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Casual Articles - Strategic Business Planning
Save Up To 96% On Your Merchant Account Fee When You Process Debit Cards With A Pin Pad!
Did you know that just by connecting a pin pad to the back of your credit card terminal you will pay only $.65 for a $1,000.00 sale? If you had run this card with out a pin pad at 1.69% + $.25 you would have paid $17.15! $.65 is the standard fee that a merchant is charged when their client enters their pin number on a pin pad to complete a sale.Why are debit cards so much less expensive? A debit card is directly linked to the client's checking account, which guarantees that the funds are available for withdrawal, therefore reducing the risk of taking a bad card. In addition, only the original card holder will know the PIN for the card therefore reducing the risk of fraud. Also, transactions cannot "downgrade." With debit cards, you will always pay the same flat fee as long as the customer enters their PIN. You will not have to worry about paying mid or non qualified rates for cards did not qualify.Merchants will also save the time of having to hand the client a pen for a signature. Clients appreciate the speed of online debit transactions and feel more comfortable making smaller purchases when they can be in and out of a store quickly.Because of the nature of the card, your customers will almost never have their transactions declined. This saves them embarrassment, and makes your sales process faster and friendlier.At Capital Bankcard we provide pin pads for free to all of our clients. Go tour the website, take a look around, and let us know if you have any questions! www.capital-bankcard.com
keting, human resources, ICT and all other resources needed to integrate and fuse the organisational efforts to achieve targets, in terms of maximisation of profits. Thus, an effective business plan should serve FOUR underlying purDid you know that just by connecting a pin pad to the back of your credit card terminal you will pay only $.65 for a $1,000.00 sale? If you had run this card with out a pin pad at 1.69% + $.25 you would have paid $17.15! $.65 is the standard fee that a merchant is charged when their client enters their pin number on a pin pad to complete a sale.Why are debit cards so much less expensive? A debit card is directly linked to the client's checking account, which guarantees that the funds are available for withdrawal, therefore reducing the risk of taking a bad card. In addition, only the original card holder will know the PIN for the card therefore reducing the risk of fraud. Also, transactions cannot "downgrade." With debit cards, you will always pay the same flat fee as long as the customer enters their PIN. You will not have to worry about paying mid or non qualified rates for cards did not qualify.Merchants will also save the time of having to hand the client a pen for a signature. Clients appreciate the speed of online debit transactions and feel more comfortable making smaller purchases when they can be in and out of a store quickly.Because of the nature of the card, your customers will almost never have their transactions declined. This saves them embarrassment, and makes your sales process faster and friendlier.At Capital Bankcard we provide pin pads for free to all of our clients. Go tour the website, take a look around, and let us know if you have any questions! www.capital-bankcard.com
Buying a Safe for Your Business? Be Sure You are Buying the Correct Protection!
Buying a safe for your business can be a daunting task, there are so many places you can buy a safe, there are so many kinds of safes to choose from, and there are many safes on the market that will not provide the proper protection.The first step in selecting the proper safe, is choosing where you will buy it, your choices are many, however choosing the right one could save your business.Many businesses use incorrectly rated safes for overnight storage of money, and other valuables, some store records in a non-fire rated container, others store sensitive and fragile computer media in the wrong kind of fire container. Choose the wrong kind of safe for burglary, or fire protection and you could lose all that is valuable to your business, and your insurance company may refuse to pay your claim.Statistics show that if a company's records are lost in a fire, 17% can no longer furnish a financial statement, 14% suffer a reduction in credit rating and 43% go out of business completely. No home or business is safe from fire.How are you going to get information on what is the correct protection for your needs? I recommend a professional safe retailer, or professional locksmith who also sells safes, these businesses buy and sell safes everyday, they are educated, trained and have access to every kind of safe and security container available. They are the experts. Are you going to gamble that you are getting the proper protection, on the recommendation of a minimum wage "big box retailer" clerk?What items do you need to protect, what do you want to protect them from, what will be kept in the safe and when, does your insurance company require a particular fire or burglary rating, what size safe do you need? These are just a few of the questions you will need to answer in order to properly choose your safe. Getting the correct answers to these questions will save you time, money and possibly even your business.If your primary concern is the protection of records and customer files from fire, you may not even need a safe, a fire rated filing cabinet may fill your needs better. Fire files and safes are rated by the length of time that they are tested to maintain the inte
