Strategic Planning Information
8 Ways to Earn More Without Working Harder
Conventional wisdom has it that there are only three ways to
grow your business: find new customers, increase the amount
of each sale to existing customers or get customers to buy
more frequently. But I've seen business owners go blank
when presented with those three options.
6 Changes You Can Make to Increase Business Profits
I read once that something like 30 percent of all drinkable
water gets wasted on the way to the consumer by leaky pipes.
Likewise, your business may be letting potential revenue
drip away, to be lost forever, all over the place.
Elite Positioning Brings Higher Profits
Imagine spending the same amount of money on marketing and
performing the same amount of work to deliver your products
or services, but earning more money and keeping more after
your expenses. That's what happens when you institute
elite positioning for your business.
Five Crucial Components of a Business Plan
The format of a Business Plan is something that has been
developed and refined over the years and is something that should
not be changed. Like a good recipe, a business plan needs to
include certain ingredients to make it work.
3 Ps of Planning - Prepare, Personalize, Pilot
Here's a really simple way to make sure your plans always
produce the results you expect."There is one quality which one must possess to win, and
that is definiteness of purpose, the knowledge of what one
wants, and a burning desire to possess it.
Troubled Waters Require Capable Leaders at the Helm
Canada's lean leaders need to look beyond the horizon and chart the futureIn stormy times, true leadership skills emerge, says Larry Coté, the President of Lean Advisors Inc. (www.
Your Business: Will It Have A Happy Ending?
"Begin with the end in mind," says Stephen Covey in his book Seven Habits of Successful Living. Those who have created a successful business know it does not happen without planning, hard work, and a little luck.
2 Simple Steps Before Starting Your Business
There is so much small business information available today that it's easy to be bogged down by the sheer volume of it all. Where does one start? Well, it's safe to say not all the information you'll receive will be of equal value.
Building a Better Brick-and-Mortar with the Billion-Dollar Web
More than $117 billion passed hands from Internet shoppers to Internet vendors in 2004, according to the statistical research firm comScore. That's billion, with a B.
Don't Allow Yourself to Get Burned
I am not a big fisherman, but I do enjoy it whenever the opportunity comes my way. I have some friends who are fanatics and occasionally I will go out with one of them.
Laying It Out On Paper
You might be thinking to yourself, "Why should I waste my time writing a business plan? I know what (web designers, freelance writers, professional organizers) do!" Knowing intellectually what your industry is all about and pinpointing exactly where you want your business to go are two entirely different propositions.Something happens when you empty vague ideas out of your head and SOLIDIFY them on paper.
How to Write a Business Plan in Five Steps
People often ask "What makes a good business plan? Or, "How do I make my plan attractive to lenders and investors?".The simple answer is that lenders and investors (I'll call them "readers" from here on out) are looking for "good deals".
How To Leverage Your Current Ideas And Products Into Multiple Revenue Streams
Diversify - to make diverse, give variety, to balance, to divide securities in different industries, to produce variety, to engage in varied operations.Diversification is a wealth building strategy; it is also an excellent method for becoming more profitable.
The Top 10 Priorities That Guard Your Five-Star Reputation
Making money doesn't make your reputation..
SWOT Analysis
If you've ever listened to Warren Buffett talk about investing, you've heard him mention the idea of a company's moat. The moat is a simple way of describing a company's competitive advantage.
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What is a Shared Vision?
So what makes a vision successful? Everyday companies try to create a vision that will lead them into the future but seldom does that vision ever impact the organization. The reason for this is that the vision is created by a few and never becomes a 'shared vision' of the entire organization.
Insurance Requirements in Franchised Companies
Franchised companies often require what some believe to be excessive insurance requirements. This is because so often if a franchise is sued for any reason that the Lawyers go after the big money of the franchisors and name them in the lawsuit.
How To Kick Start Your Business And Double Your Profits
This will make some people angry as hell, but it's time to debunk the myth of 'Time Management' while sharing the real secret of the super successful.Let's face it, many so called "business gurus" tell us to 'manage time better' or to become 'ruthless with time' if we want to achieve their level of success.
A Backup To The Internet Is Vital & Now Cost Effective
It doesn't take a Terrorist Act, Tsunami or Earthquake to put a business heavily dependent on the internet in the dark and effectively out of business??for hours or even days into weeks.Actually, a misguided backhoe, a lightning bolt, a car accident involving a phone pole or cable box, a flooding rain or an electrical "brown out" can do it in a flash.
