Bill’s Blogs

What is it that drives some businesses downhill over the years, while others continue to grow stronger? What is the key to success? Some believe the solution is found in the process of strategic management. This process gives direction to the organization through a vision of the whole picture and objectives. This vision becomes a reality as a plan is developed and specific goals at all levels are identified. The long-term success of an organization is attainable with strategic management but unless the necessary support is used to carry out the plans, even the most effective planning efforts will under deliver the results. When applying strategic management, you will find success in this four-step process called FAME, consisting of Formulating, Accomplishing, Monitoring, and Repetition.

Formulate The first step of the strategic management process determines the destination of the organization. It is decided where the organization is now, where it wants to go, and how it plans to get there. The executive team is largely accountable for developing the plan because it is their responsibility to create the course and direction of the organization. Even though they develop the plan, every individual is responsible for making it become a reality. The vision should filter down through the levels to each individual so it is understood by everyone.

Everyone must understand that this plan is for every individual at every level in the organization, not just the managers. To help make each person feel as if they are a contributing to the vision, goals must be set at all levels of the organization, from company-wide objectives down to individual goals. Make sure each individual understands their responsibilities and how they fit in to the big picture.

Accomplish A lot of hard work is required now that it’s time to accomplish the proposed plan. After having just developed the plan and objectives, the entire organization is often energized and motivated about reaching goals. However, as soon as the motivation wears off and the real effort begins, the focus can become blurred. It is really easy to be knocked off track at this point. For this reason it is essential to keep motivating the team members and keep the energy level up. This can be accomplished with the following suggestions:

*Responsibility. Assigning specific responsibilities and tasks to individuals helps them feel important and needed. Knowing that they are solely responsible for accomplishing a task will make them feel like an essential asset to the team

*Rewards. Providing recognition to employees for their performance and acknowledging their contributions go a long way. Anything from a sincere “Thank You” to a cash incentive will let them know their hard work is appreciated.

This is a critical step for managers as they maintain the focus for their team. Managers are usually more familiar with the company objectives and can use their understanding of the long-term objectives to make better decisions for their employees and help with any obstacles that might come up.

Monitor Successful strategic management does not end at the conclusion of the planning meeting or the beginning of the execution phase. It continues day in and day out as each team member carries out the plan’s objectives. However, implementing the plan will be much more effective if periodic monitoring occurs. Monitoring is critical for measuring progress. It will ensure that the organization is on track to completing the plan and is accomplishing what was intended. The entire process of strategic management is dynamic and demands continual reassessment. Even with the most comprehensible plan place, it is possible to lose sight completing the intended objectives.

Repeat Repetition of the process is the difference between long term success and failure. With each repetition, the organization will see improvements that can be made to the plan. For instance, existing elements will be modified, new components may be added, and attention and resources may be redistributed. The process of repetition will also affect individuals. As each team member better understands the direction of the company, they will improve their ability to prioritize their immediate and long term objectives and will be confident with their responsibilities and decision-making skills. Ultimately, the strategic management process will improve, and this will lead to better planning and more success in the years to come.

About the author:

CMOE has been helping Pfizer, ChevronTexaco, HP, Boeing and many other multinational organizations develop their leaders over the past 28 years.

To learn more about Strategic Management and other programs and services we have to offer, please contact us at toll free at 888-262-2499.

The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness

Respected financial expert Dave Ramsey offers a comprehensive plan for getting out of debt and achieving financial health. Against a playful backdrop of fitness terminology, Dave gives solid, hard-hitting advice needed to make your goals a reality. Filled with both the “hope” and the “how-to,” The Total Money Makeover includes:

• Useful worksheets and forms
• Readable and informative charts and graphs
• The four factors that keep people from getting in shap…
  Customer Review: Great book - plus a recommendation
  This was a helpful book as I am striving to find a beneficial perspective on finances. It is motivating, filled with good advice, and helpful when you’re looking for steps to take in your financial portfolio. I also found another book, more from a philosophical perspective, very enlightening as well - The Financial Pilgrimage, by Sean Mitchell. Together, both have given me just what I need to feel good about God, life, and money.
  Customer Review: Get it, know it, breathe it, believe it
  I’m not a big fan of those self-help books that litter today’s bookshelves, but I wanted to get something that would help us with our finances, preferably something that wouldn’t put me to sleep. Mr. Ramsey will keep you awake, especially if you get this in the audio book format. The guy runs his own radio show so you know he’ll keep it interesting. His smart, witty, and humorous tone makes for a great listen.

