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Peter, I completely agree that getting the first 90 right sets the foundation for everything that follows which is why it has its own chapter in my latest book: Chapter 16 - The First Ninety Days The previous chapter described the rhythm the practice runs on. This chapter describes how a new client is brought into that rhythm. The first ninety days are the structured diagnostic phase, in which the engagement runs through Stages 1, 2, and 3, in sequence, on a defined timetable, with specific deliverables landing at specific points. The shape of the ninety days matters. Done well, the client arrives at the end of week twelve as a working participant in the monthly rhythm, with their Intent Statement, their Management Reports and Commentaries, and their Critical Business Drivers Template all in place, and a relationship that can carry the work that follows. Done badly, the engagement drifts. The diagnostic stretches to four months, then five. The Intent Statement is signed off but never quite returned to. The first Report arrives weeks late. The drivers are agreed but never used. The relationship slips into the shape of a friendly retainer that produces little of the value the Method exists to produce. This chapter sets out the structure that prevents the second outcome. The deliverables for weeks one, four, eight, and twelve. The discipline of pacing. The hand-off from diagnostic to monthly rhythm at week thirteen. The chapter is short on purpose, because the ninety days are operational and the operational work benefits more from a clear timetable than from extended exposition. Why ninety days, and why this shape Ninety days is not arbitrary. Three months is enough time to do Stages 1, 2, and 3 properly, with the natural pace each stage requires. Compress the period and the work becomes superficial. Stretch it and the client loses momentum, the Intent Statement starts to feel stale before the drivers have been agreed, and the engagement begins to drift before the rhythm has been established.

I've been using NotebookLM for some time for several outputs, not just infographics; it, and Claude, do most of my heavy lifting now. Definitley worth getting the paid version. Thanks for the heads up on the new styles Peter. Here's one I made with the storyboard style.

Where did the Storyboard style go on Infographics? That was my favourite.

As business advisers it is always possible to increase the value we provide - usually at little or no cost - so a regular price increase can always be mollified by adding something extra to offset the pain.

We have a simple philosophy that if the value you get isn't greater than whatever you pay us we are the wrong advisers for you. It is always possible to increase the value to your ideal client.

Quite right Peter; the improvement I'd like to see all small businesses make is in the quality and timeliness of their financial reporting and forecasting. With software such as Xero it's possible to automate most of the bookkeeping and then get detailed reports such as gross margin by business segment. Link Xero to a forecasting app - even it's inbuilt Syft - for a view of the future. This improved data flow and analytics is available to all businesses not just large corpoates and will transform the business performance if interpreted correctly.