Business Ideas: 3 Smart Ways To Generate Profitable Business Ideas Anytime
Creativity is one of the greatest tools for success in business.All businesses are created first by ideas.
5 Strategies That Will Boost Your Business Productivity Today! - Part 1
Building a dynamic small business is a constantly evolving, increasingly demanding role.It is very easy to get so caught up in the day to day running of our business that we neglect to take the time to look from the outside in to see what we could do to improve our profitability!Well here are 5 Strategies that could boost your productivity overnight!They are not rocket science?and you may have even heard some of them before, but they are 5 proven principles that you can review today to help you stay on track regarding the real issues to grow your business from here.
Attributes of Companies You Dont Want to Buy!
There are no "rules of thumb" in the pursuit of companies to
buy. Each purchase opportunity has to stand on its own merits.
TQM Total Quality Management, the book
Every decade we seem to come up with a buzz-word to describe the things we should be doing right all the time. Forever we have heard our parents or grandparents use little phrases to get our attention.
Making a Decision to Outsource: Strategic Constraints
Many companies are reluctant to dive into outsourcing ocean because of various reasons of strategic nature. As far as strategic goals are touched upon, managers are concerned with the following issues:- Risks and dangers of transferring too much managerial power to one partner.
Documenting the Exit Strategy in Your Business Plan
All investors greatly desire and are motivated by a clear picture of a company's exit strategy, or the timing and method through which they can "cash in" on their investment. This picture best comes into focus when the key valuation and liquidity drivers of the company are clearly delineated.
Menu Driven Business Planning
A menu is the foundation of any restaurant; Guests will support or avoid a restaurant for its food. Starting with a preliminary menu is a simple and basic approach to restaurant development.
The Best Entity to Hold Real Estate
Possibly THE most frequently asked question of me is "What is the best business entity to use for real-estate investments?" My recommendation to most people is that a limited liability company (an "LLC") is the best entity for this type of use. Here's why:-- Excellent liability protection for managers and members-- Flow-through tax treatment on LLC profits and losses-- Ability to transfer properties in and out of an LLC with minimal tax consequences-- Personal Asset Protection through the Charging Order procedure (for Nevada LLCs)Liability Protection.
Designing an Efficient Distribution System
Let us look at a few of the big distribution networks in the US that we use today. The US Post Office for instance is a huge complex chain of symbiotic relations ships with vendors to deliver by truck, work with FED EX for air, previously that airmail idea started commercial aviation.
Vision Getting Dim?
A recent conversation started with a typical question, "How's business?"
The reply was equally typical and prefaced by a sigh, "You know (another sigh), same old / same old."Clearly the person responding has "VCD" or "Vision Challenge Disorder.
Online Promotion: 10 Ways To Use Focus Groups To Ignite Your Profits
A focus group is a group of employees or current
customers that discuss and brainstorm new ways
to improve different parts of your business.Below are online promotion secrets to use focus
groups for marketing intelligence.
Corporate Venturing For Emerging Growth Companies
The boom of the dot-com era in 1999 brought the emergence of
corporate venture capital as a major source of funding to the
private equity markets. Corporate venture investments peaked
in the third quarter of 2000 with 608 deals totaling a combined
$4.
How To Get More Business During The Winter Months
Business seems to drop, slow or even stop during the winter months. As tourist traffic slows or stops during the winter months so does the incomes of many local business owners.
Why Create an Annual Plan?
Can you imagine going on a road trip without knowing your destination? Or, building your house without plans? The same can be said about running your business without a plan.They say that "If you don't know where you are going, any road will do.
Elite Positioning Brings Higher Profits
Imagine spending the same amount of money on marketing and
performing the same amount of work to deliver your products
or services, but earning more money and keeping more after
your expenses. That's what happens when you institute
elite positioning for your business.
Why 9 in 10 Businesses are Overspending on Day-to-day Expenses
Experts estimate that 90 percent of Australian businesses are overspending on day-to-day expenses, by as much as 75 percent in some cost categories!Looked at the operating costs of your business lately? You might be surprised at the savings that can be gained with a systematic approach to cutting costs.The easiest way to lift profits is to cut the fat out of costs.