  Everyone wants to be free of debt, but unfortunately we live in a society…

There are many benefits of using seminars and small business management courses to help build your accounting, consulting or tax practice. The primary reason is to build a reputation within your market - capital that you can profit from on an ongoing basis.

By providing seminars or small business management courses, you build your credibility and increase your exposure in the community. You also increase your profitability. You can capitalize on your knowledge and expertise in your field by making it publicly available.

While you may not consider yourself as a speaker or a writer, but there are plenty of ways to build your own skills so that you, too, can provide this valuable service to your customers and clients.

Your clients come to you seeking your guidance and knowledge about accounting, consulting or taxes, but there is so much more to it than what you do for them. It’s what they can do for themselves to help their business that they may not realize they are missing out on.

This is where you come in. By offering a seminar or small business management course, providing them with the ins and outs of business and helping them to see ways they can implement your ideas and knowledge into their own strategies will build your reputation, and your client list.

There are vendors out there who can help you capitalize on your knowledge and expertise. They can provide you with materials to help get you started, help you market your seminar or course, and find ways that you can corner a specialized market that needs addressing.

You can find organizations like Toastmasters International (http://www.toastmasters.org) where you can build your speaking skills, or services like The Instant Practice Builder (http://instantpracticebuilder.com) who will provide pre-written scripts for seminars and small business management courses free to members.

Your small investment finding help to market, create and advertise your seminar or small business management course will prove to be a fruitful investment once your clientele start pouring in to sign up for your seminar or course.

You need not go it alone. Help is out there. Finding it isn’t as difficult as you think it may be. There are specialists for this category much like you are a specialist in your category. We can’t all be good at everything, now can we?

The basics you need for your seminar and small business management courses are scheduling and location, marketing and advertising and creating, producing and presenting your course or seminar.

Your expert knowledge on accounting, consulting or taxes will be the basis for your course or seminar. Have faith in what you do and what you know and others will have faith in you. There may be some material that you require to help get you started, or to build off of. There are vendors out there who can provide you with material.

Producing and creating a seminar or small business course is a technique that does require some skill. There, again, are vendors and experts out there who can help you get your course or seminar off the ground. They can also provide you with different avenues to offer your course, such as a course at your local community college, an online course, or a teleseminar.

Advertising and marketing are one of the primary targets of your seminar. Once you have created a seminar or small business management course and have the tools in place to present your seminar or course, you have to have students and an audience who are willing to pay to hear what you have to say and want to learn what you are teaching.

Marketing and advertising strategists are available to help you target your market and get you started if you are finding you don’t have the clients, audience or students that make your seminar or course a profitable venture.



About the author:

Kirk Ward provides business building tools and resources for accountants and consultants at http://instantpracticebuilder.com.

Or, you can visit http://instantpracticebuilder.com/surveys/ and tell Kirk what you need from him!

The Runner’s Handbook : The Bestselling Classic Fitness Guide for Beginning and Intermediate Runners (2nd rev Edition) Customer Review: This will KEEP you running
If you are serious about getting into running or back into it, BUY this book. I was a runner in highschool and have been an on-again, off-again runner throughout college. I was missing something to help me stick to it. This book helped me tremedously with all of the tips and training programs provided. I love the book so much I recommended it to a friend and I am going to now buy the competitive runner’s guide. I have owned the book since January and I have been running consistantly since t…
Customer Review: Beginner Runner
I am a begginer runner and I have really enjoyed this book. I can see why it’s a best seller. It has been a great place to start on my way to getting into shape. The author is very thourough in the material he covers. He is very enthusiastic about running wich inspired me to get moving.

Since real beauty comes from within, it’s important that your beauty products bring out your best natural qualities. Natural beauty product reviews can help you choose which products are best suited to your own individual needs.

One popular type of natural beauty product is stretch mark removal cream. Since stretch marks are pretty common–their causes range from pregnancy to body building–a lot of people can be helped by a natural, effective treatment for them. While reading natural beauty product reviews, I noticed that the best stretch mark remedies contain high amounts of Emu Oil, Aloe Vera Gel, Collagen, Elastin and Vitamin E. When these key ingredients are combined in a highly concentrated cream, they can not only help reduce stretch marks you already have, but actually help prevent new ones from forming!

