https://mjirgensons.github.io Steer, Don't Guess by Martin Jirgenson: a practical method (the Jirgenson Model) for setting priorities, reading the numbers and correcting course in business and life. Kindle, paperback, hardcover and PDF. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/free-sample/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/free-sample/Thu, 29 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTRead the opening of Steer, Don't Guess by Martin Jirgenson free: From the author, the Introduction (control architecture in an age of change), the Prologue, Chapter 1 (Goal: not a dream but a list with an order, the refusal test) and the one-page cheat sheet. About 9,500 words. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/1000-subscribers/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/1000-subscribers/Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT1000 subscribers is a goal, not a plan. Write a one-page YouTube channel plan in 15 minutes: levers, hours, limits, a weekly indicator and a check date. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/amazon-seller-success-rate/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/amazon-seller-success-rate/Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTThe Amazon seller success rate is low. Write one page per goal before you spend: levers in order, resources, limits, a weekly number and a check date. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/amazon-seller-tips/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/amazon-seller-tips/Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTAmazon seller tips that start with your own numbers: cash counted in months of costs, a margin with every write-off in it, and one source for every figure. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/attention-economy/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/attention-economy/Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTThe attention economy hands a few channels most of the views. Stop pushing on the result: list the levers you own, test each with three questions, start today. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/business-closure/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/business-closure/Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTA business closure can come without any noise. Move your main goal from reacting to last month to a Monday forecast, and see the gap while the month is still open. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/business-is-struggling/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/business-is-struggling/Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTWhen a business is struggling, the signs rarely make noise. Set three zones for every goal in one evening, so a quiet slide shows up as a colour before the bank sees it. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/business-owner-burnout/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/business-owner-burnout/Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTBusiness owner burnout starts with a missing row: your own hours. Put them on the panel with a red line, and hand one area to the person who sees it best. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/business-stress/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/business-stress/Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTBusiness stress grows when every number lives in your head. Build a five-row panel with one source per number in 20 minutes, and set when you look at it. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/business-transformation/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/business-transformation/Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTBusiness transformation passes through eight stages, and a skipped one does not vanish. Find the empty stage in fifteen minutes, with a filled-in example. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/cost-overrun/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/cost-overrun/Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTA cost overrun shows up in a weekly forecast long before it lands on the invoice. Move your budget from the calendar to the forecast, with a filled-in example. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/creator-economy/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/creator-economy/Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTThe creator economy acts on your channel like wind on a yacht. List each factor, mark direction and strength, and pick one lever for each in 15 minutes. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/creator-income/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/creator-income/Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTCreator income swings every month. Write it as a goal: a three-month average, one source, a deadline, and a line for how much one client may hold. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/day-trading-statistics/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/day-trading-statistics/Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTDay trading statistics give the odds for everyone. Your own account needs three zones, a red line set in advance and a protocol for the day it turns red. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/day-trading-success-rate/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/day-trading-success-rate/Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTThe day trading success rate gives the odds for everyone. Your own plan starts earlier: constraints, goals in refusal order and a stop line set in advance. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/etsy-statistics/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/etsy-statistics/Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTEtsy statistics count the shops that go dark. Set three zones for each of your numbers in a calm hour, so you know when to act and what to stop first. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/extra-income/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/extra-income/Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTExtra income needs a job before it needs a gig. Write a short goal list in refusal order, six fields for the top goal and a minimum line. Fifteen minutes. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/failed-startup/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/failed-startup/Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTA failed startup rarely dies on the day the cash ends. Set three zones for every goal, read the error each week, and act on red while there is time. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/fear-of-failure-business/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/fear-of-failure-business/Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTFear of failure makes fast decisions and bad ones. Seven steps turn it into a written start: calm the noise, read your numbers, set a condition, then decide. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/first-business/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/first-business/Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTYour first business needs a route, not a leap. Work back from the finish line, set a dated checkpoint every few months, and find the one task for this week. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/merger-integration/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/merger-integration/Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTMerger integration fails when two halves steer by two languages. Put both in one frame of goal, state and error, with two formulas and a filled-in example. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/new-product-launch/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/new-product-launch/Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTA new product launch can break before work starts. Three checks in fifteen minutes: goals that clash, a starting number that isn't real, a market going under. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/one-person-business/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/one-person-business/Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTA one person business has nobody to break a tie. Write your goals as a ranked list, put your own pay and reserve on it, and let the order decide on hard days. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/personal-guarantee-business-loan/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/personal-guarantee-business-loan/Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTBefore a personal guarantee business loan or one more transfer from savings, write what you will never risk. Four layers and the refusal test, in fifteen minutes. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/personal-guarantee/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/personal-guarantee/Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTBefore a personal guarantee or another transfer from savings, list what pushes your business off course, and test whether one factor is stronger than your levers. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/podcast-statistics/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/podcast-statistics/Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTPodcast statistics are harsh on new shows. Treat yours as a manoeuvre: three periods, a corridor, review dates and stop rules written before episode one. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/podcast-tips/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/podcast-tips/Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTPodcast tips for the week a show stalls: calm the noise, read the real numbers, find the trend, then decide. Seven steps that keep one bad week from ending it. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/product-launch-plan/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/product-launch-plan/Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTA product launch plan written backwards: the end state after launch day, a launch condition instead of a date, and a chain that names this week's task. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/shopify-statistics/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/shopify-statistics/Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTShopify statistics show how fast new stores go dark. What to do instead: list the levers you can pull today, test each one, and read one early number weekly. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/side-hustle-income/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/side-hustle-income/Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTSide hustle income is what stays after costs and hours. Measure it in one evening: one source per number, a six-month average and an hourly figure. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/small-business-failure-rate/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/small-business-failure-rate/Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTThe small business failure rate is a rate for everyone. Measure your own state in one evening: five goals, one real number and one source for each. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/small-business-owner-stress/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/small-business-owner-stress/Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTSmall business owner stress grows when every worry gets the same weight. Sort each one by goal and zone in fifteen minutes, then act on the red row first. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/solopreneur/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/solopreneur/Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTA solopreneur keeps the whole business in one head, until a hard week wipes it. Build a six-row dashboard with one source per number and read it in a minute. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/startup-burnout/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/startup-burnout/Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTStartup burnout grows when every goal is equally urgent and the founder is on none of them. Build a four-layer goal list with an order, using a filled-in example. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/startup-failure-rate/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/startup-failure-rate/Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTThe startup failure rate describes the crowd, not your company. Three ways to steer a startup, and why only control by forecast acts before the runway ends. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/startup-success-rate/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/startup-success-rate/Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTThe startup success rate is set by the crowd. Your goals are set by you: six fields per goal, a refusal order, and a check for goals that cannot coexist. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/why-projects-fail/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/why-projects-fail/Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTWhy projects fail before work begins: a goal that contradicts itself, a wrong starting number, a sinking environment. Check all three in fifteen minutes. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/why-small-businesses-fail/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/why-small-businesses-fail/Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTWhy small businesses fail is a question for everyone. Draw two forecasts for yours, one if nothing changes and one if the plan works, and act while there is time. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/why-startups-fail/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/why-startups-fail/Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTWhy startups fail is rarely the money itself. Three written checks catch the broken goal, the wrong starting number and the fading market before cash runs out. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/youtube-growth/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/youtube-growth/Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTYouTube growth depends on how you steer. Move your channel from plan and panic to a forecast, with a six-step check and a hundred croissants as the model. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/youtuber-income/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/youtuber-income/Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMTYour youtuber income is a number, not a feeling. Build a five-row panel tonight: one definition, one source and one person behind every figure you steer by. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/action-plan-template/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/action-plan-template/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTAn action plan template with five rows: levers, resources, constraints, a leading indicator and an owner. Filled in with a freelancer's real launch plan. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/ai-for-business-decisions/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/ai-for-business-decisions/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTAI for business decisions: the four jobs an assistant can do in your loop, the risk in each, and a one-line rule for which answers to check by hand. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/ai-for-small-business/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/ai-for-small-business/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTAI for small business pays off when it works like a colleague with rules, not a text machine. A test you can run tonight, and the free system that sets the rules. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/ai-hallucinations-example/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/ai-hallucinations-example/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTAn AI hallucinations example from business advice, the five shapes an invented fact takes, and a 15-minute audit that sorts every sentence before you act on it. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/ai-in-management/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/ai-in-management/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTAI in management works when AI is a tool: it computes and warns, the owner keeps the wheel. A clear split of who decides what, and a free system that keeps it. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/ai-sycophancy/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/ai-sycophancy/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTAI sycophancy makes an assistant agree with you and chase its own ideas. Free files make ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini start from your priorities and your numbers. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/backward-planning-template/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/backward-planning-template/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTA backward planning template with five columns, filled in for a freelancer's 14-month goal, plus the money check that shows if the chain really closes. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/balanced-scorecard-explained/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/balanced-scorecard-explained/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTBalanced scorecard explained plainly: the four perspectives, a one-page version for a small business, and the question it leaves open when every side is red. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/book-launch-plan/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/book-launch-plan/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTA book launch plan on one page for freelancers and first-time authors: levers, hours, budget, a sales forecast and a Monday check that catches a miss early. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/books-like-the-goal/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/books-like-the-goal/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTBooks like The Goal, matched to the five steps of the Theory of Constraints: what each one adds, which question it answers, and a ten-minute bottleneck test. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/business-crisis-plan/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/business-crisis-plan/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTA business crisis plan you write before the crisis: one page, five blocks, filled in with a coffee shop's red lines and a freelancer's two-reds decision. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/business-levers/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/business-levers/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTBusiness levers are what you can change by your own decision. Sort every number into lever, free parameter or outside factor, then test each lever in euros. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/cash-reserve-months-of-expenses/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/cash-reserve-months-of-expenses/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTCash reserve months of expenses: turn the bank balance into time in ten minutes, read it against a red line, and see why a thin margin refills it so slowly. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/chatgpt-custom-instructions/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/chatgpt-custom-instructions/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTChatGPT custom instructions decide how good an AI answer is. Write them like an employee handbook: five house rules for tonight, and a free full rulebook. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/claude-prompts/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/claude-prompts/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTClaude prompts that turn Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini into a careful business analyst: two free files, two messages and a five-sign check that it works. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/client-concentration-freelancer/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/client-concentration-freelancer/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTClient concentration risk for freelancers: how to measure your largest client's share, write it as a goal with six fields, and cut it without firing anyone. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/coffee-shop-book/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/coffee-shop-book/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTA coffee shop book built on one owner's year: five numbers at month zero, the bin that ate the margin, a bad month, and the table that changed his Sundays. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/control-theory-for-business/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/control-theory-for-business/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTControl theory for business in plain words: setpoint, sensor, error, actuator, delay and margin, each mapped onto one coffee shop, plus a 15-minute loop check. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/decision-fatigue-small-business/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/decision-fatigue-small-business/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTDecision fatigue makes a tired owner say yes to the loudest request. Make three decisions in a calm hour, so the page decides for you when you are exhausted. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/delegating-to-the-right-person/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/delegating-to-the-right-person/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTDelegating to the right person means handing each area to whoever sees furthest ahead, not the top title. A 15-minute wheel test with a coffee shop example. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/eisenhower-matrix-alternative/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/eisenhower-matrix-alternative/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTAn Eisenhower matrix alternative for owners whose every task looks urgent: rank goals once with the refusal test, then filter each request with three questions. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/factors-affecting-small-business/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/factors-affecting-small-business/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTFactors affecting small business, from rain and heating bills to your own lack of time: list them, size them in your goal's units, and sort each into one of four bins. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/goal-setting-for-entrepreneurs/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/goal-setting-for-entrepreneurs/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTGoal setting for entrepreneurs who run the business on their own hours: write the owner row, rank it with the refusal test, and give any overload an end date. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/gut-feeling-vs-numbers-business/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/gut-feeling-vs-numbers-business/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTYour gut feeling in business is a good question and a bad answer. Turn each hunch into one measured row: a definition, one source and a number you can trust. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/household-budget-deficit/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/household-budget-deficit/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTA household budget in deficit needs an order, not a fight. Read the real numbers, test each cut, pull one lever at a time, and see when the savings run out. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/how-often-to-review-kpis/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/how-often-to-review-kpis/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTHow often to review KPIs: look before a number can cross its yellow band, and judge a lever only after its loop has turned. Coffee shop numbers, no software. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/how-to-measure-business-performance/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/how-to-measure-business-performance/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTHow to measure business performance honestly: audit each number for source, method and period, then check its error is small enough to steer by. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/how-to-prioritize-your-life/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/how-to-prioritize-your-life/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTHow to prioritize your life when work eats every evening: put your own time on the list, write your limits first, run the refusal test and plan the exceptions. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/how-to-save-a-failing-business/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/how-to-save-a-failing-business/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTHow to save a failing business without a midnight rescue: check for danger, read three things in an evening, then pull one lever that moves with the market. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/kpi-zones/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/kpi-zones/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTKPI zones turn a gap into a decision: work out the error, then set green, yellow and red in advance. Five steps, a freelancer's and a coffee shop's numbers. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/management-glossary/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/management-glossary/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTA management glossary in plain English: goal vector, refusal order, zones, stability margin, levers, phase lag, steady mode, each with one coffee shop example. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/management-self-check/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/management-self-check/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTA ten-question management self check for business owners. Each No is an empty row, not a failure: it shows your weakest area and what that gap costs you. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/management-system-small-business/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/management-system-small-business/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTA management system for a small business is seven simple tools, not software. Build the first five in one week with one spreadsheet and a short Monday meeting. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/margin-vs-markup/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/margin-vs-markup/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTMargin vs markup with one coffee shop's figures: the conversion formula, how a 15% target becomes a price rule, and why the reserve grows at the markup rate. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/measurable-goals-example/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/measurable-goals-example/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTA measurable goals example from four lives: a coffee shop, a freelancer, a family in deficit and a teenager. Every field filled in, with the mistake each one exposes. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/months-of-runway/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/months-of-runway/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTMonths of runway is two numbers, not one: how many months of costs you hold, and when the money runs out at today's pace. Here is how to calculate both. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/mutually-exclusive-goals/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/mutually-exclusive-goals/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTMutually exclusive goals cannot both be met, however hard you work. Run a ten-minute arithmetic test, then pick one of four exits: drop, cap, sequence or condition. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/okr-vs-balanced-scorecard/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/okr-vs-balanced-scorecard/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTOKR vs balanced scorecard for a small business: one words the goals, the other picks what to measure. Neither says which goal wins. One sheet does both jobs. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/phase-lag-management/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/phase-lag-management/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTPhase lag is the delay between a problem and your fix. Measure your three delays, set how often to look at each number, and stop judging levers too early. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/reactive-vs-proactive-management/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/reactive-vs-proactive-management/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTReactive vs proactive management in one weekly habit: forecast the month on Monday, act on the gap before it lands, and let next Monday's facts correct you. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/teach-kids-to-save-money/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/teach-kids-to-save-money/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTHow to teach kids to save money: let your child write the goal, pick levers they control and count every Sunday. A 13-year-old's €300 bicycle plan, filled in. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/too-many-goals/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/too-many-goals/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTToo many goals means the loudest problem wins. Cut your list with five filters, keep nine goals or fewer, and let the refusal test decide which one comes first. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/waste-in-small-business/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/waste-in-small-business/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTWaste in small business never reaches the report, so the margin you read is wrong. A six-step gauge test, three questions for every figure, and how to cut the leak. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/what-is-a-leading-indicator/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/what-is-a-leading-indicator/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTWhat is a leading indicator? A weekly number that shows a plan is working before the deadline. Write one in 15 minutes, with a filled-in example. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/when-to-give-up-on-a-business-idea/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/when-to-give-up-on-a-business-idea/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTWhen to give up on a business idea: rule out a broken goal and false numbers first, then run the Titanic test with four questions. Worked coffee shop numbers. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/when-to-pivot-small-business/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/when-to-pivot-small-business/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTWhen to pivot and when to hold the course: change the plan when the numbers miss, change the goal when conditions change, and launch big moves only on written conditions. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/backward-planning/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/backward-planning/Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTBackward planning in one two-column table: start at the finished goal, ask what must be true just before it, stop at this week. Free template, coffee shop example. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/books-like-measure-what-matters/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/books-like-measure-what-matters/Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTBooks like Measure What Matters for owners and managers, from The Goal to Traction: what each one adds, and which to read for which problem. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/business-triage/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/business-triage/Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTBusiness triage for a bad month: seven steps from calming the noise to one decision, which problem goes first, and a coffee shop's three scenarios in numbers. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/chatgpt-prompt-for-business/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/chatgpt-prompt-for-business/Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTA free ChatGPT prompt for business decisions that was blind-tested against a good generic consultant prompt: how to use it, what to write, and what comes back. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/competing-priorities-conflicting-goals/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/competing-priorities-conflicting-goals/Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTCompeting priorities, competing objectives and conflicting goals, with real numbers: how to spot two goals that cannot both win, and choose before a crisis does. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/control-cycle-management/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/control-cycle-management/Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTThe control cycle in eight stages, why reactive management falls behind, and a croissant order run three ways with every error counted. PDCA side by side. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/external-factors-business/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/external-factors-business/Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTExternal factors in business, from rain to rising supplier prices: how to list them, judge direction and strength, and choose a lever. Worked examples in euros. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/financial-health-check/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/financial-health-check/Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTA financial health check for a small business you can do in one evening: the key business metrics, where each number comes from, and how to tell a reading from a guess. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/forecast-cash-flow/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/forecast-cash-flow/Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTHow to forecast cash flow in a small business without software: two forecasts with numbers, months until the money runs out, and a range instead of a guess. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/goal-hierarchy/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/goal-hierarchy/Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTBuild a goal hierarchy that decides for you on a bad day: four layers, a ranked list instead of weights, and the Eisenhower matrix put side by side with it. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/goals-for-next-year/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/goals-for-next-year/Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTHow to set goals for next year as a business owner: a plan for tonight, this week and this month, a goals list in six areas, and a review rhythm. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/how-to-calculate-profit-margin/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/how-to-calculate-profit-margin/Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTHow to calculate profit margin step by step, with a coffee shop worked in euros: the formula, margin vs markup, and the uncounted cost that turned 20% into 9%. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/how-to-prevent-ai-hallucinations/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/how-to-prevent-ai-hallucinations/Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTHow to prevent AI hallucinations in business advice: five rules that cut answers with an invented fact from 7 in 10 to 1 in 120 in a blind test. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/how-to-set-measurable-goals/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/how-to-set-measurable-goals/Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTHow to set measurable goals that you can actually steer by: six fields with a worked coffee shop example, a one-minute test, and a SMART goal put through all six. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/how-to-track-write-offs/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/how-to-track-write-offs/Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTHow to track write-offs (waste, spoiled stock, giveaways) in a small business: why they vanish from reports, a simple sheet, and what they did to one café margin. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/lagging-vs-leading-indicators/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/lagging-vs-leading-indicators/Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTLagging vs leading indicators for small business owners: what each tells you, real examples for a coffee shop, a freelancer and a teenager, and how to test a leading one. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/levers-of-control/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/levers-of-control/Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTLevers of control for small business owners: how to tell a lever from a result, the three questions to ask before pulling one, and a 5% price rise tested in euros. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/management-frameworks-explained/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/management-frameworks-explained/Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTManagement frameworks explained plainly: OKR, Balanced Scorecard, PDCA, TOC and EOS, one coffee shop problem run through all five. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/okr-alternative-small-business/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/okr-alternative-small-business/Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTAn OKR alternative for small business: one freelancer's goals written as OKRs and as a goal vector, side by side, plus OKR vs balanced scorecard. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/one-page-business-plan/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/one-page-business-plan/Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTA one page business plan for each goal: five questions, a filled-in coffee shop example, a sufficiency check in numbers, and the constraint most plans forget. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/predictability-in-business/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/predictability-in-business/Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTPredictability in business lives in the pair of the work and the person running it: why one Friday is chaos for a trainee and rhythm for a pro. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/priorities-in-life/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/priorities-in-life/Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTHow to set priorities in life with one honest question: what would you give up first? A teenager, a freelancer and a family budget show the refusal test at home. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/save-for-a-goal/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/save-for-a-goal/Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTHow to save for a goal with a plan that survives real life: a 13-year-old's €300 bicycle fund and a family budget in deficit, worked step by step from Steer, Don't Guess. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/small-business-kpis/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/small-business-kpis/Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTSmall business KPIs without software: which to track, a dashboard built in six steps, how often to measure each number, and a nine-question completeness test. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/traffic-light-dashboard/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/traffic-light-dashboard/Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTHow to build a traffic light dashboard for a small business: where to draw the red line, what yellow asks of you, and why green means leave it alone. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/why-business-plans-fail/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/why-business-plans-fail/Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTWhy business plans fail even when you do everything right: the three offsets from Steer, Don't Guess, a coffee shop example, and when to change the plan vs the goal. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/business-crisis-what-to-do-first/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/business-crisis-what-to-do-first/Thu, 29 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTHow to handle a crisis in a small business: the red protocol from Steer, Don't Guess, the exact order of first moves, and a coffee shop worked in euros. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/busy-but-not-profitable/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/busy-but-not-profitable/Thu, 29 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTBusy but not profitable? How a full coffee shop with an empty till finds its real margin, and the five numbers every owner should check weekly. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/jirgenson-model-management-method/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/jirgenson-model-management-method/Thu, 29 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTThe Jirgenson Model: a management method for owners in three weekly questions: where you want to go, where you really are, what you can move. Free Chapter 1. https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/set-priorities-refusal-order/https://mjirgensons.github.io/blog/set-priorities-refusal-order/Thu, 29 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMTHow to set priorities when everything is urgent: the refusal test from Steer, Don't Guess turns a wish list into a real order in ten seconds.