• 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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    P&G To Lay Off 1,600 After Discovering It's Free To Advertise On Facebook

    "Reality appears to have finally arrived at Procter & Gamble, the world's largest marketer, whose $10 billion annual ad budget has hurt the company's margins. P&G said it would lay off 1,600 staffers, including marketers, as part of a cost-cutting exercise. More interestingly, CEO Robert McDonald finally seems to have woken up to the fact that he cannot keep increasing P&G's ad budget [...]

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    Market research as an industry is dying...true or false?

    I recently posted this question on a public forum and was quite intrigued by the answers. The question further addressed the issue that online surveys may be impacting the answer because it encourages a DIY (Do-It-Yourself) approach to research. Like anything, differing views provide tremendous insight that one can learn from and adapt. Here are just some of the comments - see what you think: [...]

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    2012 - fresh thinking but not necessarily a new beginning

    Prosperity.  Hope.  Success.  These are just some of the things we all look for as a new year begins.  Nothing wrong with that!  But how do we get there if we continue to do the same things we did last year - and the year before that. Here are a few ideas to get us thinking differently without having to challenge ourselves to create a totally new beginning for our future... Learn from the [...]

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    Where to go from here – focus on the role of the Controller/CFO

    Strategically oriented Controllers/CFOs often ask me how to upgrade the quality of the Finance function, and even more important, it’s perceived value as an integral part of the business. Most of these financial leaders often realize that to enhance their role and value (both for the business and for themselves) they need to go “beyond the numbers.” The chief financial officer of a [...]

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