One of the most helpful things about natural beauty product reviews is that they tell you about the ingredients in the best beauty products out there. Whenever you’re looking for skin treatments–whether it’s cellulite cream, spider vein therapy, sunless tanning or stretch mark removal–you want to make sure that the ingredients are safe and actually make your skin look better, not worse. What’s the point of diminishing stretch marks if the skin around them becomes red and irritated? Natural beauty products tend to be safer, because they don’t include a lot of harsh chemicals in their ingredients.

If you’re fair skinned like I am, you know how hard it can be to enjoy the great outdoors. There’s nothing unusual about stretch marks or cellulite or spider veins. They are the natural effects of having bodies that grow and change. Using natural, high quality products to safely improve your skin’s appearance can help you feel less self-conscious at the beach or in the bedroom.

Then your natural, individual beauty can shine through!

About the Author

Dermaglow provide natural and organic skin care products to help stretch marks, cellulite and spider viens.

Here are some key metrics to support the return optimization business case:

* 85% of customers say they will stop buying from a retailer if the returns process is a hassle (Harris Interactive)

* 95% of customers say that they will likely shop with a catalog or internet retailer again if the returns process is convenient (Harris Interactive)

* 40% of shoppers don’t buy online due to returns difficulty (Jupiter Research)

* Customers who have their complaint resolved quickly have a re-purchase intention rate of 82% (McKinsey)





The increased importance of online returns

Returns are an inevitable fact of online retail. As the depth of online product categories became apparent in the last three years, the importance of online return policies became painfully obvious. Provide a bad returns experience and you undoubtedly reduce the chance of a customer coming back for a repeat purchase.

For example, sectors such as high-end apparel, consumer returns reach levels as high as 20% and an efficient returns process is critical to overall success. Quicker inventory cycles and fluctuating retail prices make it important to not only process the return effectively for the consumer, but also get it in the warehouse quickly for re-sale.

Reverse Logistics solve fundamental business problems

Retailers are now being proactive and turning these operational challenges into competitive advantages and incremental revenue streams. By investing in solutions that integrate key platform components and data, online retailers are able to offer self-service return capabilities to consumers.

A typical reverse logistics solution allows the consumer to more easily initiate the return by incorporating a pre-paid postage label within the box. This label can be integrated within the packing slip or it can be a separate stand-alone piece. Because the label generation is initiated by the warehouse management system, the label is able to capture key customer information for tracking purposes, both for CSR’s and the end consumer.

The label provides one primary source of value to the customer - convenience. No post office trip is needed and retailers improve overall customer satisfaction while facilitating the product return to the distribution center.

When consumers initiate returns through this process, retailers typically charge them a “handling fee”. This fee is typically 20% higher than the postage charge that was provided by the reverse logistics service provider. This dollar spread, between what is charged to the customer and what has been billed to the retailer for postage, generates direct and measurable profits for retailers.





Improving communication with online consumers

A reverse logistics solution can drastically improve customer communication during the return process. Newgistics is a great example of a reverse logistics provider that has customer-centric communication processes embedded in their overall solution.

After a return package is picked up from a consumer location, it is sent to a Newgistics hub for sorting and re-locating. During this process, there are strategic scanning mechanisms used to facilitate triggered and branded communication emails.

A consumer receives “retailer branded” email notifications when certain milestones are achieved in the return process, such as:

* Return receipt o (Ex. We have received your return and you should get a credit in the following days).

* Return Completion o (Ex. Your return has been processed)

Quick receipt of these emails enhances the confidence level of customers, reduces inbound customer service calls, and provides another value-added feature to boost the eCommerce relationship.

Your company is taking a great risk if it does not provide a great post-purchase site experience. Feel free to contact Trinity to learn more about this type of initiative and how we can help in discovery, scope, and implementation efforts.





About the author:

http://www.trinityinsight.com

Accounting in USA has seen lots of change. There was a time when the accounting was more of book keeping done in huge ledgers and was the purview of select few. It’s not so anymore. Accounting is much more widely accepted as a business function and general people also look for the accounting details of the firms they are associated with. Also lot more transparency is required now. Keeping in line with the development of IT and other technologies, the accounting is also now based on internet and has taken wide strides. Online accounting services, viewed as merely experimental only a few years ago are now becoming the run away business.

As such accounting industry as been little slow to adopt the newer technology and has not left fully its love for the pen and pencil work.

The SU accounting industry has seen new trend of outsourcing its work now. All these have forced the industry to adopt the Online Accounting. The internets as well as other technologies are used now to build more efficient book keeping systems. Also it’s becoming more cost efficient for larger firms to outsource the work. Outsourcing is very much easier with work being delivered online. It’s much more cost effective as well as fast also.

