Using Your Business Plan

by Matt Bacak

Once you have completed developing and writing your business plan, do not file it away! This important document should be kept in an auspicious place where you can see it daily. Many business owners choose to highlight certain sections of their business plans by creating images or posters they can display around the office. Consider posting a portion or the entire plan on your company's website so potential clients can review your goals and mission. Strive to enforce the rules set by your business plan and work hard to accomplish your goals. Using this document as a road map, begin working towards running the best company possible. [ more ]

Successful Business Goal Setting for 2006

by Herman Drost

Creating clear doable goals for your business will help you achieve success for 2006. I have a 14 year old daughter who said she wants to be a neurosurgeon so she concentrates on getting straight As in her studies each year. So far she has succeeded. [ more ]

Are You Derailing Your Business with Details?

by Jeff Baas

Details can kill your web business. And I'm not talking about details killing your business from the standpoint of being careless about them. While it's true that being careless can hurt your business, everybody knows that (even if they don't always put it into practice). [ more ]

Keep The Cash Flowing In Your Business

by Angela Booth

Without a steady cash flow, your business dies. This means that you need to be focused on your cash flow situation at all times: you need to know how much cash you have and how much is coming in. If you can see that you're likely to have problems, the time to take action is --- NOW. [ more ]

Start Your First Employee Manual To Have A Drama Free Workplace

by Dr. Yvonne LaMar

Establishing your growing business requires solid organizational skills. People who enjoy writing will especially enjoy putting their ideas into words. For those who do not enjoy writing, simple sketches and lists are just as effective. [ more ]

Are You Measuring The Right Outcomes?

by Dr. Yvonne LaMar

How many minutes are in a year? My niece, Sarah, and her third grade classmates sang a song from the Broadway show, “Rent.” The song breaks down how many minutes are in a year and asks us how many ways we count a year. It’s catchy. I’ve been humming the song all day, but I don’t remember how many minutes it turned out to be.

Measuring is important. Figuring out what to measure is even more important. I just finished speaking about precise communication. I can’t imagine a more precise way to communicate than through exact quantities. How many times must something happen to know that it is successful? How much money must you earn to cover the cost of an endeavor? How much time is needed to determine when something is working or not working? [ more ]

Are Hidden Flaws in Your Business Preventing Your Success?

by Caroline Jordan

Ah, the joys of self employment…Good pay, flexible hours, excellent benefits, a wise and business savvy boss…And profitability, lots of profitability! If you’re self employed, chances are your own company is missing some of the features that you might consider to be ideal. It’s a good thing being a business owner can have other benefits that are not as quantifiable. Things like satisfaction, loving what you do, not dancing to someone else’s tune and charting your own course. But no matter how satisfying self employment is, the truth of the matter is this. If your business is to be sustainable, it has to sustain you financially in a way that makes you feel all the trials and tribulations of business ownership are worth the trip. [ more ]