The journal.

Growing the business, putting AI to work, systems that save time, and the news worth knowing.

  • What makes a build bigger or smaller

    What makes a build bigger or smaller

    Two businesses can ask for the same system and need very different builds. The reasons are knowable before anyone quotes. Here are the six that matter most.

    2 min read

  • Built to sell, even if you never do

    Built to sell, even if you never do

    A business that runs without its owner is worth more to a buyer and easier to live with in the meantime. What buyers look for, and how to start on it this year.

    3 min read

  • What one job really costs you

    What one job really costs you

    Most prices are set from the market and a hope that the margin is there. Here is a plain way to cost one job, order or visit end to end, and what thin restaurant margins teach every owner.

    3 min read

  • The hours nobody counts

    The hours nobody counts

    Retyping, reconciling and chasing paper never show up as a line on the P&L. Here is how to find those hours in your own business in one week, and what to do with them.

    3 min read

  • The best advice comes from the next table

    The best advice comes from the next table

    Connect & Compound is a small, invitation-based room where owners and operators trade real playbooks and candid numbers every 60 days. Why it works, and how to get the most from any room like it.

    2 min read