The shift from the practice where clients paid the accounting firms as per the billable hours to a fixed fee based system is forcing the accounting firms to deliver efficient work in cost effective manner. This means that they can not any longer cover their inefficient work by merely putting in more time into the projects. This has favored the Online accounting practices much. Value billing has forced accounting professionals to become more efficient.

Online accounting very effectively cuts short the time taken to transfer the time taken by information exchange between the clients and accounting firm. The seamless transfer is far more efficient and much faster. The accounting firm has dynamic access to the sourcing documents of the clients firms and can access anytime any information it requires from its clients side. The online accounting system also allows the accounting firm access to client data from far away locations at the a few clicks on the internet. The time sensitive financial data is readily available to the accounting firm.

Other then the speed and cost of services, online accounting enables better customer service and more reliability and trust. Accounting firms recently have been exposed as in cahoots with some very big clients, committing serious financial crimes. In this scenario the new practice builds more transparency also.

The online accounting practice also provide for more timely communication between the firm and clients. Since the client has more immediate access to information and to time sensitive documents with Online Accounting practices, questions and problems can be more easily identified and resolved. This translates into increased profits as well as happier clients!!

Since the clients get better service, they get more value for the money they spend. It is generally quite cheaper for the business owner to outsource the bookkeeping and accounting than to hire and supervise it in-house. Savings for the business owner can be as much as 30% for some clients! Online Accounting is great for such services.

The accounting firms also charge now a fee (fixed on a monthly basis) almost five times the average monthly fee (based on billable hours) they charged earlier.

Generally the various online accounting processes available are customized for their users where they can choose the menu of features they like.

Online Accounting is an excellent tool for accounting and book keeping, one that is help full for both the accounting firms as well as the clients.

About the author:

Accounting Resources and the latest news and information around it.

Decision Making–Business Management By ElmerFizz

http://www.elmerfizz.com



Traditionally, decisions are made at the “top” of an organization and communicated to those “lower down” while feedback on the effectiveness of the resulting actions is sent back to the “top”. We can see this pattern in all aspects of life, from our relationship with our parents, through our education, and on into our working life. However, in business such a hierarchical structure is not always an advantage. What options are there for a modern business?

Management science tells us that there are three distinct stages in the development of decision-making processes within organizations. Each of these stages has been fueled by advancements in communication and coordination technologies, starting with the telegraph (invented in 1832) or even with fire beacons and smoke signals in more ancient times.

The first stage of decision-making sees decision-makers, who are only aware of, and responsible to, their immediate environment make decisions independently of other decision makers in the organization. As the cost and efficiency of communication falls, information is gathered centrally and decision-makers become aware of, and responsible for, a wider environment. These more informed decision makers attempt to make decisions in order to maximize the benefits to their organization as a whole. Finally, as communication efficiency continues to improve local decision-makers consult with other related decision-makers to maximize benefit to both their own organization and to their wider business environment.

These three decision-making stages of development are characterized as follows:

Independent Decentralized Control:

In this model, individual units have independent decision-making powers. They act in order to serve their local needs. However, since there is little or no coordination between decision makers, it is possible that decisions made by units locally will conflict with other units’ decisions or even the global objective of the organization as a whole.

Centralized Control:

Here a central body makes all decisions. Changes affecting the whole organization can easily be made since the impact of the changes across the organization can be predicted. However, this approach is rigid and forces each organizational unit to conform to a prescribed set of rules governing how they act upon instructions from the central body and how they report on the results of their actions. Furthermore, as the number of distributed units increase, the information flow to the central point of control increases, thus this method lacks scalability.

Connected Decentralized Control:

Decentralized control encourages independent decision-makers to take responsibility for their local environment, however facilities are provided to allow them to consult with other related decision-makers. Because of this connectivity local decisions can be made with a view on their global effects. However, in this model all decision-makers are exposed to all potential information sources, thus powerful information management systems are required.

Since decentralized control brings many managerial benefits, companies usually strive to move from independent decentralized control, through centralized control and on into connected decentralized control. However, as organizations progress towards connected decentralized control they must find a balance between top-down control and bottom-up empowerment.

Too much top-down control will result in a lack of scalability as described in centralized control model, too much bottom-up empowerment will result in a chaotic decision making process with unpredictable results.

