Archive for category Planning

Helping staff to get what they want

Jan 24

Posted by Steve Gray in Leadership, People!, Planning, Risk Management | 1 Comment

When it comes to dealing with staffing issues it seems as though there are always going to be those who want to help themselves and then there’s the rest.

What to do when you are staring down the barrel of staffing challenges and this is just one of your starting points?

In a previous article I looked at What Staff Want. It gives some interesting insights, but how do you figure out how to deliver the things they want or need and get to that point effectively.

Let’s go for the easy option, Brainstorm…

If you already know what they want and or need to do their job effectively, then facilitating a session with them will assist them to at least understand you want to assist them, and give you an idea of if they want to be assisted.

The real aim is to use the “Collective Intelligence” to get information happening and ideas explored.

You could start out with the list of what people want, then jot down some ideas in advance of things you believe might match to the job, tasks, attitudes and beliefs. Then you have a chance of connecting with them when the discussion starts and they are scrambling to find ideas. You would probably use your information to enhance their thinking processes if they get stuck, you might add in a pointer relating to an obvious task to spur them on.

Brainstorming can be easy – Set some guidelines and go from there.

All ideas are good ideas – We can focus on the good ideas later
Feel free to share – Let people freely add in and occasionally encourage the stragglers to also put in. Invite them to help make things better
Our aim – To explore ideas on improving this business unit – “We have challenges what will improve things?”
Work to a time frame so they don’t just lounge about for ages, aim to get ideas on to paper fast.
Pose some questions to be answered – Perhaps this is the initial brainstorming, getting the issues out as THEY see them, then getting them to provide ideas to answer them
Write fast, and prod for more ideas – Actively explore concepts as they arise
Consider a mind map – Do an internet search on the basics of this, it can be a very visual way of getting the thought processes working.
Collate the main ideas and share them once they are typed up – This can then lead to a plan of action or an attitude shift to some degree.

A brainstorming session should be positive and free flowing. The team should not feel like they are working under duress to come up with ideas. Hopefully after doing this session you will be able to find some excellent starting points to work from. Chances are the team had all the ideas and answers and you were able to positively, openly and honestly listen to them work through the challenges.

Tags: business, business mechanics, business success, communication, People!, Planning, Risk Management, steve gray, training

What staff want

Jan 17

Posted by Steve Gray in Human Resource Management, Leadership, People!, Planning, Risk Management | No Comments

As a follow on from the series dealing with staffing issues this article explores what staff want, when you know that and provide it, then you will find it easier to keep them happy. Believe me it’s important.

Keeping people happy is one part of the whole business matrix… customers or staff, the common denominator is that they are all people.

To keep one person happy you might find their definition is built on getting a reasonable amount of work done in a standard working day, churning through mountains of meaningless paperwork. Meanwhile the next person is kept happy by having variety and not just being stuck in an office.

So what are the core things they want and how can you provide these for them?

Here’s my list.

A sense of belonging – Being valued by others, even in minor ways can help to build and maintain their workplace sense of esteem
A sense of achievement – Some will want to work their way up the corporate ladder, set goals and achieve them
Contributing and adding value – Beyond their basic agreement, work targets etc, they feel as though they have contributed to the whole business machine
A sense of purpose – It’s not a meaningless job, it has a role to play and they can clearly sense that
Organisational integrity – It’s about security, if they know the organisation has integrity they then have a foundation they can believe in and stand by. No integrity, the foundation can give way at anytime this leads to insecurity and can be a reason for staff turnover
Control – For some this can mean the security that comes from having some measure of control over their situation, it might be minor. For others they want the chance to take control of a department, or a division depending on their level of drive or motivation
They like be challenged – In ways which suit them, not you. For some it will be big challenges for others it will be meeting a small quota. It comes down to brain stimulus
They have a suitable work environment – Where it can be controlled, think about it you spend 8 or so hours a day in the business, do you want to spend 8 hours in a hovel or 8 hours in paradise… The choice is a no brainer right? So what’s your environment like? Sure paradise is a BIG step but making it better might only take a few tweaks and a small amount of cash. For those out on the road for instance in a company vehicle, is it clean neat and tidy, new, old, in good repair or a rust bucket. Oh and the Lunch room, a place to relax and unwind, or a stinking cesspool of yuck… (broken chairs etc.)
They have the right tools – Newish computer – Quiet keyboard – Suitable work chair – Effective other tools

Are there others? Probably, it’s up to you to find out. But armed with this as your starting point you can soon see the sorts of core things staff want. Go and chat with your staff and find out what their wants are.

Now you know what staff what, here’s an article on how you might explore this further.

Tags: business mechanics, business success, communication, employee recruitment, HR, hr leadership, Leadership, People!, Planning, Risk Management, steve gray

2012 Business, thriven or failing

Jan 13

Posted by Steve Gray in Innovation and Creativity, Leadership, Planning, Risk Management | 1 Comment

There’s plenty of talk out on the street that people are saving and not buying, therefore business may well take a battering.

There’s lots of other talk too, less Entrepreneurs entering the market place with big ideas. Then there’s people losing jobs left right and centre as businesses close up and walk away, or go offshore to chase cheaper ways to manufacture.

With all this I can sense bitterness in the air, people in business cursing those that don’t buy, (or by online…) cursing the idea of having to set up a business in a down economy, cursing the thought of having to think creatively to overcome challenges and create anew. The list goes on.

Things change, get used to that.

It’s up to you what you end up doing about it, in business there are options, generally the more cash you have the more options you have.

But wait the “bootstrap-ocracy” will tell us you don’t need money, you need ideas, followed by a great pitch to the right people and before you know it a business has emerged from nothing.

I heard a conversation the other day that suggested all business ideas are bootstrapped, even if you put a few Million into the start up phase you then have to pay that back at some stage so you are possibly worse off than if you started with zero $$ it just seems easier.

What will make a business thrive through 2012 and on into the future. Lots of things, the ability to handle change, be creative with their ideas and explore ways to make those ideas become reality so the zero start up can become a heroic organism which can stride forward with confidence. In a word nimble.

Go on get nimble, get creative and make hay before the weather changes and the hay goes sour. The wider community is waiting for the right people to do the right things and keep things moving. “Tag… you’re it!”

Smart Phone web stuff

Dec 9

Posted by Steve Gray in IT Dept, Planning, Risk Management, The Marketing Dept | 3 Comments

You have a web site for your business, and now people have heaps of smartphones and while they are out and about they are checking out your site from their phone.

Therefore make your site work on a mobile, as MILLIONS are now using their phones to browse, and the figure is building daily.

What you need is a way to test your site, the good people over at Google have come up with a fairly elegant solution… http://www.howtogomo.com/

A simple yet highly effective way to test your webpage/s to see if you can cut through when you need to! Now call your web people and make changes.

Power $$ profit, where will it go…

Nov 2

Posted by Steve Gray in Growth, Innovation and Creativity, Planning | 3 Comments

In a recent news article the NSW government has made a tidy $1.23bn profit from the part privitisation of their power resources in that state. Well done, let me be the first to congratulate them.

I have a question however, what will they do with it?

Suggestion, for a whole bunch of people who can’t afford to buy the solar panels on their roofs use the $$ to give low income earners a way to reduce their utility costs, this will then mean less coal gets dug up as well. Makes sense to me. However I won’t be holding my breathe waiting for things to happen.

In your business are there similar opportunities? Are you missing out because of lack of thinking, risk taking etc… look closer you might find some powerful opportunities right under your noses.

Tags: solar power

Make it Work

Nov 1

Posted by Steve Gray in Growth, Planning, Risk Management, The Board Room | 3 Comments

How do you go about making a succession plan, and setting things up so you and your business can have a rosy future? Let’s try a few things and see what we can come up with.

Firstly a business that works.

Great products
Great service
Good profit margins
Great systems – policies – procedures – plans – vision
Great team
An entrepreneurial spirit – some risks – great rewards

Now say to yourself, “What do I want at the end of it all?”

A retirement income

An enjoyable, sustainable and profitable company to work in forever (some people don’t want to retire)

So how much is the retirement income going to be and when?

Will it maintain your current lifestyle needs?
Will it offer you the chance to live a greater lifestyle than you currently do?
Will it provide you with the chance to do more things in the wider community
Will I semi retire early…

All great questions but now what.

Think about your income levels, where they have been and where they are headed, when you reach a std retirement age of 65, what will the income be?
Then think about it being able to build further as time goes on, if you are retired for 30 years what would your final ‘wage’ be.

So how will you do it?

By now you may have realised the level of income you want, and now you have to ensure your business can create the level of turnover to pay for your ‘vision of the future’.

I think it’s time to get cracking on making your business more profitable and seeing how it will run without you, because some day in the future your asset will either fade or thrive. Take action now!

Tags: business, business mechanics, business success, People!, Planning, Risk Management, succession plan

You want what by when…

Nov 1

Posted by Steve Gray in People!, Planning, Risk Management, The Board Room | No Comments

This is not a chat about time management… not this time, more a chat about what do you want your future to be

You’re in business, not just a job but business. That means you work, take risks, plan, implement and reap rewards (yes rewards) if you get things right.

I have heard many people say many different things about what they want from business.

I’m the boss.
I call the shots
I can’t be sacked
I get paid more than the other guys

Follow that with…

I am creating an asset I can sell and retire on the proceeds
I have an asset my kids can take over
I have an asset where I will install a manager to do all the things I currently do and I will live off a % of the profits and occasionally consult back to the business when I want to.
I have multiple assets run by others and I get a part of the income from each and I seek out more ways to make $$ from each

The last one is the one I like the most, it’s the one that makes the most sense to me, it’s a risk to reward ratio. I get rewarded for the risks I take and can create more businesses so that if one is not doing well, another one is. (Good diversification can do that.)

Here’s the challenge however, most people don’t seem to think like that in fact they often only think in the terms of the first set of points. What that amounts to is Just Over Broke. Rarely getting ahead and when they do it seems to disappear FAST.

Sure there is the argument of live now, because you don’t know how long you will live. But being that it’s an unmeasurable ‘thing’ I would prefer see a longer term plan (or vision) than some short sighted live now and “oh no we’re broke honey, but we had a great time…”

All this is loosely called succession planning and making sure you set up your business to be all it can be so you can reap positive rewards now and in the future is vital.

Tags: business, business success, Planning, Risk Management, succession planning

Rushing headlong to “who knows where”.

Oct 3

Posted by Steve Gray in Finance, Growth, People!, Planning, Risk Management, The Board Room | 2 Comments

Lately I have had a few reminders of what I am about to chat about. It’s a bit unnerving when people ask “When are you planning to retire?” and I answer with “I’ll never retire, I like work too much!” that covers the fact I probably won’t be able to retire financially. But I guess it makes light of a serious subject and one I have to try hard not to think about too much.

