Testimonials for “You are the Limiting Factor”

1.Hard to highlight just one nugget.We now leave all our work outside the house.
2.My diary is now my boss.!!
– Mag Kirwan

I thought the chapter on the art of negotiation was excellent. I redefined in my own mind what my role as a sales person is in my business.
I am selling everyday….I need to focus on improving my negotiating skills….knowing my deal breaker position and therefore knowing when to walk away.
– John Conway

For me, the main thing I learned from reading this invaluable study of how to manage a business is the ability of succesful managers to kill off matters. Blaise has given a wonderful insight into ways and means of killing off issues and matters in business. I have found in my career to date that one of the more difficult issues in business is putting a successful end to a matter and that by leaving a matter unfinished it can come back to haunt you. Everybody has a file or issue in their office that is radioactive and has been sitting at the bottom of the pile for weeks, months or years. What Blaise has done is to give you a practical method to resolve these matters which will give you confidence moving forward and will ultimately make you a better business person.
Well done on the book,
– Pádraig Brosnan,  Dublin,  Ireland.

In general “you are the limiting factor” firmly facilitates the reader in taking a long hard dispassionate look at their current operation and raison detre.
The realisation that one could and often should fire some (grief causing) customers came as a plesant shock.  The section on time management dictates that I stop now!
–Mark O’Loughlin

Hi Blaise, Our local Eason store ordered the book for me and it was in store within 2 days which was great.   I m really enjoying it….3 years after completing the Owner – Manager Course , I find the book a very good revision of all areas covered on the course. Its content and the tone is both motivating and empowering. It is easy to pick and reference individual topics also.
I hope that by referencing the book and impletenting the strategies / objectives etc , I can achieve my personal and business goals.   I would find it this book a valuable asset in any business owner / business managers book shelf / office desk / car and will be including it on my Christmas Shopping list!
Wishing you continued success and with thanks….
– Susan Schaerer

Hi Blaise,  I’d have to agree with Pádraig above. Identifying issues and dealing with them is a key factor in the success of any business. It is far too easy and more enjoyable dealing with urgent tasks that are not important than tackling the core issues that are both urgent and important that affect a business.
The book is an invaluable resource for any business full of very useful nuggets of information. After having completed your course I am delighted you have shared your expertise and concepts with us in print form.   Thank you.
– Derry O Donnell

Hello Blaise,  Taking time to stand back and take a look at your business and where it is going as against where you want it to go. Then putting in place a plan to take your business where you want it to go and working through the steps to get there in a methodical step by step manner killing off issues one by one on the way forward. Giving away responsibility to others in your business with ability.
Thanks for the words of wisdom…….
– David Morgan

The part I love the most is the title – it sends out such a positive signal to all business owners and one that can also be applied to our personal lives.
– Aideen

Hi Blaise,  There is one sentence in your book that I think of almost every day and that is “there is absolutely no relationship between sweat and success”. For me and for my business it’s all about being clear, knowing what needs to be done and then going and doing it. I have discovered that 5 minutes of clear thinking can save a days work and allow me get onto doing the things that drive my business forward, without all the sweat.
There is one other sentence that underscores the above and that is “what gets measured gets done”. When applied this is powerful force within an organisation.
Do you remember in the 1960’s and 70’s you could buy a manual for servicing your car yourself. There was a version for every car on the market and you could spend your weekends changing the oil, adjusting tappets and cleaning spark plugs amongst other things. Your book is the business version of this, in that it allows you to read the relevent section that deals with the problem you’re experiencing and then go and fix it yourself. How well it gets fixed is entirely in the hands of the owner of the manual, but at least all the information is in there…… including diagram.
Thanks Blaise not only for your clear thinking, but for your encouragement.
– Ronan O Daly

Hi Blaise,  KILL IT.  NO SURPRISES.  TIME LIMIT IT.
This is what works for me .
– Edmond Loughman

Dear Blaise,  Your book helped me to refocus on the priorities and your advice to open and continue to operate an “Issue File” will help to maintain that focus. Also your questionnaire on page 11, to list the five most critical issues facing you and your business and listing the action plans for each critical issue again re-focuses the business on output and profitability.
Its a great reference book and I have it with me at all times.
I love the reminder “Heart at home – Head at work” Congratulations & continued success.
– Ann Kehoe

Hi Blaise,  Congratulations on the book. Invaluable straight talking as usual.   My nugget would be “time is a perishable resource which is consumed as we use it”. You cannot organise other people until you organise yourself. Self Management as opposed to Time Management has now put Diary firmly back as my bible. Best Regards,
– Sandra Cuffe

