Latest Articles
- Information – an Office’s Gold
As America moves to service based industries the raw materials needed to bring a service or product to market is information. This is the “gold” in an office. With today’s technology we are able to collect, measure and quantify our leads and customers. The question then becomes what do we do with that information?
- BPs Lack of Seeing the Big Picture
No matter what side of the political fence you fall, BP failed to take the proper quality control measures. As the weeks pass more information is coming to light how the organization cut corners with safety to keep costs down. Safety is not the place to take short cuts. In the long run this can cost you thousands of dollars and possibly your business. In BP’s case it is running in the billions not to mention what it is doing for their stock value. The ramification of poor quality control is costly. So how could a corporation
- Make Your Bottom Line Grow
No matter what size your organization doing things as efficiently as possible is not only ideal it is necessary in the new world economy. One area that can be significantly improved is the office. In fact, 60 to 80% of costs associated with providing a service or product to market is administrative. If you were able to reduce these by one third how much could you increase your cash flow?
- Proper Planning Can Ensure Success
Planning is the backbone of success. Not doing it can cost thousands of dollars, man hours and resources. Proper planning can save you money, increase your cash flow and help fulfill your mission. Here is a simple tool to aid in ensuring your success.
- Working Between Departments Means Faster Cash Flow
When you look at a traditional organizational chart it has silos which contain various departments and the people overseeing and working in those departments. In today’s business climate where information is your company’s gold this can be troublesome. Why, because the right hand may not know what the left hand is doing. We have all [...]
Planning – Start The Year Off Right!
I know that for everyone in the country this is a tough time right now. But within this economic climate lies opportunities. What better way to discover these but through planning. All businesses should have a business plan with long and short term goals. Everything you do should be contributing to these goals. If you have not done so, now is the time to examine where you want your business to go.
I will be working with Criss Ittermann, owner of Eclectic Tech, to revamp, brain storm and reexamine Croll Organizing. I will also be speaking with my accounting professional and sales coach Debra Pearlman, owner of DP Sales Pro, to continue development of my business. All of these plus marketing, administration, customer service, public relations, etc. are the arms and legs of Croll Organizing. Just like a person can not walk if the body does not work as one unit, same goes for your business.
Here is a basic outline to get you started:
• Write down your goals for the next 1, 3, 5 and 10 years.
• Examine the cash flow that would be needed to accomplish those goals.
• Work backwards – What would have to happen next to make those goals a reality.
• Create an action plan to do it.
• Review with professionals during this process so you do not waste money, time and energy.
Your success depends on good planning. All businesses should have a lawyer, accountant and financial advisor. Many accountants can either help with the advisor part or direct you to the right person. You will also need someone you can trust to help you get started setting up your workflow, marketing, public relations and website. If you already have these look at what is working and what is not. Track everything so you can make good decisions.
Work with your team to help you realize your dreams and goals. A wonderful resource to find local talented professionals is the Orange County Chamber of Commerce. One thing I have learned as a business owner, you can not do it all by yourself!
Thanks for the recommendation. I'd say that every business needs a "board of directors" -- the nice thing about being a "sole-proprietor" business is that I don't have to take minutes during my board meetings -- but I do indeed have an unofficial board. Cindy is one of the people I'm proud to have on my board. And I'm proud to be on hers.
So who's bringing the donuts to the next board meeting? : )
I'm also finding it's invaluable to have people, both paid and unpaid, that I can discuss the overall issues in my life with. As a sole proprietor, personal issues are as intertwined with my business as business issues are with my personal life. For example, if my car breaks down it's both a professional and personal disaster. A school delay can cost me dearly. There's very little resources for delegation, and the only things I'm delegating are office-related tasks. And during school vacations, it's HARD to concentrate. I have to feed a family of 4-5 people 3 square meals a day and try to find peace to make phone calls. Doesn't work out as well as it should, so it's a blessing that it's a slow period anyway.
For those of us who need to squeeze every minute out of our busy week, Cindy's advice and training is absolutely invaluable. I'd be past my eyebrows in piles, and I don't think I'd be able to do the planning I've been doing lately if it weren't for Cindy helping me carve a few more miraculous hours out of every week. Less is falling through the cracks, and even my billing usually goes out on time. Thank you Cindy,
And happy New Year everyone.