Like a lot of people I didn’t worry much about retirement, putting cash away and anyway I keep hearing stories of people losing money overnight on the stock market and their portfolio value plummets again…

The reminder for this post, listening to people in business chatter away about how things have gone, what they will do when the time comes to retire, how they might sell their asset and in one case a lady who had sold her business, watched it fade fast into obscurity so she bought it back and is building it up again.

So what will you do, sell the business, put a Manager in to run it, expand it, resize it etc? All with the aim of having a nest egg to retire on.

If you do sell, will what you have the cash ‘invested’ in provide for your needs in retirement? How much will you need?

If you build up the business and put in a Manager how will that work out? Will the amount you need to take out hurt the business? Will it be run as you set it up or better? Will things fall in a heap and you need to rescue it… will you want to rescue it!

Lots of great questions in need of great answers. Hopefully your Accountant can set you straight, or at worst your own figures will project a rosy future for you. Lets face it, in the current economic situation there is little to smile about when the notion of retirement looms large in our thoughts. Unless of course you have an asset which keeps on giving.

Tags: business mechanics, business success, creativity, Planning, retire, retirement, Risk Management, women in business, you money

Guaranteed! But at what cost…

Sep 6

Posted by Steve Gray in Planning, Risk Management, The Customer Service Dept | No Comments

It’s standard practice to have a guarantee for many products and services. For some in business it’s the thing which sets them apart from their competition, for others it’s a legal compliance issue which they prefer wasn’t there.

What does it cost your business and how should you handle it?

Being a service nut I like the way it can make your business stand out from the crowd, compliance or not… so handling guarantees becomes a major issue you solidly stand behind, giving every customer ‘peace of mind’ in knowing you will be there with them if ANY issue arises.

Over the period of a year or three it can be easy to look at the cost of supplying services to fulfill your guarantee obligations to keep your ‘customers happy and fulfill your legal obligations. In the intervening ‘learning phase’ it may be a case of guessing how much guarantees might cost. Here are a few points you might consider in the process.

Is there a consistent percentage of sales which you can attribute to guarantees?
What is the time taken by staff in providing guarantees?
What is the cost of providing the staff to do these tasks?
Is this time significant enough to impact on other aspects of your business… e.g. making profits from std sales.
How much will the cost eat into your profit margin?
What will you need to add to your operating costs to take into account this ‘cost of doing business’?
How will the cost variation affect your average dollar sale and will that still make your business competitive?

I’m sure there will be other questions to ask in the process as you explore guarantees and their impacts further. The main thing is to be very mindful that guarantees have a cost, learn to live with that and allow for it in your forward planning.

Making your staff pay…

Aug 25

Posted by Steve Gray in Human Resource Management, People!, Planning | No Comments

What your employees earn for the organisation needs to be more than what you pay them, but how much? There are costs to cover having employees, so it makes sense to earn more than just what they cost the organisation.

In some organisations they seem to have no idea how much value their people add to the organisation, so lets have a think about the issue.

Let’s look at a range of costs and how it all adds up (their wages while they are on holidays and wages for a person who may replace them, as well as superannuation, insurance etc).

How much?

If we work on a figure of $800 per week that’s nearly $42,000 pa. Here are the ‘hidden costs’.

- 4 weeks wages for a fill in employee while the other is on holidays $6,400

- 1 week personal leave $800

- Superannuation @ 9% pa $3,700

- Workers compensation Insurance $300

- Payroll tax @ 5% $2,100

- Training and development or uniforms and ‘tools’ $2,500

- Incentives and bonuses $1,500

- Accumulated P/A savings to cover 10 yr long service leave $960

- Accumulated P/A savings to cover the other worker on 10 yr leave $960

TOTAL: $19,220

That’s just under half of the annual wage so they need to be earning the organisation a total of AT LEAST $61,200 to pay their way and cover their costs.

Let’s break it down further, on average it’s suggested out of a whole year people only work 220 days so that makes it $324 per day or $40.45 per hour. If you take into account ‘slack or down time’ (it’s raining, they are waiting for supplies, not feeling too well, angry at the boss for spending time reading business articles.) then that figure could readily go up.

For some of our readers they will know this hourly figure intimately and they will have their employees earning solidly above the basic level so they know they can cover longer term costs and thrive readily.

The thing is though, now you have some starting points to work with how will you change things in your business to make sure your business covers its costs, makes a profit and you come out smiling with lower stress levels?

Your culture is showing… so who looks after it?

Jul 15

Posted by Steve Gray in Excellence!, Human Resource Management, People!, Planning, Risk Management | 4 Comments

In your business, the culture is determined by a number of things, but getting it to develop and not go sour is vital… So who looks after it?

If you are a small business then you’re the person handing it (along with everything else) but if you have a HR person then they should be poised to provide services in this area.

Often people see the HR function as, recruit – select – payroll – rostering – ohs – industrial relations. Clearly however there is more and loosely put it’s about staff well being – Training and development, induction programs, skills updates, policies and procedures, performance management and lastly our topic, working the culture – In short the internal relationships and the things that make them go well.

So the HR team looks after the culture… (ask about that next time you interview a person for a role in HR and see their response…) But what is ‘it’ that they have to tweak to make it work?

Basically it’s about behaviour adjustment, (to match to the organisations culture) but before that happens the HR team need to figure out if anything needs to be adjusted (an ecology check), assessing the current situation and looking for ‘gaps’ or areas of ‘risk’ which are or could become an issue, they need to understand and figure out ways to develop internal relationships so they can know the who, how, why, what and where of what needs adjusting.

Then they need to plan ways to tweak the culture so it’s healthier and can stay that way. If you look at organizational culture in this way, your team should be able to develop a sure fire development plan which is based not just on developing role based skills and abilities but enhancing the philosophical, intellectual and emotional intelligence of the team too. E.g. a leader may need to have more ‘people’ skills to be more effective in their role, so a program which allows better ‘reading’ of people and explore what makes them tick, might be useful, yet not something which may be directly business related when you look for courses or workshops to develop these skills.

If the first step is an assessment of the team culture, the second step is developing a program which explores and develops all relevant aspects of the analysis.

Perhaps the program is a series of information sheets – a revamp of the organization’s value statement – a new section in the induction program – and or new Key Performance Indicators – or a more personal development based approach to training and development. Let’s not forget it may also be an adjustment to the physical aspects of the business, colours, furnishings and the like can have a huge bearing on how staff perceive a business and therefore relate and respond to the environment.

Whatever approach you take to the notion of developing your business culture, you should give it due concern, the positive flow on effects can make a big difference to the way things happen in your business.

Remember this little statement… (thanks Tom P)

Excellence, always! If not Excellence, what? If not Excellence now, when?

Your business culture needs work

Jun 5

Posted by Steve Gray in Growth, Human Resource Management, Innovation and Creativity, Leadership, People!, Planning, Risk Management | 3 Comments

When you want a new staff member to ‘fit in’ you generally go for a good culture fit when you interview them. Usually this means the recruits actions and thoughts fit well with the rest of the team and the way they do things, their patterns of behaviour. It makes sense to do that, however what if you want things to change in your organisation… perhaps more growth, explore new markets, push some boundaries. Then things might be different.

Consider the role of a senior member of staff, perhaps a person in a strategic planning or Human Resource Development role. Your aim may well be to push some boundaries and open the playing field up to new ideas and options. In that case you may want a person with a different approach or cultural fit to the rest. This then raises questions about the type of cultural differences and skill sets you might want to have with this type of recruit.

How will you decide what culture and skill sets you require? That depends on the role and how much of a ‘shift’ you want to create in the system. Clearly if you go for a person who is totally different in their interests, values and beliefs to the rest of the team, you may end up with a situation where the gap between your current culture and your ‘imposed’ one is too great to sustain for any length of time. I liken it to a bridge trying to span a distance which is too great for the structure to hold for long, eventually it fails.

Your new cultural direction should consider the following points.

The change should be different enough from the existing situation but still maintain structural integrity.
Creative approaches or not? – if the existing culture requires stimulus to get it moving then a more creative skill set can do just that.
If the growth pattern of the enterprise is stagnant then a more profit driven or sales oriented person can add value.
Managing the change might need extra effort on the part of the HR dept, supervisors and team leaders to oversee the new direction.
Is this culture re-shuffle a part of an ongoing strategic plan? – If so it will probably fit with a core value of innovation. With that underpinning the new approach, the team should see the benefits this will bring for the longer term.
Although a different cultural fit might be the main aim it doesn’t mean the core organisational values need to be ignored, in fact they are probably going to be strengthened by this new approach as terms such as respect – innovation and service get a bigger airing and may be explored at a deeper level.

Like anything changes to a business need to take into consideration various factors before being implemented but the above cultural development points might be a good starting point to consider.

Are details killing your business?

Jun 3

Posted by Steve Gray in Planning, Risk Management | No Comments

The devils in the details as they say; all it takes is one detail messed up and things can go astray.

On too many occasions I have seen things get badly messed up and staff in an organisation go into a flat spin trying to overcome a difficulty because a detail or two was missed.

Here are some quick examples.

Someone goes on long service leave and the flow through of paperwork stopped, this meant a build up of invoices not sent out, so a whole quarter of income was delayed.
Or how about a person who has a few days off due to illness and no one was able to take over that person’s role without some serious investigation of their scant notes.
A ‘proof sheet’ at a printer’s was not signed off by the client and their $20, 000 print project had a serious error, the client blamed the printer and the proof sheet oversight cost them dearly.

It comes down to how people set up and run their systems to ensure things can carry on despite breaks in the usual routine, or a back up failsafe device (like a person to double check an important document).

Are there holes in your system and what’s keeping it propped up? Perhaps it’s time to review and tweak the systems you have in place to ensure things can flow more effectively.

Tags: business details

How happy are your employees?

May 23

Posted by Steve Gray in Growth, Human Resource Management, People!, Planning | 2 Comments

How happy are your employees?

They turn up, they do the tasks, but how happy are they? Some of you are now asking “why should I care?” as long as they turn up and do the tasks…

Well a happy team will generally do things more effectively and with greater interest. If they are more at ease then they will probably be more alert and less stressed. Now does it make sense… So what can you do to assist them to be happier?

Survey them – Every few months or so develop a simple survey to measure how they are going in the happiness stakes at work – and loosely at home, you don’t need to pry too deeply but imagine if things are down at home, then it can impact the work situation, what will you ask them? well try doing an internet search for staff surveys and make a list of questions from there.

Do a Maslow – Dr Maslow came up with a list of needs people have in a range of situations, but the workplace is a great place to use it. Do a search on his list and then use it as a guide to measure with – It can be a very useful way to set up an induction program, or anytime a person moves to a new position or division and things change. It can give you a view into what sorts of things should be in place for this person to perform well. According to Maslow you should be aiming to get your people to a ‘self actualised’ position, this way they are in the best position to add great value to your organisation.

Is your workplace a brilliant place to be? – Take a look, is it a great place or a dump or somewhere in-between? Now figure out what can be done and when. It’s a great way to start forward strategic planning. When profit gets to x level you can update a few things, and continue on from there bit by bit until you get the organisation up to a great standard. As a one off big spend it might cost a lot, but in stages it can be a lot easier to handle. It could be developed by adding a question or two in the initial survey.