Hi Blaise, I’m struggling to pick just one but for me and for my business, your approach to dealing with issues instead of avoiding them makes a huge difference. You are absolutely right, ignoring the bottom line doesn’t help it to grow (I’m paraphrasing!). Unfortunately, being a financial ostrich is a hard habit to break – especially when we are busy being busy – but your book is great motivation tool to rely on, long after the information has been consumed.
The most profitable tip for us was to change our approach to “bad customers”. I never realised how much time was wasted on “clients” that produced no revenue!
In fact, after reading through these posts, I think it’s time to get the book back out for a refresher lesson …
I’m looking forward to the next book, Kind regards,
– Carol Tallon, Buyers Broker

Hi Blaise,  Congrats again on your book, a good read. The question I have is – will the sequel be called “How to become the LIMITLESS factor!”? Carpe Diem!
– Sean M Kelly

Well done Blaise,  I believe that the area of ‘focus’ cannot be over emphasised. Today we all suffer from an overload of information and requests. Learning to say ‘no’ can be a bitter pill to swallow, however it could quite possibly be your prescription to a healthy (business) future.
– Frank Keane

Blaise,  The book is a great read and invaluable tool for everyone.
The ‘nugget’ I take from the book is the same as from the course I took with you, and that is ‘Time management’ ! I have come from never having enough time to do everything to being highly organised with time and my diary now runs my working life.
– John Leahy

Hi Blaise,  My nugget is about eating an elephant one bite at a time! ‘Nibbling in a forward direction’ has delivered real results for us. Each improvement may be small, but the combined effect over time is remarkable.
Of course ‘clarity of purpose’ is the other nugget – so that we are sure we are nibbling in the right direction!
– Mairead Mulcahy

“Playing wth sand, when we should focus on the rocks”… thats the point I’ll never forget.
Thanks for all your advice and help Blaise
–  Andrew Tobin

Hi Blaise,  Congratulations, fantastic to get all that wisdom and experience into a great book. Having come through a few hard knocks recently I’m now firmly ‘back in the saddle’ This book is a great motivational tool and the last line in the book ‘You can’t change yesterday, but you can choose to make today a better day and tomorrow even better.’
Is now on the first page of my dusted off ‘To do’ diary. The empty pages are full of nuggets from the book so it is difficult to pick just one. I really liked the sales tip ‘Love with a Q’. Listen, Observe, Verify, Question, Empathise. *Less is more in selling.* If you listen they will give you the hooks on which to hang your solution. *Be interested rather than interesting *Be careful about giving too many options, it causes confusion and leads to indecision. Finally, on closing the sale – ‘It is the last twist of the nut that really secures the beam’. This book will take pride of place on my now uncluttered desk!
Thank You Blaise, I’m now doing the things I said I was going to do, long after the mood in which I said it has left me.
– Audrey Forde

Reading and reflecting on the “angles” of the issues addressed in this bok –You are the Limiting Factor, has really kick started me out of the negative mode I had allowed myself to drift into.
I now know that I can win my game and build a successful business. I am now reconciled to pay the price.
– Jim from the Kingdom

I recently came across a management book titled You are the Limiting Factor written by a Kerry man with the unusual Kerry name Blaise.
I have found it very challenging for me, as it forced me to be honest with myself and to better understand that I am responsible for the performance of my own business. Having shaken me up, then the book went on to give me very practical guidance re how I could build my management capacity better. The case histories were brilliant and I felt that he was talking about me and my business.
This is a must read if you are serious about your business.
Thanks Blaise for providing me with this resource.
– Des Murphy

Hi Blaise ,  What I will take with me from your book is;——”Man cannot discover new oceans until he has the courage to loose sight of the shore”; and “change is a process, not an event and that to anchor that change requires building it as a new habit”.Your book has become my bible.   Thank you so much
– Treasa Earls

Hello Blaise,  I have not finished reading the book yet and have already learned so much from it.
If you do what you have always done, you will have what you have always had ;
After reading the book I do not plan on doing what I have always done.
ACT, this is now one word that I think of constantly and try to apply it.
The Kill Folder, this really works and I have completed many tasks that I had been putting off.
You asked for one nugget,
I am in the solution business, I provide a solution for my clients, this has made me look at my business in a completely different way.  I don’t sell hours, I sell solutions.   Thank you
– Sabine Rosler

Blaise,  “You are the Limiting Factor”; has given me the motivation to go after what I really want which involves change.
“For things to change , you have to change.
For things to happen, you have to make them happen”.
The issue file idea – brilliant!!
Already issues are being addressed , killed and measured leading to a sense of accomplishment and confidence.
Getting out there and looking for the support and advice that is available is also proving crucial as “No Man is an Island” and as you say “there is no point in being shy in business.   Great practical advice on every page !!!
– Gerardine Walsh

Dear Blaise, There is a saying “paying attention to simple little things that most men neglect makes some men rich”. Your book reiterates the necessity in business to keep it simple. Knowing what you are good at and sticking to that is the recipe for success!
Thanks for all the words of wisdom over the years.
– Eleanor

