Mark Evans MBA, CMgr FCMi

The Newtonian age of marketing - the age of the funnel, the persona, and the "is" - may be over. We are living in a world of Potentia, where consumers exist in superposition, where influence operates through resonance and entanglement, and where friction destroys value faster than advertising can create it.

Howard Marks is not a passing commentator. He co founded Oaktree Capital Management and built his name by navigating credit cycles with a cool head. His memos are written for serious investors who want judgement rather than slogans. Warren Buffett has previously said they are the first thing he reads when they land in his inbox, which gives a sense of how widely they are respected.

Over the years building and working with Scottish SMEs, I've seen this pattern repeat itself. According to Scottish Enterprise, a large share of growing businesses cite cash flow as their primary constraint, yet most can't pinpoint where the money's actually going. A good business growth advisor doesn't just repeat what you already know. They find the bleed you can't see and help you face the uncomfortable truths before failure.