Keep on tweaking the list! – Use this list as a guide to improving your business and keep on tweaking it see if over time the results are showing up.

Snowed under…

May 16

Posted by Steve Gray in Human Resource Management, Planning, Risk Management | 1 Comment

In business, when you get snowed under, that’s when the cracks start to show in your systems. It can be easy to remember a few dates, times and the details of what needs to be done, then when one too many things get stacked on top, the details fade, followed by any loyalty you may have earned with customers. This is one of the many reasons businesses go through up and down cylces of ‘boom and bust’.

So how do you create a system which is bullet proof and others can follow it if you are not able to carry on with the task. A system which helps you keep your sanity and your customers loyalty as well. Try these.

Regularly test the system with your customers – if the cracks are going to appear they will probably show up when you least expect it when the customers want you the most.
Keep others in the loop when you update to the system – It’s great to have a good system but if others on your team don’t know about the changes, how can they use it to their advantage? And did you work with them to tweak it?
Think about what cracks first – Is it you who does not handle the pressure, or others? Is it the system? (old technology may not handle what you want it to). Is it the way you record information to keep the system up to date? (Paper based first – computer updates later – or directly into the system? Either way you need to be able to identify what the challenge is and then explore ways to adjust it to suit.
Are things in a logical sequence or all over the place? – following steps is just that a logical one after the other process, sure there may be a side track here and there, but in the main it’s only a short side step. Put things in order to keep the process flowing as best you can.
Take action – all of the above are action steps but when will you do them, can they be implemented slowly or do they all need to be done at the same time? Make sure you set time to make the system work more effectively for you it may require some time sacrifice up front but the saving further on will be well worth it.
Fire, aim, ready! – Yes it’s out of order, but often business is like that, we have to react to things which are thrown at us at a moments notice so we may not have the ability to get ready, then aim… Sometimes the process can work out well with this approach as you can set a process in action, and tweak things to get the aim right as they progress.

Go on, try these out and see what happens. You might just keep your sanity in place a bit longer and build that all important customer loyalty while you are at it. Oh and don’t forget the sense of accomplishment you will feel when you have knocked things into place and you can see the light at the end of the tunnel!

Your business organisation…

Jan 31

Posted by Steve Gray in People!, Planning | No Comments

So are you really organised? Let’s get serious, on the desk in front of you is there, papers, notepads, tape, pencils pens, cards, a charger or two, various notes, empty packets of “stuff”… and is this ALL OVER the place?

Generally I figure the answer is yes.

Next step, if that’s the desk, how is the bookkeeping? The payroll, and accounts in general…

So how is this really effecting your business? In the day to day things you do each and every day you are probably not that effected by it, you have a reasonable idea where to find the “usual” things and heaven help anyone who gets in a cleans up! (even if it is you.)

The challenge comes when people add more things to your stack of things to do, then a client walks in with an unusual request, then a supplier dumps a new catalogue in your lap and before long you are in a spin wondering what to do next.

You reach for the to do list… nope not where you thought it was, oh well you create a new one (only to find the old one sometime later and wonder where the new one is!

Sounds familiar? Yep I’m with you on this one it seems okay until a few things build up out of the norm, but what to do about it.

Discipline!

Get yourself into a position where you can create some time, (2 hours perhaps) make it early in the day (before business starts) or after hours, perhaps on a weekend (yes I know that’s family time so have the family help you if you are that way inclined.)

Take all of the mess off your desk and sort it only once the desk has been cleared and cleaned down. Sort the computer cables somehow and put only the things you really need to have in front of you on the desk to make things run smoothly.

Now take a look at ways to keep things organised so you can get on with the tasks which really need to be handled well.

Tags: discipline, organisation, Planning, to do lists

Three Persuasive Business Points

Jan 29

Posted by Steve Gray in Leadership, Planning, Starting out in business | 2 Comments

Here are three points I think you will find make a persuasive business argument, take one of these factors out and you will be out of business fast. Let me know what you think in the comments…

1. Have something to sell.

2. Sell it.

3. Make a profit.

To do so you need to market the offerings, have a process to sell with, manage the money.

To do that you need to have a handle on the HR, finances, marketing, overheads and it then starts to get more in depth from there. However you probably should be thinking in the terms of the basic 3 things to do, then see what’s happening from there.

May I suggest, you make a BIG poster or three with those key points on it.

Then consider breaking things down from there, so at any given moment you can know how each area is going, which one to tweak next and set a plan for the next one.

On your breakdown you will probably have a list of finer points relating to each area, then you can ask yourself, “which smaller area works well and which needs adjusting?”

Lets face it, business is not easy, in fact very challenging at times! But if these simple steps can make it easier for you then that’s got to be a good thing.

Oh wait I forgot! there’s a fourth point, oh silly me… Notice how you are looking at the business as the owner (from the perspective I have written it), note also how you are looking at the business, as a whole. Therefore you are taking a leaders view, a coaches view if you like.

Therefore you can be the coach and suggest strategies, work with your people to develop tactics, involve them in the game, many of them will know their parts in the process and know you have a chance to direct things that bit further. Go on be the leader, check out the strategies and concepts you need to put in place, then bring it all together like a great symphony, all orchestrated and conducted by you the business leader.

Tags: business, business mechanics, business success, hr leadership, Planning, Risk Management

What do You Need to be Doing in your Business?

Jan 28

Posted by Steve Gray in Excellence!, Growth, People!, Planning, Risk Management | No Comments

What do you need to be doing in your business? It’s still early enough in the year to be thinking about planning and implementing.

I often think about what I would WANT to be doing in my business, yet the need to’s cut through the wants and nag me to pieces… Often it’s the wants which cause us to go off on inappropriate tangents.

Should you be…

Getting more new prospects.
Streamlining systems.
Finding ways to make things more profitable.
Developing cash-flow projections.
Looking after existing customers better.
Checking OHS issues and risks factors.
Implementing a staff happiness program.
Developing a marketing plan.
Implementing the marketing plan with your friendly branding expert.
Tweaking your business plan.
Developing your customer service strategies.

You know there are a whole lot more options you need to be doing, so what stops you?

Hate to do things which are forced on you?
Figure it will go away somehow?
You want to hire some one someday who can look after these things for you.
Don’t know where to start because the list becomes overwhelming?
You refuse to delegate?
You like to chat to suppliers rather than face the reality your business might slowly be going down the “gurgler”?

Looking for excuses will not help, you should take control and get the team together and make a list of what needs to be done and hand over as much of it as possible, then get on with doing your part of it.

In the end your business is just that your business, so it requires you to take on the responsibility which comes with the territory.

Tags: business, business mechanics, business success, communication, have fun in business, hr leadership, improve customer service, Planning, starting your marketing campaign, workplace safety

Marketing Interview

Jan 26

Posted by Steve Gray in People!, Planning, The Marketing Dept | 4 Comments

Alan Miller, a freelance Journalist from Sydney interviewed me recently about Marketing, Enjoy!

Steve Gray has been in business for 30 years one way or another and has published hundreds of articles on business topics, from Leadership – Innovation – Communication to Marketing and Management issues. His hard won marketing experience means he is able to assist organisations to effectively get their name and message to their customers.

A.M: Steve you have done lots of things in business, you are a Trainer, a writer on a range of business issues, a business mentor and a speaker on Leadership, Innovation and Communication issues, how did you come to get so involved in business?

Steve: I’m an artist by qualification, and over the years I have been introduced to business, from printing T’shirts in the beginning to design and photography (all fairly art related) then over time I grew my knowledge base and things spiraled from there.

A.M. I was surprised to learn you know a lot about marketing, which is the focus of the interview today… Is there a reason for that?

Steve: Like all businesses there is a need to get your product or service noticed, I placed adverts for my own business like most people and failed at it. I soon learnt a great headline helps, then you go from there, I read more, asked more questions, used my design and art training to explore more options and innovate a little. The more I explored the more I learnt. I note now there are always things to learn and check out like social networking and the culture developing around that to make it work, it’s quite fascinating.

A.M: Steve, what are some of the basic mistakes people make with marketing their business?

Steve: Having an aim (more new customers, more repeat business, raising brand awareness) and of course a plan of action which leads into an investment of time and effort rather than a liability. With no aim the shotgun goes off and hits very little you want it to hit.

A.M: Do you find many organisations have no marketing budget planned?

Steve: Often! This can be due to having no plan, no idea about what they need to do and what it might cost, Yet it can be so simple to develop.

A.M: What are some of the great things which have wowed you in regards to marketing and great brand placement?

Steve: We are seeing more integrated approaches emerge, people want to stand out from their competition, so a directory advert for example is only one approach, a newspaper advert is another… It’s when people start to realise they need to be more targeted and put a range of things together. E.g. a direct mail piece to prospects, followed up with a phone call and a chat to see if there is a fit to their needs from your business (esp in B2B sales) then there is social media and websites where people can let a lot of people know about their expertise and keep their info and details in front of more of the right people, that’s becoming more powerful.

A.M: Is bundling of a range of marketing devices a way to go?

Steve: Clearly the one shot advert approach is a loser these days. You should realise prospects need to see your details more than once to be remembered, so the exposure side of things is a big issue. Therefore an advert with a call to action, perhaps a branded product as a reward for taking action can sit on their desk for ages, and that’s good! So take it a step further and have the info you want to tell people about readily available to them, a business card is one way, but there are more options to keep your name in front of them. From articles and information on the web to branded products people use everyday.

A.M: Should people link their promotion to their website or social media? And how would they do that?

Steve: Of course they should, I see it like a ring of connections where people can get in at most points and be guided to learn more about the business as they go. Perhaps via an active Face book page, or a group in Linked in (for business) this can lead to articles on their website, which can then get them more info via an email campaign. It doesn’t need to be difficult either! The more people get to see your business name in front of them the better. Couple the strong image retention provided with great service and you will be on a winner.

A.M: Do many of your clients have a marketing plan and should they?

Steve: Few do, and yes they should, at least a one page plan and a calendar of when they want to do things, then stick to it. Tweak it when things don’t work and know what does work.

A.M: How will social Media impact on marketing, in comparison to say branded items?

Steve: A branded item with a message can let people know you have a social media presence, so use it to do that (that gives it an aim then…) from there it’s up to you how you use the social media to blow your own horn and let your target audience know more about things which can be of value to them.

A.M: Do businesses need to be creative geniuses to make their marketing work or look snappy?

Steve: It’s great if they are, but not essential, pay someone else to be the creative one. However make sure it leads to a good aim or end product, like getting you more business, retaining customers. It’s great to have a creative approach and be noticed, but if all you get is a 2 minute wow factor then where’s the value in that? If on the other hand the creative approach meant you were handing out branded devices with your business details on them then your name is in front of more people for longer, that’s got to be good! Chat to your friendly branding expert for ways to get the message right and connect it with other things you are doing in your business.

