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Open with 1–2 short paragraphs:“Every founder says, ‘We’re a bit different.’ Good news: you are – just not in the way you usually mean.”Remind them they’ve just seen how plans, habits, and mental models drive reactivity; now you want to show the shared structure underneath.
Introduce your simple building blocks (in words):Create demandConvert demand (scope/quote/agree)DeliverGet paidSupport (people, systems, finance)Then add Crabtree’s three lenses:Make stuff (product makers)Sell stuff (distributors/retail/e‑com)Do stuff (services, expertise, trades)One paragraph to say: structurally, every SME is some mix of these blocks, just with different weights and flavours.
Owner line: “We’re not like agencies or SaaS – we’ve got machines, raw materials, specialised processes. Nothing standard works here.”Show the shared block (promise → deliver → invoice):Sales promise lead times without checking capacity.Production juggles priorities, jobs queue up, changeovers kill flow.Shipments are late or partial; invoices are delayed or disputed.Close with a structural line: “Different product, same broken hand‑off between selling and doing.”
Owner line: “Our world is different – crazy seasonality, demanding retailers, razor‑thin margins. It’s all relationships and timing.”Shared block: order → fulfil → cash:Orders come in via multiple channels, stock accuracy is shaky.Warehouse is constantly expediting and fixing pick/pack errors.Credits, returns, and manual adjustments slow cash collection.Structural line: “Different customers, same invisible queue between order and fulfilment.”
Owner line: “We’re project‑based / creative / professional services – you can’t standardise what we do.”Shared block: brief → deliver → bill:Vague intake; scope creep baked in from day one.Delivery teams start before roles/capacity are clear.Rework and free extras erode margin; invoices get stuck in ‘discussions’.Structural line: “Different language, same gap between promise, delivery, and getting paid.”
2–4 paragraphs to state explicitly:Your core blocks are not unique; your advantage is how cleanly you run them and how cleverly you combine them.Equifinality means there are many ways to wire those blocks, but some paths are far simpler and more scalable than others.When you cling to “we’re structurally different,” you stop borrowing proven fixes and end up reinventing complexity.
Which describes you best today: mostly make stuff, sell stuff, or do stuff?For your main revenue stream, can you map the steps from first contact to cash in 5–7 boxes?Where does work most often get stuck: before the promise, during delivery, or after delivery when you’re trying to get paid?Which of your pain points would look familiar to a business in a completely different industry?
One‑paragraph wrap:“If you can accept that you’re built from the same blocks as everyone else, you can use the same simple process to keep those blocks clean and your complexity under control.”Point to what’s next in the chapter: PDCA as the loop, then your detailed process and “Devil in the detail” as the how.
Business planning elements (vision, strategy, operations, finance, etc.):U.S. Small Business Administration – “Write your business plan.”Balanced Scorecard Institute – “Strategic Planning Basics.”Strategic planning process overview (vision, goals, resources).
Crabtree’s three models (make, sell, do) – cite the original or a secondary explanation if you’re using his language directly. If you need a general support for broad business‑model groupings, you can lean on high‑level SME guides that segment product, retail/distribution, and services businesses.
Your own “Quick fixes vs real fixes in SMEs” research report for data on reactive culture, quick fixes, and hidden costs.
General competitive advantage and strategy (differentiation, niche, cost, brand):Porter / strategy summaries via Balanced Scorecard or strategic‑planning articles.Non‑profit competitive advantage / need to differentiate for funding and impact:Strategy/board guidance pieces on non‑profit positioning and differentiation (e.g. non‑profit strategy blogs or governance guides).
Describe standard planning/building blocks → use .Talk about make/sell/do as broad model groups → one general SME/business‑plan source plus your Crabtree reference.Define competitive advantage for both for‑profit and non‑profit → .
But my Business is different
Here’s a compact version of the sub‑chapter plan you can write straight into.
1. Soft hook
2. Core blocks + make/sell/do
3. Three short vignettes
Write 1–2 paragraphs each.
a) Make stuff – small manufacturer
b) Sell stuff – wholesaler / e‑com
c) Do stuff – service business
4. Pull‑out insight
5. Light self‑diagnostic
A short intro line, then questions like:
6. Bridge to PDCA and “The process”
You can now draft straight down this outline; when you have a rough version of the vignettes, they can be tightened to keep the tone and pacing consistent with the first sub‑chapter.
Citations to use:
For “But my business is different,” you mainly need citations that support three ideas: shared building blocks, make/sell/do patterns, and competitive advantage (for‑profit and non‑profit).
Here are good fits:
Shared structures / business building blocks
Make stuff / sell stuff / do stuff framing
Firefighting, quick fixes, and systemic problems (used in your vignettes and “you’re not unique” argument)
Competitive advantage (for‑profit and non‑profit)
PDCA / operating system (only if you foreshadow it in this sub‑chapter)
You don’t need to flood the sub‑chapter with references, but when you:
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