Hi Blaise, I guess the most striking thing I’ve picked up from the book is the need to know the value of your time in monetary terms. Particularly, in terms of the how you must maximise the time you invest and know what your return on that invested time is. For instance, getting someone in or outsourcing the little tasks that are not necessarily what you’re good at or that you don’t like doing. So thanks for this nugget.
– Catherine Dollard

“Blaise is one of those people you occasionally meet who has an impact on your life. For me it was the sudden insight that “The Market Pays for Output, Not Activity”. This really helped me to get a firm grip on the performance management process. Far too much focus is placed on activity to the detriment of output. Blaise is the Guru, I hope to become. He has a terrific understanding and experience of business and a great way with people. A real source of learning and inspiration.”
– Cormac McGrane

Hello Blaise,  I guess the key nugget I have picked up so far from the book is to ‘achieve your planned output in a smarter way’. You are so right that the market pays on output and not input. I have already started to look at my time and processes in a different and hopefully smarter way. Thank you.
– Joe Crinnion

“Blaise is able to focus the business mind to achieve results. His book You Are The Limiting Factor is a must have for every business owner or manager.”
– David Kinsella

Running a small business requires a broad range of skills. “You are the limiting factor” gives the small business owner the confidence and tools to get the job done!………..No excuses!
– Frank Heath

Are you the Limiting Factor in your Business?
“You are the Limiting Factor” is a new book by an Irish Author and top Irish Business consultant Blaise Brosnan.
“You are the Limiting Factor” as a title is not the start of some self-bashing exercise. The purpose neatly conveyed through out the book is to realise that you as an individual can control your businesses destiny. It helps boost confidence through useful techniques and evaluations that are so easy to apply to your own business.
Just a slight word of warning: This is not bedtime reading. I spent a few sleepless nights buzzing with ideas after reading a chapter or two, that the book like my coffee has been consigned to the “Not after 9pm” rule.
Happy reading to you all!
– John from Red Oak Tax Refunds

Hi Blaise,  I’m working my way through your book and already have noticed a difference in the way I now approach my day. I now concentrate on output and the nugget I have picked up from the book that has really helped me to focus is the reference to acting like a sniper in order to kill the rabbit.
Thanks for all your advice and help Blaise.
– Alison Cummins

Hi Blaise. I received your book as one of my Christmas presents and it’s bringing back to me all the excellent lessons I learned when participating in the MDP. Here’s to a great 2010!
– Gavin  

A nugget I found useful on page 160. ” There are lots of warning lights in your business. Not just red but amber and green ones too” In relation to sales and cash flow management I have now built in a set of warning lights. This provides more control, improves cashflow and leaves more time for targeted sales.
– Frank Heath

I found the OMD course, backed up by the book, very beneficial to keeping me motivated in developing my Company (HRS Business Solutions Ltd). While I found each chapter in the book gave me something to focus on the two items most helpful to me were:
1. Clarity of Purpose
2. The Market only pays for output
Best of luck for the future and I have no doubt our paths will cross again
– Michael O’Brien

Hi Blaise,  I would say one the best nuggests I gleaned from you was “what ever gets measured gets done.”
For example we started measuring “profit” rather than “turnover” for our sales targets. We took our marketing goals and turned those into measurable targets as well.
Both activities are obviously linked to the vitial inflow of working capital into the business, and now that they are clearly measured they most certainly get done.
Thanks again for the great MDP course and for the excellent source of reference we also have in your book. Regards,
– Tadhg Kenny

One of the many nuggets from the book that has really helped our business recently is the section on hiring staff; the advice (on getting both the job specification and the person specification right, developing a scorecard to compare different candidates and inviting preferred candidates back for a second interview) meant that we were able to identify a number of ideal candidates and hire the right person based on a rational decision rather than on gut instinct or because they seemed right. In fact, there were 2 final contenders who were neck and neck but the second interview made all the difference! Thanks, Blaise!
– Eileen O’Connell

“Blaise has a unique talent of making you challenge the way you think in relation to your business. His practical advice and guidance generate energy and confidence to drive your business forward.
As an added bonus having his book ” You are the limiting factor” as a reference book is terrific and highly recommended.”
– Geraldine

“I am delighted to recommend Blaise as a highly respected and a much sought after business expert whose enthusiasm for his work is infectious.
Blaise has an effortless way of communicating his knowledge and in a way everyone can relate to. Whether it’s through attending his presentations, conversing with him one to one or reading his books, I am always wiser for his business acumen and experience.”

Leonora Ryan

Blaise, though we have not met you feel like a good friend. Reading your Book – You are the Limiting Factor, changed my business tack. thank you.

 Melanie Kovero