A.M: Not everyone needs a marketing company to do their marketing for them, most can’t afford that, how would you help these kinds of organisations?

Steve: I suggest they create a plan of action knowing what the outcome is they want, then build on that plan and take action to get the results. Consistency is important. There are other branding experts who are not part of a big marketing company who can be of assistance, have a chat to them for friendly advice.

A.M.: A plan is one thing, implementing it is another…

Steve: Sure it is, if you want to get new prospects to look at what you offer, then you need to consider a way to do that, for instance in a business to business environment things can be different so the approach can be perhaps more targeted, therefore how you implement the plan is vital. You might start with a list of ideal customers or industries then figure out ways to get your name in their hands, your ongoing aim would then be how you keep it there. Your plan therefore should focus on ways to get your name in front of them and then what you can do from there.

A.M: There are many ways a business can market themselves, what works?

Steve: There are lots of things which work… Junk mail can work well, adverts in newspapers can too, and the same with branded products. It comes down to your target and the best way to get to the target. e.g. if I want to target accountants and I send out brochures to every household in town I have wasted a lot on the ones who are not accountants. Think about how your target wants to be presented to, then do that.

A.M: You mention branded products, many people would look at branded products as great giveaways at a trade show or convention, how can they be used by the average business to market themselves?

Steve: It depends on the aim, if they want to reward existing customers and say thanks, they can hand out simple things to remind them about the company, pens, calendars, imprinted note pads, things which would be useful for the end user and keep the business details in front of them. They can be also used as a device to get the attention of a new prospect, most people love gifts and they need not cost a fortune.

A.M: How should organisations go about choosing from the vast array of options available to them for marketing?

Steve: Chat with your friendly branding expert and explore what the businesses aims are, then look openly at ways they might be able to provide direction for the organisations aims and objectives. It might mean they have to create some great graphics to launch a message, brand some products and develop a way to get them in from of the right people. The big thing is being able to make the right connections at the right time so your marketing becomes the all important investment it needs to be, and not just another business expense.

Tags: branding expert, business, business mechanics, business success, communication, critical marketing, promotional marketing, small business marketing strategies, starting in marketing, starting your marketing campaign

5 Reasons to purchase a comprehensive car insurance policy

Jan 7

Posted by Guest Poster in Planning, Risk Management, Starting out in business, The Board Room, The Operations Dept | 3 Comments

It can be a confusing and daunting task to select the right car insurance policy for your personal or business vehicle, however this article will outline the top 5 reasons why you should invest in a comprehensive car insurance policy.

Reason #1: Insurance providers who offer comprehensive car insurance policies often include Roadside Assist as part of the insurance policy. Roadside assistance is an often overlooked feature of insurance policies as many customers do not see the value of this benefit as they have not previously had the misfortune of finding themselves stranded after their vehicle has stopped running. The quality and coverage area of the roadside assistance included in the insurance policy will vary from provider to provider, so it is vital to check that you are covered in areas which you frequently travel, and if there are any additional costs incurred under certain circumstances – such as if a tow or on-site repairs are required.

Reason #2: Another unique feature of comprehensive car insurance policies are the inclusion of a loan car for when your car has been stolen or taken in for repairs. Having access to a loan car from your insurance provider is a valuable addition to your policy as it minimises the impact of car trouble to your lifestyle and work commitments, allowing you to continue on with your planned activities without disruption or the inconvenience of arranging alternative transport.

Reason #3: Car contents cover is a new benefit included in more modern comprehensive car insurance policies. This benefit allows you to claim for personal belongings lost when you car has been stolen, or damaged in a car accident. No longer will you also need to replace your iPod and other valuables that were inside your car when it was stolen.

Reason #4: Caravans and Trailers are additionally covered under many comprehensive car insurance policies. These are especially valuable when undertaking long family vacations or business trips where you are also taking along your caravan or trailer filled with your valuable possessions.

Reason #5: A hidden and expensive extra cost of budget insurance policies is the lack of cover for lost or stolen car keys. A re-keying or re-coding of your car keys can cost as much as $250 as keys often have electronic signatures which need to be replicated by an authorised dealer. Comprehensive car insurance policies will often allow you to include key replacements in your monthly policy, therefore in the event of lost keys you won’t be required to pay an excess fee.

When considering the added value that comprehensive car insurance includes, depending on how you use your personal or business vehicle, it may be the smart and economic decision to invest in comprehensive cover. Always be sure to thoroughly read the product disclosure statement (PDS) provides by your provider, and ask your insurance agency to clarify any points that you are unsure about.

Allianz operates throughout Australia and New Zealand and through its subsidiaries offers a range of insurance and risk management products and services. The company provides some form of insurance cover for more than half of Australia’s top 50 BRW-listing companies, and employs approximately 3,300 staff. An avid supporter of environmental friendly initiatives, Allianz has a target to reduce emissions by 20% by 2012 and Is a member of the Australian Government’s Greenhouse Challenge Plus program.

Tags: business, business success, Planning, Risk Management

Choosing the right franchise for you

Jan 7

Posted by Guest Poster in Finance, Franchisees, Franchising, Growth, Planning, Risk Management, Starting out in business, The Board Room, The Operations Dept | No Comments

Franchise opportunities abound, but choosing the right franchise requires careful thought and considered research.

Combing through franchise businesses for sale notices should be less daunting if you implement a well thought-out research strategy. Using online research, industry publications, news clippings and other methods is a great starting point.

When identifying franchise opportunities, consider what will complement your lifestyle, business goals and your skill set. Some aspects to consider are outlined below.

Brand strength? Behind every successful business is a strong brand, bolstered by an enviable reputation. Read widely about how the franchise brand is perceived by the industry, customers and business partners. Part of what you’re buying is the company’s brand equity. What do you estimate the brand’s equity to be?

Finding out about financial health How open and transparent is the organisation about its financial health? A company’s balance sheet can provide valuable insights about how well placed the franchise business is to harness future growth.

Expenses today and in the future Before you buy a franchise, you’ll need to know what set-up costs are involved. There could also be ongoing costs, such as marketing or advertising levies.

Strategic marketing, PR and advertising expertise? Dig deeper into the company’s marketing strategy. What level of investment and support is offered nationally and locally? What marketing and branding expertise does the company offer? How well resourced is the organisation to fund public relations programs?

Systems for success? Systems are essential ingredients in any successful franchise network. How efficient are the franchise’s systems and processes – do they help or hinder your ability to operate the business?

Investigate the level of support on the ground Do they have a dedicated operational and field support team to assist you? Investigate the ratio of franchisees to field support infrastructure.

Consider the commercial environment Determine the competitive dynamics that are likely to impact the brand. Do they have a well-defined understanding of their competitors, future opportunities, trends and issues?

Create a shortlist of franchise business opportunities? Once you’ve created your wish list, shortlist your most suitable franchise opportunities. Map out what works for you and what doesn’t, including the business must-haves e.g. IT and marketing support, costs (one-off and ongoing) and other forms of critical infrastructure.

Talk to franchise owners at the coalface Franchise owners are valuable resources. They can often provide you with the ‘inside story’ about a potential franchise business opportunity.

Lesley D’Arcy – As a franchise recruitment manager at Mortgage Choice, Lesley D’Arcy is responsible for recruiting franchisees to greenfield (new) opportunities as well as selling established franchise businesses. Her career in franchise recruitment spans over 15 years where she has worked with many major franchise brands. Lesley has a wealth of experience in recruitment of franchisees and builds on this experience by unearthing and developing the latest and most innovative ways to help franchisors build their networks. This experience has given her the skills to become an expert in the field of franchise recruitment, excelling in lead generation, screening, qualifying and selling to prospective franchisees.

Tags: business, business success, business women, Planning, Risk Management, small business marketing

Staff Development More than Just Incentives

Dec 21

Posted by Steve Gray in Human Resource Management, People!, Planning | No Comments

Many organisations do their best to encourage staff to be all they can be and develop them to be all they can be, well they hope that’s the case, yet despite all their best efforts things can go astray. Staff may develop skills, but their ability to stay motivated or develop a better attitude towards the job may fade fast. Lets take a look and try to figure out some of the issues which might cause these important things to fade…

Poor procedures and policies – We create a system of policies and procedures which might be too complex when they don’t have to be, or not enough of them, suddenly “holes” appear and things “fall through”. An employee may well find this frustrating and all the incentives and development can come undone fast.
Knowledge development – Great to provide incentives to staff, but without giving them the right knowledge to be able to tackle tasks effectively you might be setting them up to fail, or at worst struggle. People often look for the path of least resistance and end up finding that path elsewhere. if you train people make sure it fits for their tasks and needs.
Incentives – What if you created the wrong incentives… What if your people don’t like the goals set at some deep level… What if your planning looks great for you, but not for the organisation and the staff know it… What if the incentives put in place are too short term to hold the employees interest… All useful questions, now you need to figure out what to alter to make things work.
Lousy tools – Here’s the task now go and do it, “But where are the right tools to do it?” your team just might give up before things have started, a bad sign. Do anything to make sure they get the right tools and training to make the task happen effectively.

Often staff are disinterested because WE set them up to fail, although we had the best intensions at the time. WE need to ensure things are in alignment, the goals, the processes and procedures, the policies, the skills development the incentives and tools so the staff can be all they can be with ease.

Lets reward the right behaviours with the right set of devices so the team wants to remain with the organisation in a way which keeps the ball rolling for all concerned, after all happy staff are often far more productive staff.

What’s next, the fourth instalment

Dec 6

Posted by Steve Gray in Human Resource Management, People!, Planning | No Comments

In this final part of the new recruit guidelines I wanted to focus on the probation period guidelines. it’s a very important part of the whole process but one which is often dismally left out of the process. Here is what I said in the initial article in this series.

Probation period guidelines – Start and in three months we will assess how you have gone. Assess what and how? Is anyone in your organisation clearly responsible for figuring out what and how to assess, are they qualified to do so to some regulatory standard?

Many organisations have a three month probation period while others have six months and others none at all. If you want to build in cooling off period where either party can part ways, it is wise to ensure you and they fully understand the process and the criteria they will be assessed on.

These days there are plenty of people with workplace assessment qualifications who should be able to map out the criteria for measurement and the ways to assess the recruit against those criteria.

Depending on the role will depend on the specifics of operational effectiveness they will have to attain, the skills they will have to demonstrate and the level of cultural fit they will attain.

At a minimum level the OHS standards will be addressed and I would like to think a solid appreciation of the values and beliefs of the organisation as well as practical job skills and abilities would be very wise.

The aim being to ensure the person being assessed has clear criteria to work to, as well as a full appreciation of how they will be assessed and the evidence or types of evidence which will be sued to do all this.

May I suggest a clearly set out set of criteria in a bunch of areas, OHS, job skills, Cultural fit, Communication skills, Technical skills (IT etc). and then build the assessable parts within each section. Perhaps they will have to show an understanding of the terminology or intention of the parts of each section as well as demonstrate with clear evidence they have achieved that level of skill.

