• Coaching your Controller – Part 1

    This article first appeared in CanadaOne, an online business newspaper and resource centre. As the owner of your business, do you have a person heading up the accounting function who has limited experience managing an accounting and finance function?  Very few SMEs will have an accountant with a designation and strategic skills in that role, which for convenience I will refer to as the Controller[...]

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    Why do customers leave you?

    Does someone in your business ever-so-often ask, "Whatever happened to (fill in the name) and how come he doesn't shop with us any more? Several surveys asking this same question were taken through the years by (but not limited to) the American Society for Quality Control, the Harvard Business Review, U S News & World Report -- even the Swedish Post Office titled "Satsa pa kunden" [...]

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    Creativity comes in many forms

    In tough times, the extra bit of creativity could make the difference.  Here's a story you will love: An old man lived alone in Idaho. He wanted to spade his potato garden, but it was very hard work. His only son, Bubba, who used to help him, was in prison. The old man wrote a letter to his son and described his predicament. Dear Bubba: I am feeling pretty bad because it looks like I [...]

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    Oblivion without change

    I recently came across an article in Forbes magazine that put this topic into clear and unambiguous  perspective (I will attach a link to the full article at the bottom of the blog post - it is a must read).  Following on from my blog post in February: The leading face of change, this article provides some context on the reasons why change not only needs to be embraced, but actively led: "If [...]

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    Inventory management practices to maximize your cash flow

    In our recent article on Cash Management, we briefly discussed the importance of inventory management in the cash flow cycle. The focus of this article elaborates on the importance of Inventory Management and a number of key issues. As with many cash flow objectives, there is an art in finding a delicate balance. Inventory management is definitely both an art and a skill that requires the [...]

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    New technologies - am I a dinosaur if I don't use them?

    The marketing efforts of many small and midsize companies are often caught between using and ignoring the new emerging technologies.  It's not always about implementing these technologies - that's the easy part.  Just pay some technogeek and voila - you have a presence. The real question owners and marketers for these companies need to ask is NOT: "should I implement these technologies"?  [...]

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    How is marketing different to strategic marketing

    Most business people have an understanding of marketing.  They equate that mainly to the communications side of the business: advertising, media, brochures, social media, websites, public relations etc. But how many people understand strategic marketing?  A concept that has a higher level interpretation that focuses on things like target market, positioning, differentiation, the psychology of [...]

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    10 tips to improving your presentations

    Powerpoint has become a tremendous tool for presentations.  However, how often do you see people presenting, with the actual Powerpoint presentation becoming the ultimate focal point?  It becomes the presentation and not a tool in YOUR presentation.  If that was actually the case, you may as well just email the audience the presentation, right? So how can you make sure you don't fall into the [...]

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    Collection practices to maximize your cash flow

    In a recent article on Cash Management, by the authors, we mentioned that the best time to address how payment is to be remitted by the customer is when the credit limits and terms are agreed. Exceptions can always be arranged but it is helpful to agree on the payment terms up front. This article elaborates on the importance of this and some of the issues that should be addressed in managing the [...]

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    The leading face of change

    According to Albert Einstein: The definition of Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Death, taxes and change - these are the only guarantees that we have in life.   Death - we can't do much about.  Taxes - well some accept it and others try to avoid it - either way we all need to simply deal with it.  Change - well, that's another story [...]

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