logical Repeatable available from an Amazon near you https://www.amazon.co.uk/Simple-Logical-Repeatable-Systemise-McDonalds/dp/1781332266]

For more information on how MPL can help you visit www.mariannepage.co.uk or contact me on hello@mariannepage.co.uk

It's very easy to get stuck in a rut. Sometimes we don't even recognise that we're in one.

A rut's boring, same old same old. Dull, right? And that's not your life!

Well what if it is?

Many successful small business owners get stuck in a rut. It's called The Struggle, and while it's anything but boring, it's definitely a rut. Some find that they can't get out of it. Many more don't want to. It's comfortable, they know where they're at with it, it's their norm.

They tell themselves that they've already stepped out of their comfort zone to create their business. They tell themselves that they are successful, and that running a successful business comes at a price – no time and no life beyond it.
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They tell themselves they're ok with that, and they're surrounded by other Strugglers who confirm that they're right. They revel in war stories of their eighty-hour weeks, and comfort themselves that they are still working to improve themselves by attending weekend seminars and late evening webinars, while other 'less successful' people are enjoying time with family and friends.

They've created a new comfort zone, and their rut's too deep to see beyond it. Your personal management system will get you out of your rut, but it needs three things to be be successful:

Discipline – in developing success habits and daily routines, in ditching the stuff that doesn’t serve you and delegating to your assistant and your team, in listening to your mentor.

Integrity – keeping your commitments to others, and to yourself, persevering with your habits and sticking to deadlines.

Celebration – celebrating all of your wins, no matter how small they are.

Learn to manage yourself, and the business will be a piece of cake!

Do one thing: Review your habits - are they success habits or are you stuck in a rut; in love with the struggle?

[Excerpt from Marianne's new book 'Simple, Logical, Repeatable' coming soon! Want to learn more about Marianne and The McFreedom System™ in the meantime? Then join her for the next McFreedom Secrets Workshop - click HERE to find out more]

For more information on how MPL can help you visit www.mariannepage.co.uk or contact me on hello@mariannepage.co.uk

When I worked for McDonald’s I learned that planning is a team sport; most effective when it involves the people it affects as well as those who’ll deliver on it.

I learned that you listen to those with the skills and experience, but you also consider the new and the different; that it’s ok to re-visit that might once have been considered crazy or just plain wrong for the business, as things change, and the ‘right time’ comes along.

Just like every other area of the business, I learned that you have a system for planning that makes it routine, regular, consistent; that keeps you focused on the end goal, even when you need to adapt, or change your route.

A robust planning system keeps everyone in the business, focused and on track. Because everyone knows where you’re all headed, there’s less stress, and less chaos, which also saves you time and money. And it gives you the opportunity to celebrate with your team when you reach your milestone markers along the way.

Planning is a team sport at McDonald’s - they invest an awful lot of time and money, in bringing together people from all areas of the business - Operations, Support, Franchisees, Suppliers - with the aim of developing challenging plans and goals that everyone buys into.

They want everyone engaged in the business Vision, the direction of travel, and the route map that’s going to take them there. They want to be able to celebrate milestones, achievements big and small, and then, when the tough times come, they want everyone to see the fight as theirs, to work together to turn things back round.

The investment in their Planning system delivers a huge return. It’s a foundation system that they would not be without.

Many business owners don’t see Planning that way.

• They view it as a pain - something you have to do for investors or the bank manager
• They feel they don’t have time, preferring to ‘go with the flow’
• They see it as restricting - they’d rather be flexible, able to grab opportunities as they come
• They feel they have a plan, when all they really have is a spreadsheet full of numbers
• They consider it unnecessary - why do I need to write down what’s in my head?

Many business owners are missing a trick. But the fact that you’re even reading this tells me you’re not going to be one of the many.

Your team are never going to be heard asking ‘are we there yet?’

Your team are going to know exactly where they’re going, how they’re going to get there, and when they’ve arrived.

And then you’re going to celebrate...big style!

Your Planning system is the first of 4 Foundations that will underpin your future success.  Over the next few weeks, I’m going to help you get ready for the coming year, by sharing The McFreedom System blueprint for planning.

Do one thing: Come back next week for the next instalment.

For more information on how MPL can help you visit www.mariannepage.co.uk or contact me on hello@mariannepage.co.uk

'When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you.' - African Proverb

Are you a reflector? Are you that person who looks back over the day and week and reflects on how it’s gone?

Great. That’s a really good thing: it’s how we constantly learn and improve. It gives us time to think about how effective our behaviour and decisions have been, how they’ve impacted on the business and the team. It can highlight what we’re proud of and what we could have done better. It’s great for increasing self-awareness and self-improvement.