Whatever the end product make sure it is clear to all parties and people assessing the person have the ability to do it based on great evidence and clear guidelines for all.

Now you have a new recruit with correct training, who has met the criteria for assessment, feels welcome in the organisation and is settling in to the role with ease and a degree of comfort. You on the other hand have the peace of mind in knowing you did all you could to make the process as easy as possible to ensure the new recruit is a brilliant fit and are assured of their ongoing success… Let’s hope so!

Tags: business, business mechanics, business success, business women, communication, creativity, employee recruitment, hr leadership, innovation, lateral thinking, Leadership, People!, Planning, Risk Management, training, workplace safety

What’s next, the third instalment

Dec 5

Posted by Steve Gray in Human Resource Management, People!, Planning | 1 Comment

Last time we looked at the training area in the new recruits process, now lets check out the expectations put on them, and how to deal with that, in the initial article I said…

High Expectations – The HR dept say this person is a great fit for the organisation on SO MANY levels, yet no one in the dept they are going into knows anything about them except some here-say rumor… Truth is the person is a bit average in the start up phase and people in the dept are “non plussed” with the new recruit, some people just need time to shine and figure out where everything is and how things happen. How were the skills the person had in a previous position “Mapped” across to this new role. What if they had used a much older piece of software in the past and the version or type you have is VERY different to what they are used to…

Your new recruit starts and the place is a buzz with excitement, people want to meet them, people want to avoid them, people need to help them or not. It’s all about people and the fit to the organisation, yet on so many levels there are issues with how things come together and the expectations some in the team may have about the new recruit.

In the initial phase the new person might struggle to get up to speed, despite reassurances from many in the organisation, yet the person may well be highly trained and have a resume bristling with qualifications. In the initial phase then it should be vital to ensure they have the support they need without prejudice or hassle, this way they can grow into the role at their pace. For some that will be fast and for others painfully slow perhaps, you role is to make sure it happens in the best way possible.

Others in your team will need to know about the new person and why they were chosen so they can make fair assessments and not base a person on day one performance and here-say from others in the team, rumours are rarely objective.

You will have talked to the team about how they have certain skills and how these can be traced across or mapped, to suit their new role. You will assure them this person meets a range of positive criteria and proved at interview they should be well and truly capable of fitting in, and doing an effective job in the new role.

You will also outline any training or other support they need to allow them to make the best of the probation period and explore the role and the organisation fully.

Now every one knows about the new recruit a welcome party will ensure they are able to fit in and be supported in positive and solid ways by all the team.

In our next part in this series lets look at the guidelines for their probation period and ensuring they are clearly assessed to meet the criteria.

Tags: Burning Business Bridges, business, business mechanics, business success, communication, creativity, employee recruitment, hr leadership, innovation, lateral thinking, Leadership, People!, Planning, Risk Management, training, workplace safety

What’s next, the second instalment

Dec 4

Posted by Steve Gray in Human Resource Management, People!, Planning | No Comments

This is the second part of the four part series on dealing with new recruits, this time we focus on training. Here’s what I said in the initial article.

Lousy training – Tough, though I know your training people are possibly doing what they can, given tough challenges or are just not that suited to training new employees, they might have a stronger focus on I.T. or a some Leadership program, they can be spread thin. After all did anyone tell the Training area to prepare something for the new recruit?

When it comes to training some are of the opinion “If you picked a new recruit, pick one already trained…” nice thought but there are things your organisation will do differently to others so they might need to know how your team look after OHS issues, and about the versions of software you use. as well as looking at the values and beliefs in the organisation.

I can only hope your organisation has a great training program in place for all sorts of things and not a lousy one as I hinted at in the opening section. So that being the case your training team will have this area all handled for you when you let them know the new recruit is about to start.

The training team won’t tell you “Oh the OHS (or other) training doesn’t run for another 3 weeks.” They will have a positive stop gap measure like an online training option, or at the very least a handout on OHS expectations and guidelines to give the recruit early in the process (before they start perhaps.)
The training team will have put together something for the new recruit on the values and beliefs of the organisation, knowing full well the value of a great cultural fit and how this can happen using foundation organisational philosophies.
The training team will have mapped out a schedule of what training is happening and what the recruit needs to do to ensure their training needs are met and especially in the area of the induction program and it’s time frame. They will be well and truly focussed on the recruits success in the organisation and not just for the recruitment phase either.

The new recruit, even by this early stage, will be suitably impressed with how things are going, they feel included and are valued in the organisation and are trained to succeed.

In the next phase your Leadership and communication skills come to the fore as you make sure all the team know about the recruit and a bit about how they will fit in. Join me then as weexplore the expectations of the new recruit.

Tags: business, business mechanics, business success, business women, creativity, employee recruitment, hr leadership, innovation, lateral thinking, Leadership, People!, Planning, recruitment, Risk Management, training, women in business, workplace safety

What next, the first instalment

Dec 3

Posted by Steve Gray in Human Resource Management, People!, Planning | No Comments

Following on from my previous article outlining four areas to work on when employing a new recruit. Today lets focus on the Induction Program.

Previously I said…

Induction program – How do people learn about the nitty gritty’s in your organisation, the policies, procedures, OHS, who’s who and what about the culture of the organisation? Has anyone looked at the existing “program.” for a while? Is it relevant, suitable, useful…

So the recruit has been offered a position, you set the start date, it’s 3 – 4 weeks away due to their other commitments, all is well. You set the wheels in motion to get things sorted, a spot in an office, supervisor is informed, HR are organising their part and so on… but when was the last time it was looked at and how effective is all that? and why does it have to take so long to seemingly get them started?

Here are some thoughts on what might be a more ideal way to go.

Send them info on the organisation the minute they say yes – Things like an operations manual, who they will be working with and the structure of that area – an outline of how the probation period will be assessed – an outline of the OHS guidelines for the organisation – a company video – a signup form for HR legal requirements like superannuation etc.
Their workspace – Is it suitable, is it sorted, do they have all they need to do the job, does it meet OHS standards.
Their supervisor – Who is it and what do they need to know about the new recruit, will they need some training or coaching on how to work with a new team member?
The HR teams role – What do HR do to make the recruit fit in? Do they control all of these points? Do they look after all the details or… Find out sooner rather than later.
Team mates – They will probably know within an instant of a new person being recruited, such is the power of the grapevine. But what do they really know about the person, how will they respond, how do they act, what part do they play in welcoming the new person. the list could go on.
Buddy system – Some like a buddy system approach others don’t, but if the new recruit has a buddy make sure the buddy knows the expectations and is allocated time to assist the recruit with all that’s necessary.

There, now you have wrestled a few things into place you induction program is starting to take shape. Here’s hoping the new person loves the approach the organisation is taking and wants to stay and be a vital part of your team.

Next time lets go a step further in the process so the recruits journey is a smooth one.

Tags: business, business success, creativity, employee recruitment, HR, hr leadership, innovation, Leadership, People!, Planning, Risk Management, steve gray, training, workplace safety

Congratulations on the job, what next…

Dec 2

Posted by Steve Gray in Human Resource Management, People!, Planning, Risk Management | 4 Comments

You have selected an employee for a new position in your organisation. Congratulations! All good yeah.. now sit back and watch as it all turns to mud…

Sorry I think in that last line I was being a little bit cynical… Clearly things won’t turn to mud in all organisations, but in quite a few I think it will and here’s why.

- Poor induction program.

- Lousy training.

- High expectations.

- Tricky probation period guidelines.

Yet these things can clearly be overcome. Firstly however you have to objectively measure the four things which could fail.

Induction program – How do people learn about the nitty gritty’s in your organisation, the policies, procedures, OHS, who’s who and what about the culture of the organisation? Has anyone looked at the existing “program.” for a while? Is it relevant, suitable, useful…
Lousy training – Tough, though I know your training people are possibly doing what they can, given tough challenges or are just not that suited to training new employees, they might have a stronger focus on I.T. or a some Leadership program, they can be spread thin. After all did anyone tell the Training area to prepare something for the new recruit?
High Expectations – The HR dept say this person is a great fit for the organisation on SO MANY levels, yet no one in the dept they are going into knows anything about them except some here-say rumor… Truth is the person is a bit average in the start up phase and people in the dept are “non plussed” with the new recruit, some people just need time to shine and figure out where everything is and how things happen. How were the skills the person had in a previous position “Mapped” across to this new role. What if they had used a much older piece of software in the past and the version or type you have is VERY different to what they are used to…
Probation period guidelines – Start and in three months we will assess how you have gone. Assess what and how? Is anyone in your organisation clearly responsible for figuring out what and how to assess, are they qualified to do so to some regulatory standard?

All of these aspects can be challenging to negotiate, and like many people in businesses, they realise they need the new staff member too late and before long everyone is too busy to address any of the above.

Time to take stock and get ready for the new recruit. Now I have created a bunch of points to ponder, in the next few articles lets take each one and develop it further.

Tags: business, business grump, business mechanics, business success, creativity, employee recruitment, hr leadership, innovation, lateral thinking, Leadership, People!, Planning, Risk Management, training, workplace safety

Business and the view from there.

Nov 28

Posted by Steve Gray in Planning, The Operations Dept | No Comments

I probably should have called this “I can’t see the wood for trees” it’s that kind of quote/cliche I was thinking of when I put the wheels in motion for this article.

Reflecting (as one does from time to time) on the way things have happened for me in a number of positions of employ, one in particular comes to mind, let me explain.

Untitled © Peter Biram 2009

In the interview the view seemed clear, my mind has mapped out a course of action right from the get go… But when I get into the role, things somehow magically alter, the view has changed, the map becomes useless and things do not appear as they once were.

What happened? Sometimes I am not so sure, but in reflection from a role about six years back I can see what happened there. The role looked straight forward but on the inside the complexity was a bit much, information overload took place and detail-itis kicked in, people were throwing in all sorts of information into a vacuous space (the memory space allocated for my brain to handle this role.) and it was fast getting cluttered with “STUFF!”

My view on reflection was I could have done better by getting a better map or at least orienting the map to face the right way when I got into the role, and sorting out the basics in a better way to begin with.

The role was in a training organisation and as a 12 month contract my job was to set up new programs and look after a small handful of courses already running. It seemed simple enough but the points outlined above gave it an air of despair.

For each course currently running I should have had an outline of what subjects were being presented, what ones had already been covered, and what was coming up, followed by what I was going to do to make the upcoming parts easy for the Trainers, fail on all counts.

I wanted to go in and check out what the trainers were doing, how they presented, were they engaging, were they providing a rich and interesting environment for the participants and were the participants happy, fail on all counts…

I conjured up a range of new course ideas and ways the organisation would be able to make money out of professional development programs for businesses… A few great ideas were beginning to take shape when a new manager was appointed in a higher role and the eye cast on my plans sent a shiver, there was no money going to be allocated to some of the new programs I had in mind “These plans are all very well Steve, but we don’t have the money or resources to run them.” that was it, despite my evidence to the opposite.

