There’s a famous saying, “it’s tough at the top.”

And when you get there… you realise just how true that is.

If you're a founder, business owner or leader, you’ll understand the weight of wearing multiple hats - marketing, finance, people development, sales, cash flow, strategy - while still being the emotional barometer for your team.

Earlier this week the Lemon Tree team took time out on a strategy day to go back to basics. And because we’re still at the beginning of 2026, I wanted to use this article as a nudge for you to do the same.

One of the biggest things we worked on was our positioning as an agency. Because when you try to speak to everyone, you end up sounding like you’re for no one. A niche isn’t about excluding people for the sake of it… it’s about getting specific enough that the right people instantly think, “This is for me.”

Big changes are coming – are you ready to protect your profits and plan for growth? 

The latest government announcements bring a mix of opportunities and challenges for growing businesses. Misty Nickells from Griffin Chartered Accountants has given us your quick-hit guide to what matters most – and how to stay ahead.

If there’s one mindset that separates thriving businesses from those that do not, it’s this - never stop experimenting!

Experimentation isn’t just for start-ups in co-working spaces or tech labs filled with whiteboards and post-it notes. It’s a mindset - one that every organisation, large or small, can (and should) build into its culture. Because when a company stops experimenting, it stops learning - and when it stops learning, it stops growing.

Every successful business begins with one simple question: What problem are you solving?

It sounds obvious, yet it’s surprising how many entrepreneurs skip this step - focusing first on a product, a logo, or a launch, rather than the pain point they are addressing. The truth is, if your product or service doesn’t solve a real problem for real people, you don’t have a business. You have an idea - but ideas alone don’t create customers.

Our relationship with failure is often complicated. From an early age, many of us are taught to avoid mistakes - to in effect, play it safe, get it right the first time and not “look bad.” That mindset might have served us well in school or in structured jobs, however, for entrepreneurs, it can become a silent barrier to growth.