To achieve the “perfect” balance between centralized and decentralized control it is necessary to identify conflict points between individual units. These units must then co-ordinate their decision-making processes and knowledge bases. Such coordination requires the sharing of vast amounts of information, which brings with it the potential for “information overload”, a situation in which it becomes impossible to identify the relevant data from the irrelevant data.

Further to the problems of information overload are the difficulties of communicating information between decision-makers of differing backgrounds. For example, how does an accountant communicate the impact of a marketing overspend, whilst the marketing people communicate the impact on sales if the budget is not approved, which in turn affects the underlying sales potential for the firm.

In an independent decentralize model there is no control over such decisions. In a centralized model we rely on one individual to understand all three points of view, whilst in a connected decentralized model we rely on a technique to communicate all information in a meaningful and manageable way. This need for efficient communications presents considerable technological challenges since individuals from different backgrounds have different domains of understanding, different decision making processes and different data collection, storage and processing techniques.

Today, ICT is moving towards being complete enough to support a full advancement to Connected Decentralized Control. However, this is not yet possible with an “off-the-shelf” solution. Information Management Systems and Decision Support Systems in particular, need considerable customization and adoption to your organizations needs.

While efficient Information Management Systems can bring massive benefits to your organization you should be aware that around 75% of large Information Systems are considered failures by those who commission them. Tread carefully when commissioning such systems and take your time, be one of the 25% who reap the benefits and continue to grow.

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This article may be reprinted for personal use, on a website or a blog IF the content is left unchanged and this resource box is included. http://www.elmerfizz.com http://www.minniebell.com

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About the author:

For More Free Reprint Articles visit: http://www.elmerfizz.com

Aerobic Walking The Weight-Loss Exercise: A Complete Program to Reduce Weight, Stress, and Hypertension Slim down, tune up, and feel better in eight weeks

With proper technique, aerobic walking is one of the safest and most beneficial forms of exercise and a terrific way to lose weight. Now from bestselling health and fitness expert Dr. Mort Malkin offers a complete, step-by-step aerobic walking program that you can customize to reach your personal fitness and weight-loss goals. Drawing on the latest scientific findings on proper walking techniques, weight loss, safety, and nutrition, Dr. …
Customer Review: good place to start
I thought that it was a volume 2 to “walking for pleasure exercise” but it is really a revision of it. So either one is sufficent, no need for both books by this author. Covers the topics needed to get a good start on exercise walking, a little bit more on diet than the earlier book.

Informative, straightforward, no surprises nor bad advice, a worthy start to any walking library.
Customer Review: A good choice for beginners
Malkin’s book is excellent for the beginner. I can say that because I am one.
All Malkin wants is for people to reap the benefits of exercise, all their lives, and enjoy it at the same time. His program is so hassle-free that you think it’s under-acheiving, but it works.
With the facts, and a sense of humor, Dr. Malkin shows that walking is the ultimate win-win exercise, with lasting benefits.
He gives you all the basics you need, plus refined techniques, to integrate walking into your …

I’m ready to unload some the best secrets and tips that even your salon professionals use. Of course they would like for you to buy their products and will tell you they are the best in order to make the sale, but I’m pretty sure they’re not being honest in telling you what products are really on the backbar in their salons.

As a frugal person myself, I’ve always shared my secrets with my clients. I earn my living selling my services, not products. Here a few for you to enjoy!

1. To dry nail polish in a hurry, spray nails with PAM Oil Spray.

2. Olive oil can be added to bath water for a skin softener.

3. Toner/Astringent — Use witch hazel instead. No need to dilute — use full strength. You can also rinse with a splash of Apple Cider Vinegar after cleansing — it balances out the ph of your skin.

4. Cut back on the amount of shampoo you use. Do the same with toothpaste. The manufacturers want us to use more, so we buy more.

5. Keep your pantyhose in the freezer, and they will last longer.

6. For great lotion, mix one-part lotion with one-part vaseline. It works better than plain lotion, and, depending on the cost of your lotion, you can stretch its value.

7. To prevent hair pins from falling out, bend one prong in a “V” about halfway up and insert in hair. It will stay.

8. Old lipstick tubes, thoroughly cleaned, are great for purse-sized pill boxes or for pins.

9. Use hydrogen peroxide as an inexpensive nail bleach.

10. For an excellent facial, mix dry oatmeal and water into a paste and spread on face. Lie down and let it dry. Wash off with warm water.

About the Author

Melissa is a professional cosmetologist who is constantly updating her education. For daily updates including tips, secrets and other information, please visit her blog at Beauty doesn’t have to cost a fortune!