My map turned to mud, my strengths to weaknesses and before long the whole thing became a sham. I had no idea of the view and what it should be like anymore and was somehow glad when the contract came to an end… The tables had turned and what I was hired for became a farce. Funny though just after I left the new Manager was sidelined and things went into some sort of a rejigging spin with the aim of getting the organisation back onto a level keel.

Twelve months wasted? Not really there were a number of small wins and “pats on the back” but the big thing is learning from it all. The aim being not to make the same mistakes. I can blame the organisation for being unclear, I can blame the manager for poor insight and limited vision, but in the end the real results came down to me.

Looking forward was part of the role, looking back was important too, but the here and now of the existing course operation probably may have yielded greater results in the long term. In reality who knows if it would have or not… I can only believe in myself it would have made a difference.

May I suggest you take a look at what’s happening in your business or department now and explore the map in detail and see if all parties on the “Island” are able to read the map and know what to do if they get lost. Otherwise the map may well be useless.

Business Basics

Oct 8

Posted by Steve Gray in Excellence!, Finance, Growth, Planning, Risk Management, Starting out in business, The Operations Dept | 4 Comments

I love chatting about business, and love to see people put an idea or three into action and get results, but unfortunately far too many people go to get started and so blindly follow the idea their heart runs off with the head and they fail. I don’t want them to fail but they do, the business owner does not want it to fail but it does… Fail, fail , fail… its not a good look!

Therefore, any chance I get I like to mention the basics of business in the hope to make a difference, I like to harp on about the basics and let people know…

Idea – Research – Action – Spend $$ – Make $$ – Have some left over – Invest – Repeat. (or close to that.)

Still people get it wrong, some end up with an image like this…

Idea – Action – Spend $$ – Make SOME $$ – Spend more $$ – End up broke. (Or some similar pattern to that.)

What’s the point of having a great idea and seeing it crash and burn? None, it hurts and can easily hurt others, so stop doing it. The challenge is however people don’t see the “crash and burn phase” they see a rose coloured world of $$ and happy customers.

Consider this, you want to learn to fly, you have the idea, you have the cash to buy a plane, you know full well you can’t fly the sucker until you have been trained and pass the test.

So why the heck do people jump into business (of any size) without the right training… Because they can, and you know what, you can sign up to get business registration on line, get a bank account and so forth and be in business in no time flat. Problem is no training, probably some skills, possibly and few helping hands to get started. and the rest seems to be “fly by the seat of your pants” and hope for the best.

Do some basic research BEFORE getting started and make sure you KNOW what you are in for PLEASE. too many failures in business seems such a waste of resources folks.

Tags: business success, Planning, Risk Management, starting in marketing

Does your business have a heart problem?

Sep 10

Posted by Bren Ryan in Excellence!, Planning, Risk Management, Starting out in business, The Board Room, The Customer Service Dept, The Operations Dept | 2 Comments

I live and work in Geelong. I have for 15 years or so. In that time, we have pretty much been in drought conditions, and under water restrictions.

This year, month, week, that’s pretty much changed. The word is, we are fast moving towards breaking the drought. With just “average” rainfall mind you. Fantastic! However, it’s caused a bit of chaos this week. You see, Geelong is a city divided by the Moorabool River. It runs roughly West to East, and dissects the North from South.

Of course, there are multiple points at which to cross the river, but one (apparently) vital one. It’s called the Breakwater Rd & Breakwater bridge. As the name suggests, it’s a breakwater, and it floods every time the Moorabool River reaches a certain level. It a pressure release valve so that the river doesn’t flood as badly as it might.

It’s a two way, one lane intersection. It’s tiny. It’s insignificant. It doesn’t appear to be that busy in the scheme of things. I take it everyday in my 5 minute trip to the office.

When it floods, it throws the City of Geelong into Traffic chaos! This week has seen a lot of Geelong employees late for work. My daily 5 minute drive has turned into 45-60 minutes!

My City has a heart problem. Like our Hearts, the city depends on all it’s arteries to follow un-hindered – block one, and you have a heart problem.

It made me think about my business (while i was stuck in traffic ) Sometimes, we have arterial blockages in our businesses. It might be that the phone messages stall at reception and don’t quickly get sent to the sales guy, it might be the order release message from the accounts dept stalls and doesn’t get communicated to the despatch area, so an order sits on the back dock two days longer than it should.

An arterial blockage in our business is simply a part of the system that gets blocked up, slows the rest down, and sometimes even stops the system dead – grid lock!

The first step to clearing such a blockage is to identify it. Sit back, take a breath, and objectively look at your business and how an order goes through your system, even place an anonymous order and see how your system looks to an outsider. Once identified, you can take steps to alleviate the pressure and work out ways to prevent future issues.

In my business for example, the artwork process can be one of those areas that can bog down and block the system. It might be the client is slow to send us appropriate files, or our email breaks down, or a contract artist does not do the job fast enough – there are any number of ways that part of my business can (and has) block and stop orders from proceeding. I don’t like it, but knowing it is an area for a higher potential for screw ups, I pay more attention to it to avoid said screw ups.

Another area with potential for blockages is delivery. I rely on third parties often for delivery. I have clients all around Australia and even a few Internationals. Therefore, I am often reliant on third parties like manufacturers and couriers. If the guy on the back dock at the pens factory is having a bad day, my urgent delivery might not go out, just as the courier driver might have a flat tyre or only pick up 2 of 3 boxes. Even a foggy night made us miss one deadline when the plane holding one box was grounded.

I can’t completely avoid potential blockages, but if i know exactly what they are, I can put safe guards and pressure valves in place to reduce the risk.

So, does your business have a heart problem? It’s one of those questions just like your own health – it might not be comfortable to self analyse if you are at risk, but well worth the effort.

Tags: business, innovation, lateral thinking, Planning, Risk Management, risk reduction

How To Make Employees More Productive

Aug 27

Posted by Michael Crooks in Human Resource Management, Leadership, Planning, The Board Room, The Sales Dept | 2 Comments

Most companies are extremely aware of their external markets such as clients, customers, distributor networks and even vendors. But many fail to realize that employees make up an internal market. There are plenty of organizations that bend over backwards to get feedback and input from customers and clients. Far fewer work as hard to get feedback and input from employees. I sincerely believe that any organization that doesn’t view its employees as an internal market is shortsighted. And if you think the majority of your employees are happy campers – I’ve got news for you.

In a report released January 5, 2010 by The Conference Board based on a survey of 5000 U.S. households, only 45 percent of those surveyed said they are satisfied with their jobs. 55 percent are not satisfied with their jobs! According to Lynn Franco, director of the Consumer Research Center of The Conference Board, “The downward trend in job satisfaction could spell trouble for the overall engagement of U.S. employees and ultimately employee productivity.”

What the report doesn’t tell us is WHY 55 percent of employees are dissatisfied. And while specific reasons for dissatisfaction vary by company, job and employee, I believe it can pretty much be summed up as a disconnect between those in the ivory tower and those in the trenches.

One of the best books I ever read on management and problem-solving is an 80 page book called, “I Know It When I See It” by John Guaspari. In the book, the Boss demoralized his employees by telling them that the key to increasing the quality of their product is to, “Try Harder! Do Better!” It had the same effect as unfunded government mandates – no one was given the information, tools or ability to accomplish the edict. What followed was employee frustration, job dissatisfaction and further loss of market share.

If your company is large enough, consider an undercover operation to include the top echelon. In disguise either shop your company or get a job with your company. See first-hand what affect your policies and directives are having on those who must deliver your product or service. In smaller companies, I encourage bosses and managers to get out of the back room. Run the cash register. Load some trucks. Ride and work the route. Stock some shelves.

The easiest dollar made is from a happy, repeat customer. But that’s a lot harder to achieve when employees’ are hampered by decisions based solely on numbers made by people sitting behind desks who are out of touch with reality.

Tags: employee happiness, employee satisfaction, Michael Crooks

More Training to Win – Creating levels

Aug 27

Posted by Steve Gray in Human Resource Management, Planning | No Comments

When a person starts in your business they start at some level, the bottom, the top or somewhere in between.

Generally it will be at some lower level and will hopefully want to “climb the ladder of success” you provide. For some this will mean a ladder governed by rising pay increments, for others it will be the attainment of various levels of skill achievement perhaps leading to a new title (from assistant to manager etc.)

My suggestion is you figure out a pathway for your staff no matter where they come into the business, so they can clearly follow the path and attain the sense of achievement which goes with it.

There are various examples throughout history of how organisations have used this to their advantage, the main one is the military, where you work up from a “private” to Corporal, Sargeant, and so on. Along the way you have to “prove yourself” to be worthy of the role and the new responsibilities that may bring.

Because of the history of this sort of hierarchy, many people are ingrained to this way of working, so in business we can use this to our advantage.

For some businesses a formal approach is taken, and for others a more casual approach can make the approach far more fun and engaging for that type of employee and business. lets take an example of a business which does a lot of business to business sales.

Because the business is sales focussed the team has to either be supporting the sales team or be part of the sales team. therefore they might create a structure like this.

Support Crew – Starting role in the business – probably in admin there can be a range of levels in this category to take in stores and warehousing.
Sales Support Agent – These people work with the sales team as the sales support team, making the calls, tracking client contacts etc.
Sales Agent – The new sales person starts here, the apprentice if you like to the sales executive.
Sales Executive – The actual sales person, experience and able to lead the sales agents.
Sales Coach – You could call this a sales manager role.

As you can see the aim is to provide a start and end point, in time the end point might alter depending on what the organisation is able to offer and how it develops.

By creating these sorts of levels in your business you can now develop the sorts of specific tasks you want people at each level to do.

Blitz your business now…

Aug 6

Posted by Steve Gray in Excellence!, Growth, Planning | 1 Comment

If you are like many people in business you are probably flat out keeping your business ticking over and doing your best to get and keep, ahead in tough times. you have all the usual things you do to keep things going and if you have a profit happening then you are doing some things right.

However it is also easy to miss out on getting things right in your business and in fact it can be VERY difficult to get ALL things right. Perhaps this “Blitz” idea might make a difference to how you go about things.

Businesses often have “blind spots”, in retail circles it’s often called “Store blindness”. It’s where particular parts of the business are not up to scratch and often go unnoticed, it might be one area of a display which has become tardy but is not noticed so we form a blind spot to it. My answer, “blitz your business”.

How? Simple, in retail for instance, draw a rough plan of your store, and have a blitz attack on sorting things out in that section, check cleanliness, stock levels, layout, lighting, signage etc… Then to other business aspects, marketing, operational systems, and management to name a few. Go through all of these one at a time and sort them out bit by bit.

Perhaps set up a blitz team to work on each part of the business so the organisation can see the fruits of it, knowing it has taken solid action to get those results. Start now with a simple checklist of areas to focus on. Oh and remember to mix up the areas you focus on with your team so they avoid getting into a rut and follow a boring routine.

