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.
Capacity Building
This has become a very important topic for non-profits all over the country. As budgets shrink and donations decrease our non-profits are expected to do more with less. The disconcerting part is no one is telling them how.
In the new economy our non-profits are essential to bridging the gap between eliminated federal and state funded programs. As a result, non-profits are needed even more.
Creating a lean environment in your office will give you the ability to increase your services to the community all while adjusting to reduced resources. How does having a lean office do this? You reduce your costs by eliminating waste in your procedures and achieve better utilization of staff and resources. This is significant because 60 to 80% of all costs associated with providing a product or service is administrative. This has an affect on your available cash flow when these costs were reduced.
Therefore, having a lean office allows you fulfill your role as leadership by freeing up time to create strategic alliances and educate potential board and community sponsors why they should support your mission. For you to do your job well, your staff needs the ability to make good routine decisions independently and know when to ask for help. To support your mission you must have a clear line of communication across departments, thus making the right impression with recipients and potential resources. Lean Office principles enable your organization to do this well.
As a vital component of capacity building we offer our Data into Donors and Dollars Program which focuses on the not-for-profit’s unique needs and development goals. Schedule your session today.
Below is a diagram of how a lean office operates in a profit environment. This also applies to the non-profit in terms of available cash flow. By having a lean office you can positively impact the cash flow available for funding services.
- Diagram provided by The Lean Store - Lean Office Training Set
There are many organizations that help non-profits with grants to fund different projects. Below are a few local non-profit who may have funds to increase productivity and as a result increase capacity. Each organization has their own set of criteria for grants. In some instances a project with Croll Productive Synergy may be eligible for grant money. This is an area that we are actively researching.