Latest Articles
- How to Get the Most Out of a Business Health Review with Your Accountant
While working with my clients and as Program Manager of the Entrepreneurial Assistance Program I have a common theme presents itself. How do I figure out how my business is doing? As a business owner I need to know the answer to this myself. So when I meet with my accountant, I want to give him the most up to date and accurate information. Thus providing the data he needs to help me make sound financial decisions. Your accountant can do this for you but they will need “information”.
- Planning For Success
So why is planning important? Without it you will waist a considerable amount of money, time, and resources. You can’t get where you want to go if you don’t know where you want to end up. Working with clients I usually find businesses that have grown ad hoc and call me when their inefficient back office operations are hampering growth. By developing a business plan you can prepare for growth and potential risk or problems. Therefore you are responding to your environment not reacting. Also, having a solid plan gives you a tool for making decisions.
- 10 Key Factors in Choosing Customer Relationship Management Software (CRM)
One of my favorite topics we teach in class is how to compile information that can be used to make smart business decisions. What usually comes up during class is many start-ups and existing companies know they need a tool to help them with collecting and using information but do not know where to start. This article’s focus is the ten key factors to help you choose the right Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software for your company.
- 10 Tips for Creating a Data Goldmine
I have been working with many clients who have their information in a database but are unable to get the information they want or know where to find it. Usually the culprit is a series of issues that come together to create the perfect storm of inefficiency. The tips below will help you to prevent this storm and maximize the information in your database to increase productivity and profits.
- How to Make More Money in 2012 with Data Driven Decisions
I have mentioned in many of my articles about metrics. Things we use to measure success and how far you are from reaching your goals. Data is much more than that – it is a valuable tool to make solid business decisions. It also helps you to save as well as make money. Below are some of the metrics you can use to help grow your bottom line in 2012.
Micro Management Costs Money
One of the fastest ways to sabotage effective delegation and employee moral is micro management. Some of the clients I work with are uncomfortable about passing over work because they feel they can do it better or quicker themselves. If that is the case then the manager is missing the point. Managers should “manage” the workflow of their employees not do the work of the employees. There is a great article that Jim Sandler of The Alternative Board gave me called “Who’s got the Monkey“ by William Oncken, Jr. and Donald L. Wass. This article is a discussion about not taking responsibility for your employee’s “monkey”. If you are interested in a copy of this article send me an email at cmc@crollorganizing.com.
How can you avoid this trap? By having the following:
• The right person for the job
• The proper training and resources for the employee
If you do not have a human resources person then it would be worth your while to use an outside service to help screen candidates. Using a service helps reduce the expense of hiring and turnover. Make sure you provide a list of duties and responsibilities for the strafing services so they can send you qualified candidates. Having a list will also help you with training the person and give you a measure to track performance.
Invest the training time upfront. Good training allows you to hand over the reigns with confidence. After all you are the manager and are costing the business valuable time and money if you do not utilize your employees correctly. If you feel the urge to micro manager ask yourself why. Below are some questions to help you get to the root of your apprehension:
• Is the employee the right person for this job?
• If not, do they need additional training to be able to perform the job?
• Would this person be more effective in a different capacity in the company?
• Do I need a different person for this job?
• Have I given the employee the proper tools and resources to complete the job successfully?
Answering these questions will enable you to address the issue and get you on the right track to utilizing your employees. For more information about delegation visit http://crollorganizing.com/Blog/Blog.
Please email your questions to cmc@crollorganizing.com.