Tags: creativity

Great profits…

Jul 31

Posted by Steve Gray in Excellence!, Leadership, Planning | No Comments

‘

“Great profits come from great products and services…”

Seems like a simple enough statement, but what makes a great company??

Simple…

Great people.

Therefore great people make great companies, so it stands to reason if great companies recognise this they will do their utmost to make sure they make greater people out of the ones they already have.

It also stands to reason a great company will be passionate about people because of this knowledge and provide a “loving environment.”

“What’s a loving environment…?” Lets brainstorm for a minute. (Go ahead I’ll wait…) Enough of the waiting here’s a list to contemplate.

Elegant systems people love to use.
Great training which works with the team to provide relevant skills and information for each level they are at.
Great support, especially if you want your people to succeed to the max.
Elegant communication, your people talk, and not just about the weekend sport or other activities, they talk work and they do so with great interest.
The chance to put in, to give, to be an active part of the organisation. Why because they like to achieve, they want to achieve they CRAVE achievement. Why? because it gives them a greater sense of purpose.
Great service. Your people go all out to be exceptional, and new recruits get to model the exceptional behaviour of your best people, if they don’t do it or get it they are out and you search for better people.
Great examples. Your best people are champions and the rest of the team aspire to be like them, yeah? Of course, if not…. keep training them.

To do all this takes time and expertise, you have to make sure you get the expertise and share it. You know what, I don’t care if you have to do courses after hours, work on your systems on weekends, tweak policies or procedures at 2am, do it.

Do it because you have to make sure your business is the best and will stand the test of time and tough business environments (like a recession and or depression.)

Do it because to live in utopia we need utopian thinking and we need it to start somewhere. If you are not thinking utopia, what are you thinking? Mediocre? or something less than great… why?

Okay it requires effort, but if you already have a team put up this list (add to it if you want) and have them provide ways to get the list into action. Then act on the information as soon as possible.

Now look for the gaps, gaps in the attitudes, gaps in the systems, gaps in the budgets, profits, processes, service provision… Then fill the gaps fast, before long your company will be exceptional and not just great.

7 Mistakes new businesses make with IT

Jul 23

Posted by Bren Ryan in Excellence!, IT Dept, Planning, Risk Management, Starting out in business, The Operations Dept | 1 Comment

Any new business likes to get off to a fast cheap start, but it important to keep an eye on the prize and be wary of cutting too many corners that will end up costing time, money and possibly loss of data and even your businesses ability to adapt to a changing business landscape.

So here are the top seven IT mistakes I have seen new businesses make:

POP email

POP email accounts are those email accounts that you get when you sign up with an ISP. Often you get a few free email accounts that you can associate with your company domain. The problem with POP accounts is that they don’t get backed up and leave you with a false sense of security. Ultimately much of your businesses value lies in the contacts that you have, as much as the conversations you’ve had. POP accounts only store the conversations, and in many cases even those are cleared from the server by your email application. So now all of your data is sitting on the one vulnerable hard disk in your computer and unless you know what you are doing, this does not get backed up.

Shop around. For less than $US15 per month you can get a hosted 5GB Exchange mailbox that stores all contacts, calendar and email. It gets backed up each night and it can be made to synchronise contacts and appointments as well as email with your mobile PDA. If you have multiple employees you can share contacts and calendars and email. This can takes office productivity to a whole new level. Outside the office, on the work site, having access to your email, contacts and calendar is fast becoming as important and as expected these days as having a mobile phone was five years ago. From the work site you can place a booking with a client into the Calendar on your PDA and within minutes staff back in your office can see that booking by looking into your calendar on the server. And Vice-Versa, how good is that. No more checking with the office then calling the client back to confirm, not to mention the to and fro reduced if the booking did not suit.

Of course if you lose or break the mobile phone al of the contacts and appointments that are synchronised to the server are not lost. Just get a new phone and set up again and all the contacts and appointments will be synchronised back onto the phone.

OK, setting this up may require some help from an IT consultant but when you factor in the productivity gains and the reduced risk of data loss in the event of failure the gains are worth it for most businesses.

2. Peer to Peer networking

There is a plethora of fantastic cheap devices on the market these days that let you store copious amounts of data on a networked hard disk. If you like you can also share the hard disk of your own computer so that your co-workers can store all of the data in a single location.

But please don’t forget that you need to back that data up and, just as importantly, you need to be able to restore from that backup should the data be accidentally overwritten, corrupted or you just have a good old fashioned disk crash. Most IT professionals don’t like keeping all of the eggs in one basket. So we devise ways of making systems redundant. A ‘real’ server solution will have redundant hard disks, so that should one fail, your data does not go with it, resulting in days of downtime while the system is pieced together from that backup that you regularly do.

Too many small businesses still store scary amounts of critical data on a single hard disk inside a regular workstation (usually the oldest one in the office).

3. Free software

Free software sounds great. And it can be. I am not against it in itself, but with most software it is not the license that will end up costing you the most money, that will actually be a small part of the cost. You need to consider the longer term costs of implementation and running your systems utilising that software. For a small basic single user application that may be fine. But for something that will be implemented across your business to become what we call ‘mission-critical’ you need to consider the longer term implications. How easily can I get outside help to support this system should those who know it move on (key-man risk)? Can I recruit people who know how to use this system, or will I need to train them up? Will updates for the software be available when I come to upgrade the platform on which it runs?

These are some of the questions you need to ask before taking on what may appear to be a cheap solution.

4. Mates Rates advice

It is hard to pass up free advice. However free advice rarely translates into good support. At least not the kind of support you can depend on from a strategic point of view. Your mates may be available after hours and on weekends but if they are holding down a full time job they may not be as accessible as you need them to be. There are also often strategic and technical differences between how IT is setup and run in a small business environment compared to that of larger organisations. There are specific product bundles available from vendors such as Microsoft, Dell, Hewlett Packard, Symantec and many others that facilitate excellent solutions for small business when implemented correctly. However while these bundles may appear to be a collection of products that many IT experts may be familiar with, they often include some additional bells and whistles that allow you to get real leverage with your IT investment. I have seen many implementations Microsoft’s Small Business Server where a so-called expert was unfamiliar with the use of Remote Web Workplace and so had not known to implement this for the business. Yet Remote Web Workplace is one of the core offerings of small business server and one that many administrators of large organisations would give their eye-teeth for. It allows small business workers to connect to any workstation within the office and run all of their applications from a remote location.

So how could this have been over-looked? Remote Web Workplace is not a feature available on ‘big’ business systems, so if your friends work in big business, they may not know about it, or many other things.

Another important function I have seen ‘knowledgeable’ mates overlook is the ability of Microsoft’s Small Business Server to enable BlackBerry type functionality with regular iPhone, Nokia and Windows PDAs. Perhaps the mate thought they would need to buy a BlackBerry server to do all of this, perhaps because the company they work for has one.

5 . Backup-backup-backup and offsite-backups. Then test them.

It makes me cringe to see what some people consider a backup plan.

Too often I have heard people telling a reporter that loosing the house to a fire was bad enough but loosing the family albums and memories was devastating. The rate of business failure after a major IT disaster from which there was no backup is very high. I have seen figures like 80% in the two years following the disaster thrown around.

So I guess lesson one is make a backup of all of the family photos and take them to a location away from the home. And then repeat this regularly. And check that you can access the copies that you have made. Lesson two is to do the same for your business.

6. In-house software / DIY Systems

All too often I see people who believe that their systems and their way of doing things is so special that they must create their own software just to manage this. Accountants probably bare the brunt of this when the new business owner fronts up to them with a box full of receipts and an excel spreadsheet full of fancy macros that nobody except the business owner knows how to use. Or the very very special Access database for managing stock levels and generating very very special reports.

All businesses want to feel that they are unique. But encoding that uniqueness into a software application that can only be modified by one select person can turn out to be a serious strategic mistake when you try to sell the business or when that ‘key-man’ risk is realised because the person who knows the system can no longer maintain it.

Ask yourself how your business will make money. If developing this special piece of software and selling it is not on the list then don’t go there.

7. Lock in.

No deal in IT is so good that you should sign up for more than two years. The market and your business moves too fast for that. What is a great deal today can be serious drain on cash flow in as little as six months from now. So whether it be a mobile phone plan, an internet connection, a PABX system, a server hosting plan or an IT support plan, two years is just too long a commitment to make. If we think a deal is good today, you can be assured that a better deal is just around the corner and if you’ve locked in for a long time you will be regretting the lock in for at least half of that time.

And it is not just the money. Once you’ve locked into a plan you’re often locked into a technology. Then along comes the next best thing and your business is now not as dynamic as you thought it was.

Svend Petersen is the Managing Director of Excelan.

Excelan provides a personalised level of IT support and strategic consulting for small to medium sized organisations in and around the Sydney CBD.

Tags: business, business success, IT, IT Tools, lateral thinking, Risk Management, training

My Favourite Web tools Pt 2 – Goodsync

Jul 19

Posted by Bren Ryan in Excellence!, Innovation and Creativity, IT Dept, Planning, Risk Management, The Operations Dept | 1 Comment

Last week I told you about Roboform, the stress saving password encryption and saving program. This week i’m looking at Goodsync, Roboform’s first cousin.

As the name would suggest, Goodsync is a syncronisation program. It will syncronise Folders & files on a PC, Network, and the internet.

I use it on a daily basis to back up my most critical files. Everyday, I copy my accounting back up, my CRM data, my clients art files, copies of my quotes and invoices, our procedures manual, my Roboform data, and my quoting program data – a lot right? It is a lot, and frankly, if I was simply making a back up or copying all those files every day, it would take all day!

I also make multiple copies – I have the original files on my mail PC, I have a back copy on a “storage PC” on the work network, and I make a copy to my laptop (so that I have a mobile copy of the file in case of something like a fire at work). That’s how I use it, you could just as easily use a portable hard drive.

The beauty of Goodsync is; it only copies over files that have changed. This means it doesn’t get bogged down copying files that are already there in the back up destination, a big time saver.

First, Goodsync analyses the source files compared to the destination files, after the initial analysis, this takes only a few seconds.

Then Goodsync creates a list for you to check. There are default settings like always forcing the sync one way, or force the newest revision of the file to override the direction of the sync. You can either manually make the decision, or let Goodsync decide for you based on your preferences.

At the click of a button, it copies the right files to the right place super fast – the only limitation of speed is the speed of your connection. My hard wired network syncs faster than it does to my laptop through the wireless router for example. Still, it only take 3-5 minutes per day to back up all my critical files to two different locations.

Goodsync is super easy to use, A few minutes to set up the initial settings, and then once that is done the daily task takes only minutes. Take this link for a quick overview of how Goodsync works . There is also a MAC version of Goodsync, which I haven’t tried yet, but if it’s like anything Apple, it’ll be easy

I haven’t used the portable version, Goosync2go, but i have used the protable version of Roboform, so I have to assume the portable version is every bit as good as the PC version.

Of course, there is a free trial of Goodsync, it has full funcionality, just a few limits on the volume, so give it a go!

