Ask the right questions about your IT strategy

For many businesses, technology is an evolving challenge. To refine your IT strategy, ask the right questions. For example, are you still bogged down with paper files or traditional digital spreadsheets? More-advanced software may help. Could fully integrating key systems eliminate “information silos” and a digital asset-sharing policy improve collaboration? Do you offer training to…

Bookings vs. shippings: A sales flash report primer

Do bad sales months sneak up on you? Don’t forget the power of flash reports to display timely snapshots of critical data. For example, every workday, generate a flash report that shows total new orders taken (bookings) compared with total orders filled (shippings). After you’ve established the timeframes of bookings and shippings, assess your sales…

A midyear review should go beyond financials

Now’s the perfect time for business owners to stop, take a breather and engage in a midyear review. Naturally, this will involve looking at your financials. But go beyond those numbers and look at areas such as: 1) HR, specifically, how’s employee turnover trending compared with last year? 2) Sales and marketing, for example, are…

Could a long-term deal ease your succession planning woes?

As some business owners begin to consider retirement, they just can’t identify a suitable successor. One potential solution is a long-term deal that gradually cedes control to an outside buyer. The process typically begins with the owner selling a minority stake, followed by a tryout period to assess compatibility. If all goes well, the minority…