In Back to Basics, you emphasize strengthening the basics of operation before focusing on marketing. Why was this an important book for you to write?

Honestly, frustration was a big part of it. Over three decades in business, I watched good people fail — not because they lacked passion or ideas, but because they skipped steps. They’d spend a fortune on advertising before they’d even sorted out how they answered the phone. I felt like someone needed to say it plainly: get your house in order first.

Have you seen examples where something as simple as cleanliness or presentation dramatically changed customer perception?

Many times. I remember visiting a small service business that was struggling to understand why they weren’t getting repeat customers. Within five minutes of walking in, I could see it — the place was tired-looking, the staff seemed disengaged, and nothing felt looked after. We made some simple changes, purely cosmetic and behavioural, and the feedback from customers shifted almost immediately. People notice when you care. And they notice just as quickly when you don’t.

Your writing style is very direct and stripped down. Was that simplicity intentional from the start?

Yes, because I’m not a fan of padding. I’ve sat through enough seminars and read enough books where the core message could have been delivered in a quarter of the time. I wanted every page to earn its place. If a reader is busy running a business — and most of them are — they don’t have time for filler. Get to the point, make it useful, and respect their time. That was the brief I gave myself.

What do you hope readers change in their businesses after reading Back to Basics?

Their standards. Not dramatically — just raise them a notch. Start noticing the things that have become invisible through familiarity. The scuff on the wall you’ve stopped seeing. The way a team member speaks to customers when they think no one’s watching. The process that made sense five years ago but doesn’t anymore. Small improvements, done consistently, add up to something significant. That’s really the whole message of the book in one sentence.

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This book is not about trends or tactics. It focuses on the unglamorous but decisive elements that determine whether a business runs smoothly or constantly feels like hard work: cleanliness, consistency, recruiting, training, standards, systems, service, and discipline.

Written for owners, managers, and operators of people-driven businesses, Back to Basics offers a calm, practical philosophy rather than step-by-step instructions.

It is designed to be dipped into, revisited, and shared, not skimmed once and forgotten.

If you want fewer surprises, fewer fires, and a business that holds together under pressure, this book will help you get the order right.