Bren

Tags: business, business success, innovation, IT Tools, Risk Management

What are your people doing, working… or?

Jul 12

Posted by Steve Gray in Excellence!, Leadership, People!, Planning | No Comments

Everyone seems busy right… But things are not moving very well, the people are all busy? Should I put another staff member on…

These and a whole bunch of other questions could be bothering you if your business is a bit bigger than a few employees.

You think back to the early days of doing everything yourself, you worked 12 hour days and then some, finally getting some breathing space when you took on some staff. You trained them and you could see great progress but now things seem different. What’s happening?

Perhaps your people have found a comfortable place for themselves and are keeping themselves busy (it makes the day go faster…) and not overly concerned about the effectiveness of things.

You have a meeting with your key people “Blah, Blah Blah!!!” you go on about how the key guys should lead the team, how they should get up noses, rattle the cage so to speak, and for a short while you see some “scared rabbits” run about and things pick up and then fade, now they are all back to busy but not overly effective.

Your method of getting people to do things seemed great at the time, but knowing it failed after a few weeks was disappointing, you feel like you have to watch the team the WHOLE time, and that’s not what you want to do.

The answer…

Take a look, wander about, listen, observe start making mental notes. What’s working, what’s not… and what are they doing to look so busy yet be so ineffective!

Ask yourself…

Are they doing “administrivia” and dragging it out to fill time.
Are they calling suppliers to get useless info for customers who probably won’t buy anyway, or only want a small quantity of a low priced item.
Chatting about ‘garbage’, or doing silly rubbish, which is personal, rather than getting to the tasks, which really need to happen.
Are your management team, managing too much and not leading enough? Are they not in a position to connect with staff due to too much paper work, or other garbage which is really just a waste of time.

Any of these can take the wind out of the sails of your business, but before you call one of those “rant and rave” meetings to put the wind up people (which will just buy you more enemies anyway). Consider a different approach.

(And yes here’s the answer/s…)

Check out if the team has great technology to support them and make the tasks easy to achieve.
Make sure your systems are easy to learn, follow and implement.
Use multitasking to keep them mentally stimulated and able to do various new tasks from time to time.
Chat to them about what works from their point of view, become a “one on one focus group leader” with each person and get REAL information, not the sort that filters up through the ranks and becomes watered down as a result.
Ask what keeps them coming to work, and not just money and holidays.
Coach your management team to do the same, train them to build rapport, not build ramshackle bridges to nowhere.

In all honesty if you set up a great business to begin with, you will probably find it can remain that way, but it may need some of your original passion for the business to shine through, so the results you want to achieve can be very tangible, you just need to have the right things happening in the right way… Now go out there and make YOUR business highly effective and get the people doing more of the right things in the right way. Then and ONLY THEN will you really profit from the business you started out with so passionately.

Tags: business, business women, HR, hr leadership, Leadership, mums in business, People!

Evaluating Your Small Business Strategy

Jul 8

Posted by Bren Ryan in Excellence!, Growth, Innovation and Creativity, Planning, Risk Management, Starting out in business, The Board Room, The Operations Dept | 1 Comment

Countless people set themselves personal goals in life, but in many cases, small business owners don’t do themselves the same favour. Without setting time aside to consider, plan and implement a solid strategy for any business, its success can be often hindered or compromised.

In these tough economic times, owners are struggling to make their business grow, but strangely enough, there is great opportunity for companies to make leaps and bounds while the market is down.

Take a Step Back

Being in the day-to-day running of your business can alter your perception of how effectively it is run. Take the time to look at every facet of your business to gain the most unbiased perspective.

What kind of relationships do you have with suppliers? Is there any way you can leverage the associations you have with them to gain better pricing or additional extras (like longer trading terms to increase cash flow) that they don’t usually provide?

Do employees see their position as a job or a career? One of the most difficult tasks an employer can face is motivating their staff so that they are more productive. Try to introduce creative, cost effective ideas to improve staff morale, which will ultimately allow your business to be more successful in so many different ways – higher customer satisfaction, increased work output, less mistakes and a much nicer place for everyone to work.

What are your sales margins? Taking a realistic look at how much you are making on your products and services is crucial to allowing your business to grow. A small increase in sales margin may not seem like much in isolation, but calculated over a year, this additional profit can make quite a difference to your bottom line.

In many cases, customers will expect to see increases in prices every few years, purely because of inflation. If you do apply increases, be transparent to your valued clientele – it will only reaffirm why they should continue to spend their money with you.

What are your competitors doing? If they are blazing trails in your area or industry, find out why and how. Start to follow their lead and see where you can even improve on their practises. But another, far more powerful way to knock down competition is to find out what they are doing badly. By being exceptionally great at what your competitors do badly, it will soon put you miles in front.

Planning – What to Consider

After all the research has been done, it’s important to spend some time planning how you will turn all of these findings into meaningful actions. There is a fine balance between continuing to maintain a high service level in your business and being able to implement new processes, procedures and projects. Figure out what elements can be immediately implemented into your business and what will take more time and resources. Once you’ve determined this, you can then allocate timelines to these more lengthy projects so as not to interrupt the flow of your business. Many strategies tend to stretch over several years, so make sure you build some level of flexibility in to allow for changes in your business, the economy and the marketplace.

Implementation – Getting Your Hands Dirty

It’s all well and good to research and develop business strategy, but sometimes the hardest part can actually be doing the work involved. The best way to avoid being overwhelmed with implementing the strategy is to break up each task and set key goals and milestones. Once you have completed the task or project successfully, make sure you take the time to look back on what you have done and be constructively critical. If you have an upcoming project of a similar nature, it will allow you to become more efficient in implementing your business strategy.

All in all, developing a business strategy gives you the chance to recognise opportunities and shortcomings that may not have been realised otherwise. While each business can be very different, the foundations of a solid business strategy are ultimately the same and can be applied to most companies, regardless of their service offering or industry.

An article provided to us by one of our site sponsors – NRMA Business Insurance

Tags: economics, employees, implementation, margins, Planning, relationships, suppliers

Are you really insured?

May 17

Posted by Steve Gray in Planning, Risk Management | No Comments

Are you really insured?

When business does not go as planned the owner can end up in a serious bind, this can be the case when an event like a storm ruins things, in some cases even wiping out the business. But lets take the idea a bit further… what if you didn’t have private health insurance and you needed medical attention now and not some time in the future when the Government scheme can fit you in? Or you are on a business trip and did not get travel insurance?

In business as in life things can go wrong fairly quickly and people find themselves saying “If only we had…” or “Are you sure we paid that last premium?” The peace of mind they may have once had fades fast. When disaster strikes you want to be sure you covered your bases. Private health insurance exists: to give you a fast personal health service when you need it most and the team at http://hbf.com.au may be one of the providers you turn to for a starting point.

You will have seen news reports of natural disasters tragically affecting lives, and some of you will appreciate the follow on effect a disaster can have on the wider community when the shock of a nasty event subsides. Sure our current medical support services can help out in a crisis (Australia) but when the follow up or specialist services are required you can be at risk if you don’t have private health cover. Imagine if you are overseas and are caught with a medical situation, you want to make sure the travel insurance is in place.

In many communities small businesses make a huge impact on local employment, and the provision of so many necessary services. Not only does a disaster wipe out these things, but the potential income loss for the owner can be huge, good business cover can help out there but on the personal side health cover is often overlooked and it can be at the peril of the business if you are not able to be there to run things.

I guess Insurance is about peace of mind in knowing that should a situation arise where it’s needed it’s there to cover you. For those into business speak, it’s about risk management and finding ways to minimise those risks wether you are here or overseas getting the right cover can make a world of difference.

Perhaps insurance should be seen more like a good friend, often not seen until needed, but, when needed, they are worth their weight in gold. On the books of the business the “expense” of insurance would end up in the liabilities column, but when you need to make a claim you might soon view it as an asset. Your health is all that matters and nowhere does that matter more than when you’re overseas http://hbf.com.au/travel/ can be the answer to your travel insurance needs.

Let’s face it often people pay for the their business, car and home insurance with ease (they are used to that) but their health and travel insurance may be seen as an expense at the time. I’m not sure that would give me peace of mind, how about you?

Remember it’s an investment to make your life easier by giving you peace of mind in knowing you are covered if disaster strikes and you need the support and protection of a good friend!

Good connections

Jun 15

Posted by Steve Gray in Innovation and Creativity, People!, Planning, The Marketing Dept | 1 Comment

One of our guru lads over here is Ross Hill, on his Blog is a great piece of intriguing information I think all businesspeople and educators can learn a lot from.

He starts off talking about games and what makes them addictive… Then he goes on to show the comparison to social media (“aint” that the buzz at the moment) then I figure if you know what makes social media addictive, you could create a business that is addictive for your customers.

Imagine that people addicted to what you have, and they keep coming back to buy more… Yep the old loyal customer routine. Only now (thanks to Ross and others…) we can start to build an understanding of how that happens, so lets do it for business. Oh I mentioned educators as well, in a stale classroom, sit down, shut up, take down these notes… a fresh perspective on what engages people has got to be useful!

I’m going to cut to the chase here… The five central elements of Game Mechanics are:

Collecting things.
Earning Points.
Getting/giving feedback.
Exchanges/Gifting.
User Customization.

In looking at the game mechanics and the social media link up to it there are plenty of things that make these points work, If you ever played pinball, getting the high score was way cool, in the latter day digital gamers world collecting things to give you more power, gifts, tokens etc was way cool too. then in a connected world being able to give feedback via facebook, twitter etc became a big buzz. then they allowed “games” of giving flowers, plants (virtual etc…)

Let’s go across to:

Business…

Collecting things – Tokens in adverts.
Earning points – Buy five things get the sixth one free or at a discount (loyalty card ticked off.)
Getting/giving feedback – Hello – how are you – query form.
Exchanges/gifting – For every $10 you spend we give $1 to charity…
Customisation – if you have an online store they can personalise in some way then that’s useful.

Education…

Collect and bring things for show and tell.
Get points for good behaviour.
Discussing progress – giving feedback on what they liked in class.
Exchanges of information in group sessions
Customising by selecting which type of final assessment device they want to choose.

These are a few examples of possibilities, I’m sure there are plenty more, the thing is making sure you can provide enough to ensure your service is the one they are addicted to.

If you are still not sure about any of this check out Mc Donald’s and think about their happy meals for kids… you get a toy to collect, while the parent is there they probably buy something too, so even just having a single part of the formula in place can be highly valuable. Now put on your thinking caps and come up with a few ways you can use this information to your advantage.

I’m almost excited about the prospect of saying AND… lets add in our target market personality types, motivators and Drivers it would really assist us to be able truly effectively hit them between the eye’s with solid targeted information they want to act on… but perhaps I better leave that for another day… Oh and remember if you need assistance to figure out ways to do this sort of thing chat to your friendly branding expert, they are sure to help.

Tags: business mechanics, business success, creativity, game mechanics, innovation, lateral thinking, loyalty programs, Planning, strategy, The Customer Service Dept

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