But:

• Are you the person who can never find your rose-tinted spectacles?
• When you think back do you mainly focus in on everything that went wrong?
• Do you magnify things that could have gone better?
• Do you spend time, not just thinking about how you could improve, but wallowing in what went wrong?
• Can you not forgive yourself for mistakes or failings that you would readily forgive in others?

If this sounds like you, you’re turning reflection into masochism. This behaviour is not only draining but it’s a total waste of time.

Tips for positive reflection

1. Remember - you cannot change the past only learn from it
2. Think about the event that you’re churning over, where does it really sit in the scale of things?  Get some perspective
3. Talk it over with a trusted friend, get third party perspective if you’re just too close to rationalise
4. Ask yourself ‘If a colleague had done x how would I react?’ If you would tell them, ‘It’s no big deal, no harm done,’ or ‘it’s easily put right, not to worry,’ then start applying these sentiments to yourself
5. Reflect on both good and bad in equal measure, learn, (make amends if that’s appropriate) then draw a line under it and move on.
6. Give yourself a break or even a pat on the back (go on, be daring!)

Do one thing: spend 10 minutes at the end of every day reflecting on what went well, and finding something you’ve done that you’re proud of.

PS Don’t forget, you can always join us for a McFreedom Secrets workshop, if you’d like to improve the way you run your business and cure some of those headaches.

For more information on how MPL can help you visit www.mariannepage.co.uk or contact me on hello@mariannepage.co.uk
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It’s time to silence the voices! To get ‘unstuck’ and accelerate out of the rut you’re in. To find your McFreedom.

How many dreams never get off the ground because we listen to the voices?

The internal voices that ask us,

‘Just who do you think you are?’ ‘What makes you so special?’

That tell us to play it safe, don’t invest, don’t take a risk.

That at the first sign of trouble say, ‘I told you so’.

Those voices that take every little hiccup and present it as evidence to support their ‘you’re never going to succeed’ stance.

How many business owners get stuck because of the external voices that say,

‘If I’m not around, nothing’s gonna get done right.  These people are just so dim!’

‘I’ve got to work again this weekend, there’s nobody else who can do my books/ write my marketing copy/ sort out my CRM’

‘Who needs planning - I don’t have time for it, and besides, I know where I’m going’

‘Systems are a luxury I can’t afford!’

It’s time to silence the voices! 

It’s time to get ‘unstuck’ and accelerate out of the rut you’re in.

But how?

Simple.  By following the 10 steps to McFreedom™

1. Your Vision and Values  -  Get very clear about your Values, and your Vision for your business.  What does your business stand for - what makes it special?
2. Personal Management System  -  Understand what you want from your life. What does your ideal future look like? Know your destination - what success looks like to you - all of your plans will be focused on this.
   
3. Your Business 3-1-90  -  Your goals and objectives need to be given a timeframe for success.  We have 3 year goals to take the business forward to create your vision, reviewed annually.  This is then broken down into 90 days goals to keep you focused and moving forward.
   
4. Your Customer Journey  -  Looking at the contact your customer has with you is essential in making sure you aren’t asking them to jump through hoops.  How can it be simplified to make you Easy To Do Business With?
   
5. Your Operating Processes  -  Think of this as “The way we do things round here” , the things your employees do to support your customers along their journey. Make things Simple, Logical and Repeatable to ensure that every task is done in the same way, to the same high standard all of the time.
   
6. How and Who You Hire  -  Hire only employees who reflect the vision and values that you have set for your company.  The people who will be able to deliver the operating processes within your business and ensure that smooth customer journey.
   
7. Your Training System  -  Once hired, it’s vital that you train your employees to deliver the great service and product that you aspire to.  Do you have a system in place that supports your employees, allowing them to grow into a high performing team?
   
8. Performance Management  -  Understanding how your business and employees are performing is essential.  Reviewing your business gives you the opportunity to see where you have been successful, but to also highlight areas that need to be focussed on.  How do you manage the performance of your employees on both a formal and informal basis? What are the consequences for poor performance?
   
9. Recognition and Reward  -  Once you have reviewed your employee’s performance, how do you reward and recognise them for doing a great job?
   
10. Continuous Improvement  -  The McFreedom System™ is a cycle, and one that you have to keep pedalling!  Understand it, work with it, and you’ll not only ensure the continuous improvement of your business and the achievement of your vision, but you’ll also gain your own McFreedom. 

Want to silence those voices for good? 

Do one thing: Join us at The McFreedom Secrets Workshop and learn what The McFreedom System™ could do for you and your business.  Find out more HERE

For more information on how MPL can help you visit www.mariannepage.co.uk or contact me on hello@mariannepage.co.uk
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Feedback is weird -  you either love it or loathe it depending on why you are giving it. 

But we all know that ‘Feedback is the breakfast of champions’, as Ken Blanchard put it, essential for any successful business owner wanting to build strong relationships and develop a high performing team, so what’s the problem?

