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  • Suggest You - Profits and Business Success - 5 Profit Traps to Watch Out For

    Six Things Needed for New Entrepreneurs by the Honest Answer Consultant
    Several people that I know have made the statement that they would like to open their own business. This is a growing trend in our economy. People are opening business to become their own boss. Baby boomers are retiring and trying out new careers by opening small enterprises. To open a business, a person must realize that there is a lot of work and sacrifice to be given. Even when do
    rvice now and customers pay later

    credit losses - from poor credit approval processes

    pricing - not charging enough for what you do/sell

    Not enough Planning

    Lack of an articulated plan can lead to poor (and costly) decisions:

    long and short term goals not articulated - business lacks direction

    employees not engaged - not involved, don't contribute, no ideas

    decisions are ad-hoc, and not taken with the bigegr picture in mind

    How does your business fare against some of these profit drainers? Are you spending money needlessly, or

    Payroll Tax Outsourcing Services
    Numerous outsourcing companies now function to provide payroll tax outsourcing services to corporate clients with regard to payroll tax. Payroll tax is a regressive tax and more expensive than income tax, which pays for two social insurance systems namely Medicare and Social Security.The payroll data is to be given to the payroll service provider. This can be done through a te
    The old saying 'You have to spend money to make money' can be a dangerous one. Every business has it's costs, but not every business owner takes the time to distinguish between what is an essential expense, and what is a 'nice to have' expense.

    And on top of needless expenses, businesses can also lose potential profits through poor management processes and techniques. So let's have a look at 5 of the main culprits which contribute to lost profits and reduced success:

    Overheads

    Limit your overheads to 10% of your sales. If your overheads are significantly more than 10%, some options may include:

    reducing office size

    removing unnecessary travel - try phone or video conferencing

    stop trying to impress with an expensive fitout

    overstaffed - look at employee numbers and positions

    consider what you spend on office supplies - these are often 'nice to haves'.

    High inventory levels - insufficient purchasing controls

    Advertising costs - what are you spending and what return are you getting?

    Employee and Management Issues

    Happy employees work more effectively and productively. If your employees are unhappy then their performance is impacting on the potential profits of the business. What to look out for:

    staff performance - keeping unproductive employees

    nepotism - hiring family and paying them too much

    unskilled employees - training not provided, no opportunities

    poor morale - salaries, working conditions, benefits

    Processes and Systems

    Failure to update processes with technology can leave you out in the cold with your customers and suppliers. Older technology becomes obsolete and is no longer supported by the supplier. Do you have:

    old or no technology - processes take longer and are prone to errors

    up to date communications - email, web enquiries, voice mail, email you can check wile away from your office

    the right management information - are you collecting and useful data

    Cash Flow

    Cash is king. More businesses fail due to cash flow problems than anything else. These systems must be failsafe and monitored on an ongoing basis:

    acounts receivable - collections must be on time

    payment terms - don't create a situation where you provide the service now and customers pay later

    credit losses - from poor credit approval processes

    pricing - not charging enough for what you do/sell

    Not enough Planning

    Lack of an articulated plan can lead to poor (and costly) decisions:

    long and short term goals not articulated - business lacks direction

    employees not engaged - not involved, don't contribute, no ideas

    decisions are ad-hoc, and not taken with the bigegr picture in mind

    How does your business fare against some of these profit drainers? Are you spending money needlessly, or

    Payroll Software Companies
    Payroll software companies are companies that provide payroll software programs. Payroll software programs are written computer programs which are meant to handle payroll and tax filing activities of a company either small or big. Payroll software programs from these payroll software companies make your payroll reporting and tax filling much easier and reduce the time lag. Payroll
    ore than 10%, some options may include:

    reducing office size

    removing unnecessary travel - try phone or video conferencing

    stop trying to impress with an expensive fitout

    overstaffed - look at employee numbers and positions

    consider what you spend on office supplies - these are often 'nice to haves'.

    High inventory levels - insufficient purchasing controls

    Advertising costs - what are you spending and what return are you getting?

