Everyday I come to the office excited, fresh and full of good intentions only to find that 2 hours later I am still sorting through emails which, for the most part, is not creating opportunity or cash flow. Stop the madness I scream as I pull up the next email.
Okay, what can be done? How about setting aside the first 30 minutes of office time to devote to your top "five-minute" tasks? Right now you are thinking that I must have read that in some time management book which is now gathering dust on my shelf along with every other self help book on not wasting time! Perhaps, but we have to start somewhere.
So, here is your challenge. Tomorrow morning march into your office armed with 6 quick-fire tasks to accomplish in the first 30 minutes and start checking those suckers off. Do this first before getting your coffee, straightening your desk, and BEFORE CHECKING YOUR EMAILS!
The adrenaline will flow - you set your timer for 5 minutes and see if you can beat it! When the ringer goes off move onto the second item. The first day is practice and just like in golf (okay maybe not golf because does anyone other than a natural ever get better?) you will be moving down the course at lightening speed blazing through the action items that might include a new contact follow-up, setting a sales appointment, perfecting your presentation or writing your office wall in indelible ink the big dreams you have to work towards. Go, now! Go forth and conquer.
Wow....I'm exhausted just thinking about it. Blog in under 5 minutes....not bad!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Friday, April 3, 2009
Avoid Costly Payroll Mistakes!
Payroll is often the largest operational expense for a business and payroll mistakes can have a significant impact on the business. You don't need an investigation by a taxing authority or a court case with a disgruntled employee. Payroll is the heart of the employee/employer relationship so setting up fair and transparent policies minimizes the chance for errors and resulting problems. Develop and communicate your Payroll Policies and Procedures.
1. Put it in writing - describe how you determine rasises, promotions, bonuses. Generally policies that are based on objective performance assessment keep you within the law.
2. Implement pay changes at the correct time - over or underpaying an employee can result in loss of cash flow or the added burden of needed to correct payments. These type of mistakes cna can undermine an employees' trust.
3. If you have made a mistake deal with it immediately - overpayment of pay is more common than you might think and it can be hard to recover without employees feeling unfairly burdened by your mistake.
4. Assess termination pay correctly - your payroll policy should dictate how to determine final pay. Mistakes of overpayment can be especially costly as trying to recover funds as the former employee may be difficult.
Remember that payroll policies and procedures as well as a systematic method for easy payroll processing can reduce costly errors and unwanted problems- freeing you to concentrate on growing your business.
Call us today to learn more!
1. Put it in writing - describe how you determine rasises, promotions, bonuses. Generally policies that are based on objective performance assessment keep you within the law.
2. Implement pay changes at the correct time - over or underpaying an employee can result in loss of cash flow or the added burden of needed to correct payments. These type of mistakes cna can undermine an employees' trust.
3. If you have made a mistake deal with it immediately - overpayment of pay is more common than you might think and it can be hard to recover without employees feeling unfairly burdened by your mistake.
4. Assess termination pay correctly - your payroll policy should dictate how to determine final pay. Mistakes of overpayment can be especially costly as trying to recover funds as the former employee may be difficult.
Remember that payroll policies and procedures as well as a systematic method for easy payroll processing can reduce costly errors and unwanted problems- freeing you to concentrate on growing your business.
Call us today to learn more!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Coaches are Good Business
As long as there has been a need for improvement there have been coaches to provide it. Two thousand years ago the Roman army had coaches to develop skills in such critical areas as fighting battles, defending a fortress, setting up an encampment and managing relationships with occupants of conquered territories.These coaches were experts and were appointed to create ‘best practice’ among new recruits. This coaching method was standardized to be consistent throughout the army.
The Romans dominated much of the world for centuries and it may have been in part to their drive for performance created by their army's coaches.
Today good coaches follow a set of rules just as they did in Roman times. There are ‘basics’ that apply to all coaching, whether it’s for a football team or a business. It's adhering to these rules that will give us the best chance for success!
1. Set your goals
2. Communicate the goals to your team
3. Benchmark starting performance
4. Create realistic timelines
5. Identify resources needed
6. Coach to a predetermined plan
7. Measure the outcomes
8. Be tough AND positive
Coaching is a powerful tool.
Coaches create success.
http://denisewilcox.com/businesscoaching.htm
Monday, January 26, 2009
Marketing Remains Important
It is a brutal time and never has it been so apparent than in the business community where many small businesses struggle to keep afloat. Although you may need to cut back on marketing in difficult and uncertain economic times, smart business owners continue to market their products and services. How else are you going to drive business to your door? While your competitors are losing ground you may be able to increase market share! But it will not happen without forethought and planning.
The challenge is always risk versus return - risk of using that golden cash flow weighed against the expected return from the marketing cost. In times like these it's about developing a strategy that is effective and cost-conscious. Well that sounds easy (of course it's not!).
First of all, your strategy can only grow out of a marketing plan and it must be written! Start with defining your ideal clients - those folks that you really want to work with. Next define the features of your product or services that will satisfy the needs of these prospecitve customers. These benefits and features should become the basis for creating a message to target your ideal client. A targeted message is always more effective.
Marketing will be more successfull when driven by a high quality marketing strategy. It may be about different methods of communicating your message such as print, radio, or internet. Or it may be about starting internally with your team members to help them close more sales, increase traffic in the door or even a weekly meeting to discuss ideas, trends, successes and challenges.
It's a process and will require work - examine your current marketing efforts, look at what competitors are doing, look back at what's worked and not worked in the past. Read, study, brainstorm and most importantly, have a way to measure the return on your marketing investment. Here is a mantra that will often be repeated in this blog: What you can measure, you can manage.
Know your market, know your ideal client, examine options, identify potential, plan the strategy, implement it and measure the success. No business can survive without appealing to new customers. This is a difficult time that may break a business, but there is always opportunity to rise to the top with the right approach.
The challenge is always risk versus return - risk of using that golden cash flow weighed against the expected return from the marketing cost. In times like these it's about developing a strategy that is effective and cost-conscious. Well that sounds easy (of course it's not!).
First of all, your strategy can only grow out of a marketing plan and it must be written! Start with defining your ideal clients - those folks that you really want to work with. Next define the features of your product or services that will satisfy the needs of these prospecitve customers. These benefits and features should become the basis for creating a message to target your ideal client. A targeted message is always more effective.
Marketing will be more successfull when driven by a high quality marketing strategy. It may be about different methods of communicating your message such as print, radio, or internet. Or it may be about starting internally with your team members to help them close more sales, increase traffic in the door or even a weekly meeting to discuss ideas, trends, successes and challenges.
It's a process and will require work - examine your current marketing efforts, look at what competitors are doing, look back at what's worked and not worked in the past. Read, study, brainstorm and most importantly, have a way to measure the return on your marketing investment. Here is a mantra that will often be repeated in this blog: What you can measure, you can manage.
Know your market, know your ideal client, examine options, identify potential, plan the strategy, implement it and measure the success. No business can survive without appealing to new customers. This is a difficult time that may break a business, but there is always opportunity to rise to the top with the right approach.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)