I was discussing this very thing with my Masterminding buddies the other day, and to a man they said, ‘It’s the confrontation’.  Nobody wants it. We’re all too worried about the reaction, and how we’ll deal with it.’

So what happens when it comes to delegation?  We give someone a job, but then we don’t tell them how they did? Did they do it well? badly? at all?

Feedback really is essential, and there are four different types.

1. Appreciative  -  This is the type that most of us enjoy, because it’s the sort we give when a task has been done as we expected.  To really hit home, It needs to be specific, and ideally given in front of others. 
   Why?  Because thanking a team member for a job well done in front of their team mates will 1) make them feel really good about themselves, and 2) show the rest of the team what ‘a job well done’ looks like, so that they can repeat the task to the same level.
   Appreciate feedback is as much a training tool, as a way to recognise good performance.
2. Constructive  -  When we’ve asked for a job to be done, and it’s not been done to the standard we wanted, we need to give constructive feedback to show how it needs to be done differently next time. 
   It still needs to be specific, but given on a 1:1 basis and definitely not in front of the team.  We want our team member to go away thinking about how they’re going to do a better job next time, not thinking about how we’ve just embarrassed them in front of their mates.
   If we get this right and offer our support, they’ll be motivated and keen to do the job to our standard next time.
3. Negative  -  The type of feedback that we should never use, but unfortunately use most often!  Negative feedback makes it very clear that a job hasn’t been done well, but doesn’t explain what needs to be done differently to get it right next time. 
   Your team member doesn't know what they need to improve on so they can’t perform to a higher standard and, worse still, they’re left feeling either completely demotivated, or properly cheesed off.
4. Ignore  -  When you don’t give any feedback to your team, you deprive them of their Blanchard breakfast - and prevent them from ever becoming champions in your business. Like sending someone to Coventry - completely ignoring them - can also be incredibly damaging, and turn a highly motivated employee into one who thinks ‘Why should I bother - he won’t check anyway’.

You want to build a high performing team, where individuals grow and flourish? Don’t skip breakfast!

Want to know more about getting the most from your people so your business runs without you there? 

Want to know how McDonald’s get the most out of theirs?

Then download our Busy Business Owner's Guide to Achieving Consistently Excellent Performance, and learn how to model McDonald’s and build your high performing team.

Click HERE to download.

For more information on how MPL can help you visit www.mariannepage.co.uk or contact me on hello@mariannepage.co.uk
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If you’re like me you’ll have automatically finished that line with ‘perfect’. I think most people would do the same.

And it usually does make perfect.

There are many very visible examples, particularly in sport, of people who practise so regularly, and with such commitment that they play the perfect game, run the perfect race, take the perfect free-kick.

So we should think of practice as a good thing.

But what if you’re practising something that’s not right to start with?  A badly thought-out, inefficient process, an ineffective technique, an inefficient system?

Practice also makes permanent.

Practice embeds a habit - makes it automatic. So when you practise a process that’s ineffective, you’re embedding a bad habit.

And those of us who have bad habits know just how hard they are to break.

Getting our business systems right is so important.  Developing simple, logical and repeatable systems, that we record and train our team how to use - getting them to practise over and over again, to make perfect…and permanent, is the key to business success.

So how do you get started?

It can seem very daunting if you’ve decided to follow the McDonald’s model and have a system and a process in every area of your business.  The task may seem so huge that you end up doing nothing.

But never fear! Help is at hand.

We’ve done the thinking for you, we’ve done the writing for you, and we’ve developed a series of Simple Systems to support you.

Based around the 4 Foundation systems of McDonald’s success - Planning, Process, People and Performance, these ‘How to’ guides and templates are tailor made for you, and cover the key processes in your business. 
So whether you want help with your hiring, performance management or time management, there’ll be a step by step practical guide to get it done.

Over the coming months, we’ll be building our library of Simple Systems, so if there’s something you need that’s not in the first bunch, or we’ve marked as ‘coming soon’, please let us know and we’ll do our best to get it to you.

Even more good news, as a loyal Blog follower, you’re the first to hear about these new products, and we want to reward you with a free gift, and a very special offer, to get you started.

So...are you ready...?

To your Systemised success!

