Ep 37 Stop Working In It. Start Working On It with John Hutchinson

**Episode Summary** Hutch — founder of Plan AConsulting and former NZ Police detective — joins David Altena and Rob Bull to share what 15+ years of working with Kiwi SMEs has taught him. From running petrol stations to advising businesses across New Zealand, he unpacks thepatterns holding owners back and the practical steps to break free. **Episode Highlights** **1. From the Police Force to Petrol Stations** Burned out after years in the CIB and Serious Crime, John bought a service station with no business training and learned by making “donations to the market.” **2. The Trap of Busyness** Busy isn’t the same as productive.John’s turning point was counting pies during a stock-take. Is your daily activity actually moving the business forward? **3. Delegate vs. Abdicate** His first two operations managersfailed — not their fault. He abdicated instead of delegated. The fix: clear expectations, accountability, and his mantra “Trust, but validate.” **4. Strategy Fits on One Page** Strategy is a set of integrated choices, not a 50-page document. Start with one question: What’s your winning aspiration? **5. Governance Scales Down** For a sole trader it’s 20 minutes of honest reflection. For a $17M business, an Advisory Board. Either way: direction, oversight, accountability. **6. Breakthrough vs. Stuck** Businesses that scale are clear on direction, willing to try things, and know their numbers. Tom Peters: “Whoever tries the most, wins.” **7. The Undercover Business Advisor** While running a covert police op in the South Island, Hutch’s cover story was that he was a business advisor. Years later — that’s exactly what he became. **Quick-Fire Round** •       Weekly question: “Have I achieved what I set out to achieve?” •       Biggest myth: You need to be the fountain of all knowledge •       Books: The E-Myth Revisited, 7 Habits, Good to Great, Scaling Up, Playing to Win •       Hawke’s Bay hidden gem: Sit undera tree on a beach and look out at the sea   **Key Takeaways** •       Stop counting pies — if you’re doing it, you’re stuck •       Busyness is not a badge of honour •       Trust, but validate •       Strategy fits on one page •       Governance scales to any size business •       Mistakes are tuition fees — learnand move on   **Links & Resources** **Guest** Plan A Consulting — www.planaconsulting.co.nz **Episode Sponsor** SetSeed — www.setseed.com **The Better SMB Podcast** Listen on Spotify **Books Mentioned** •       The E-Myth Revisited — Michael E. Gerber •       The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People — Stephen Covey •       Good to Great / Built to Last / How the Mighty Fall — Jim Collins •       Scaling Up — Verne Harnish •       Playing to Win — Roger Martin& A.G. Lafley •       Blue Ocean Strategy — Kim & Mauborgne •       Red Team Thinking / American Icon — Bryce Hoffman •       Slow Productivity — Cal Newport •       Alchemy — Rory Sutherland   **Episode Tags** #BetterSMB  •  #PlanAConsulting  • #SMELeadership  •  #NZBusiness   #BusinessGrowth *The Better SMB Podcast is proudly sponsored by SetSeed — www.setseed.com*