The symptoms
Unknown margin, copied prices, verbal quotes, dependence on the owner and decisions without data.
Keynote and workshop topic
Professionalising the small business
How to move from a trade that makes a living to a company that can be measured, delegated and grown. For guilds, associations, chambers and local councils.
+200projects led
7companies founded or managed
+100businesses created or invested in
+€1Mof investor and media interest in Bella Idea
Where I have worked
Approach
They know how to do the work. Nobody taught them to run the company.
Most small businesses in Spain are run by someone who has mastered their trade and learnt management as they went along: prices set by eye, verbal quotes, late payments, the diary kept in their head and no monthly indicators. The business works while the owner is there and stops when they are not. Martín Díaz Cuadrado has seen this in more than 100 businesses created or invested in, and has corrected it with a method that fits on a single sheet.
The keynote presents the symptoms of a lack of professionalisation, their causes and a staged plan that starts with what returns the most margin: measuring, pricing and collecting properly. The rest (processes, delegation, digitalisation) comes afterwards, and in order.
Who it is for
- Trade guilds, retailers' and business owners' associations.
- Chambers of commerce and business centres.
- Local councils with local commerce and services programmes.
- Companies with networks of workshops, installers or distributors.
What is covered
Content of the session
Six blocks with examples from real businesses and tools that can be applied the next day.
01
02
The causes
Trade training without management training, fear of raising prices, lack of time and advice limited to taxes.
03
Measuring and collecting properly
Margin per service, pricing with judgement, written quotes with terms and payment on time.
04
Processes and delegation
What the owner does and what they should not be doing: scheduling, purchasing, customer care and quality in other hands.
05
Customer acquisition that does not rely on word of mouth
Google Business Profile, fast response, a website that explains price and service, and follow-up of every enquiry.
06
Three indicators a month
The only figures needed to run a small business and how to obtain them without an accountant.
Formats
Formats for this topic
Quote according to format, length and city. In Spanish, Catalan or English.
Keynote
60–90 min
For associations, guilds and local commerce days.
Pricing and margin workshop
3–4 hours
Each participant leaves with their real margin and a standard quote.
Professionalisation programme
Depending on scope
Several sessions by block, with follow-up and a results report.
Session for commercial networks
60–120 min
For companies with partner workshops, installers or distributors.
What the audience takes away
- An honest diagnosis of one's own business in ten questions.
- The real margin per service and a criterion for setting prices.
- A standard quote with terms that prevent non-payment.
- A 90-day plan with what returns the most per hour invested.
- What to delegate first and how to do it without losing quality.
- Three monthly indicators and how to obtain them.
How to book
Four steps, with a proposal within 48 working hours.
01
Request
Form stating type of organisation, audience, expected date, city and objectives.
02
Proposal
Format, content, length and quote within 48 working hours.
03
Preparation
Briefing with the organisation to tailor content, examples and messages to the audience.
04
Delivery and follow-up
Keynote, workshop or programme, with materials for the organisation and, for programmes, a results report.
Frequently asked questions
What kind of businesses does this keynote have in mind?
Businesses that run on the trade of the person in charge: garages, installers, clinics, shops, renovation firms, home services, hospitality. They make up most of the business fabric and receive the least support.
Is it business management training?
It is training in what a small business genuinely needs: margin per service, pricing, written quotes, collection, scheduling, delegation and three indicators a month. No forty-page business plan.
Does it work in a single session?
A keynote changes the way people look at things; a workshop changes each attendee's pricing and quotes. Changing habits requires a multi-session programme with follow-up.
Who usually organises it?
Retailers' associations, trade guilds, chambers of commerce, local councils with local commerce programmes and companies wishing to support their network of distributors or partner workshops.
How is it requested and what does it cost?
Through the form. The quote depends on format, length and city; the proposal is sent within a maximum of 48 working hours.
Request this keynote or workshop
Type of organisation, audience, expected date and objective. A proposal follows within a maximum of 48 working hours.