For more information on how MPL can help you visit www.mariannepage.co.uk or contact me on hello@mariannepage.co.uk
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A recent study of Alzheimer’s revealed that the best way to keep your brain functioning is not the daily crossword but physical exercise.  I didn’t know that.
I mean I’ve always known that exercise is good for you in loads of ways, but this particular benefit, was news to me.
Although…
I have noticed for some time now that when I’m out with Biskit (our mad as a box of frogs Spaniel) the walk, the fresh air and being out amongst nature, do seem to combine to get my creative juices flowing.
Some days it’s fair to say, I have to force myself past the blocks, to stop thinking, “I can’t afford the time”, stop focusing on my big list of things to get done. But as soon as I’m out I start to feel the benefits.
My walk regularly brings me back to what’s really important in my life, to my bold vision, the stuff that gives me goosebumps, and I remember what I’m working so hard to achieve. I always feel re-energised, refreshed and, when I take a walk at lunchtime, ready for my afternoon activities.
It’s true to say that some of my best ideas have come to me in the middle of a field and I’m often racing into the house to find paper and pen before I forget them. Some days of course I’m just rushing in to get out of the wind and rain!  But on a gorgeous sunny day it’s good to remind myself that growing my business in the right way (through systems and a well-trained team), will give me the time and the freedom to do more of this too.
Being a business owner can seem like a constant uphill struggle, so it’s good sometimes to look back and see how far we’ve come. None of us can afford to rest on our laurels but we can occasionally give ourselves a break and a pat on the back for what we’ve achieved so far.
In Stephen Covey’s book “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”, he encourages us to “Sharpen the Saw”.  Taking a break during the day, and taking your holidays every year, are a couple of great ways to do this.
What are you doing to sharpen your productivity?
Do one thing:  Ask yourself, “What do I do every day to stay sharp” and build whatever you come up with into your diary for next week.

For more information on how MPL can help you visit www.mariannepage.co.uk or contact me on hello@mariannepage.co.uk
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​Last week I asked you to kill a snake. Continuing on this blood-thirsty theme, I'm wondering how much time you spend killing moles?

You must have seen the arcade game Whack A Mole which is all about smacking cute little moles on the head as they peep out of their holes. Fun game! Just as you knock one back another appears and another, and another...until your time, or your money runs out. Fun, but infuriating!

Do you ever feel like that game mirrors your work - maybe your whole life?

Always fixing the latest problem, always dealing with mini or sometimes major crises?

Of course, for those of you in love with the struggle this is all part of the game, part of what you love about being in business.  Fire-fighting can be fun!

A crisis occurs and we rush in and save the day. It’s high octane, high energy and a great adrenaline rush. Aren't we the hero!

I'm sure you're not old enough to remember public service broadcasts!  They were like ads only non-commercial, aimed purely at educating and informing the apparently 'not too bright' population of Britain at the time.

Anyway, there was one about a family whose water pipes had burst.  It showed how the father had all the family trained to go through a well-rehearsed, well-drilled process of dealing with it - turn off stop cock, get buckets under leak, mop up water with old towels...

At the end of the ad a smug father and his family stand there proudly, crisis overcome. And just as you’re thinking that it's their well-drilled 'crisis management' that's being recommended, the voiceover says, “Well done Mr Mole…..but what a pity you let it happen in the first place….”

Fire-fighting can be fun. But...

What if our time or money run out?

It isn't sustainable, it's a waste of our resources, and it's certainly not good for our reputation - with our team or our customers.

Yes, some fire-fighting is inevitable; there will always be the knowns and the unknowables, the controllables and the uncontrollables. No matter how much we plan or anticipate the future there is always uncertainty.

But – if you're constantly fire-fighting - if every business day is a game of Whack A Mole, then maybe it's time to call in Bright 7 pest control and get some preventative systems in place.
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We don’t kill moles, but we do prevent them from digging up your business.

For more information on how MPL can help you visit www.mariannepage.co.uk or contact me on hello@mariannepage.co.uk

I had a long day yesterday.  A full day masterminding, with 4 hours travelling time either end.  It was a great day - not only because the content of the meeting and the people I was sharing with were both top quality, but also because I had close to 8 hours of pure thinking time - just me, on my own, in the car.

Time is so precious, and all too often we see time spent thinking as a waste of it. We're business owners, so we should be doing, right?! Thinking is for those people who are going nowhere.

We don't need to think.

We know, and we act.

The trouble is, we can often be running full speed in the wrong direction.  Busy busy busy doing stuff that isn't taking us to where we want to be.

And that's because we haven't ever stopped to think where that is.

One of the first questions I ask my clients is 'what does success look like to you?', and very rarely do I ever get a full answer

- 'This is what I'd be doing, feeling, thinking.' 'This is where I'd be and who I'd be with' 'This is what my life would look like' 'This is what my relationships would be like.'

It's usually a vague, 'Well I'd have a really successful business, and more time to do the things I've always wanted to do.'
Nobody gives themselves permission to take the time to think these days.  Not properly.

We're all relentlessly driving our business forward.  But forward to where?

Do we ever really think about the basics of where we want our life to go, and how our business is going to help us get there.

So that's my challenge to you over this short break.

Give yourself a break.  Give yourself time alone to think. Give yourself permission to switch off, and recharge, and gain new clarity from your newly created head-space.
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Work out where you want to end up.  And give Q2 a fighting chance of taking you on the right road to getting there.

For more information on how MPL can help you visit www.mariannepage.co.uk or contact me on hello@mariannepage.co.uk