    Employee and Management Issues

    Happy employees work more effectively and productively. If your employees are unhappy then their performance is impacting on the potential profits of the business. What to look out for:

    staff performance - keeping unproductive employees

    nepotism - hiring family and paying them too much

    unskilled employees - training not provided, no opportunities

    poor morale - salaries, working conditions, benefits

    Processes and Systems

    Failure to update processes with technology can leave you out in the cold with your customers and suppliers. Older technology becomes obsolete and is no longer supported by the supplier. Do you have:

    old or no technology - processes take longer and are prone to errors

    up to date communications - email, web enquiries, voice mail, email you can check wile away from your office

    the right management information - are you collecting and useful data

    Cash Flow

    Cash is king. More businesses fail due to cash flow problems than anything else. These systems must be failsafe and monitored on an ongoing basis:

    acounts receivable - collections must be on time

    payment terms - don't create a situation where you provide the service now and customers pay later

    credit losses - from poor credit approval processes

    pricing - not charging enough for what you do/sell

    Not enough Planning

    Lack of an articulated plan can lead to poor (and costly) decisions:

    long and short term goals not articulated - business lacks direction

    employees not engaged - not involved, don't contribute, no ideas

    decisions are ad-hoc, and not taken with the bigegr picture in mind

    How does your business fare against some of these profit drainers? Are you spending money needlessly, or

    Business Cards-A Cheap Way To Advertise
    Business cards are powerful little advertisements that you can effortlessly distribute among your friends and strangers alike. They will be a constant reminder to the receiver that you specialize in a certain product or service and are always ready to do business with them.These cards can be printed by yourself while you are still getting on your feet and do not have much of a
    our employees are unhappy then their performance is impacting on the potential profits of the business. What to look out for:

    staff performance - keeping unproductive employees

    nepotism - hiring family and paying them too much

    unskilled employees - training not provided, no opportunities

    poor morale - salaries, working conditions, benefits

    Processes and Systems

    Failure to update processes with technology can leave you out in the cold with your customers and suppliers. Older technology becomes obsolete and is no longer supported by the supplier. Do you have:

    old or no technology - processes take longer and are prone to errors

    up to date communications - email, web enquiries, voice mail, email you can check wile away from your office

    the right management information - are you collecting and useful data

    Cash Flow

    Cash is king. More businesses fail due to cash flow problems than anything else. These systems must be failsafe and monitored on an ongoing basis:

    acounts receivable - collections must be on time

    payment terms - don't create a situation where you provide the service now and customers pay later

    credit losses - from poor credit approval processes

    pricing - not charging enough for what you do/sell

    Not enough Planning

    Lack of an articulated plan can lead to poor (and costly) decisions:

    long and short term goals not articulated - business lacks direction

    employees not engaged - not involved, don't contribute, no ideas

    decisions are ad-hoc, and not taken with the bigegr picture in mind

    How does your business fare against some of these profit drainers? Are you spending money needlessly, or

    Fundraising Ideas-5 Dependable Ways to Raise Money
    Have you been agonizing over how to raise money for your charitable organization? Here are five dependable fundraising ideas:1) Have a car wash. This is one of the cheapest fundraisers to setup because all you need is a busy corner and an ample water supply. Generally, gas stations like taking part in these fundraisers as they benefit in the added customer traffic coming in
    lier. Do you have:

    old or no technology - processes take longer and are prone to errors

    up to date communications - email, web enquiries, voice mail, email you can check wile away from your office

    the right management information - are you collecting and useful data

    Cash Flow

    Cash is king. More businesses fail due to cash flow problems than anything else. These systems must be failsafe and monitored on an ongoing basis:

    acounts receivable - collections must be on time

    payment terms - don't create a situation where you provide the service now and customers pay later

    credit losses - from poor credit approval processes

    pricing - not charging enough for what you do/sell

    Not enough Planning

    Lack of an articulated plan can lead to poor (and costly) decisions:

    long and short term goals not articulated - business lacks direction

    employees not engaged - not involved, don't contribute, no ideas

    decisions are ad-hoc, and not taken with the bigegr picture in mind

    How does your business fare against some of these profit drainers? Are you spending money needlessly, or

    Five Tips For Your Exit Interview
    Exit interviews are sometimes held at inopportune times, especially from the viewpoint of the employee when he or she is either laid off or fired. Nevertheless, they are a must for progressive companies that want to look inward for reasons for an employee's exit.There are different viewpoints about these interviews as to the need for them in the first place. Should the exiting
    rvice now and customers pay later

    credit losses - from poor credit approval processes

    pricing - not charging enough for what you do/sell

    Not enough Planning

    Lack of an articulated plan can lead to poor (and costly) decisions:

    long and short term goals not articulated - business lacks direction

    employees not engaged - not involved, don't contribute, no ideas

    decisions are ad-hoc, and not taken with the bigegr picture in mind

    How does your business fare against some of these profit drainers? Are you spending money needlessly, or on items that aren't adding value to your business? There is always room for improvement when it comes to profit: spend carefully, save easily, invest wisely.

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