To many managers, the term "business planning" is a buzzword to describe what 30 years ago was conceived as the financial budget, and therefore the restricted realm of the accountant. To others it may represent a document required to obtain an overdraft or a loan from their bankers. A business plan may prove to be the most important document that may be compiled in any business. This paper aims to eliminate such taboos and simplify what the strategic business planning process is all about, and how its benefits could be maximised by the management of a business.Buying a safe for your business can be a daunting task, there are so many places you can buy a safe, there are so many kinds of safes to choose from, and there are many safes on the market that will not provide the proper protection.The first step in selecting the proper safe, is choosing where you will buy it, your choices are many, however choosing the right one could save your business.Many businesses use incorrectly rated safes for overnight storage of money, and other valuables, some store records in a non-fire rated container, others store sensitive and fragile computer media in the wrong kind of fire container. Choose the wrong kind of safe for burglary, or fire protection and you could lose all that is valuable to your business, and your insurance company may refuse to pay your claim.Statistics show that if a company's records are lost in a fire, 17% can no longer furnish a financial statement, 14% suffer a reduction in credit rating and 43% go out of business completely. No home or business is safe from fire.How are you going to get information on what is the correct protection for your needs? I recommend a professional safe retailer, or professional locksmith who also sells safes, these businesses buy and sell safes everyday, they are educated, trained and have access to every kind of safe and security container available. They are the experts. Are you going to gamble that you are getting the proper protection, on the recommendation of a minimum wage "big box retailer" clerk?What items do you need to protect, what do you want to protect them from, what will be kept in the safe and when, does your insurance company require a particular fire or burglary rating, what size safe do you need? These are just a few of the questions you will need to answer in order to properly choose your safe. Getting the correct answers to these questions will save you time, money and possibly even your business.If your primary concern is the protection of records and customer files from fire, you may not even need a safe, a fire rated filing cabinet may fill your needs better. Fire files and safes are rated by the length of time that they are tested to maintain the inte
THE TERM "STRATEGIC BUSINESS PLANNING"
When we speak about a strategic business plan, the message to be conveyed is about the strategies and tactics to be adopted by an organisation to reach its missions and goals. An integral part of the plan is financial in nature, but the strategic business plan is no plan at all if it does not address marketing, human resources, ICT and all other resources needed to integrate and fuse the organisational efforts to achieve targets, in terms of maximisation of profits. Thus, an effective business plan should serve FOUR underlying pur
Back to Basics Floor Care
Stand out among all the cleaning companies in your area by ensuring the floors in your buildings shine! Floors that receive good service regularly will have a sparkling shine. This shine will be a positive reflection on your company and employees.On the other hand, poor quality floor care stands out in many ways. Floors not properly cared for can become discolored in corners, along the edges, and under furniture. On VCT flooring, this is often a sign of wax build-up or improper stripping procedures. Scuffed or dirty floors are a strong signal that floor maintenance occurs infrequently or is not thorough, and overall gives the impression that your employees do not care about their work. Also, keep in mind that dirty floors can quickly become slippery, which can lead to serious falls and accidents.Basic floor care includes sweeping, dust mopping and wet mopping. Dust mop and sweep before performing any other floor care procedures. When sweeping, it is important to sweep edges, corners and hard to reach areas. Make sure to get under shelving and move light objects to sweep under them. Dust mopping will remove roughly 90% of the soil and debris found on most hard and resilient floor surfaces.After sweeping and before you begin mopping make sure to put out wet floor signs. When you get ready to wet mop, prepare your cleaning solution by using four gallons of cool water and a neutral cleaner. Begin your mopping by cleaning the corners and edges being careful not get cleaning solution on baseboards or nearby furniture. After mopping the corners and edges, fill in the open area using a figure eight pattern. Change the mop water whenever it becomes dirty. After mopping, clean and store the equipment properly so it will be ready for the next use.If you are using a microfiber mop instead of a traditional loop mop head, mix your solution in your pail and then immerse the microfiber pads into your solution. Wring out and roll up your mop pads. Then store the mop pads in a bucket or container until you are ready to use them. Once the pads become soiled, remove them and put them into a container for laundering.Pay careful atte
to obtain an overdraft or a loan from their bankers. A business plan may prove to be the most important document that may be compiled in any business. This paper aims to eliminate such taboos and simplify what the strategic business planning process is all about, and how its benefits could be maximised by the management of a business.Stand out among all the cleaning companies in your area by ensuring the floors in your buildings shine! Floors that receive good service regularly will have a sparkling shine. This shine will be a positive reflection on your company and employees.On the other hand, poor quality floor care stands out in many ways. Floors not properly cared for can become discolored in corners, along the edges, and under furniture. On VCT flooring, this is often a sign of wax build-up or improper stripping procedures. Scuffed or dirty floors are a strong signal that floor maintenance occurs infrequently or is not thorough, and overall gives the impression that your employees do not care about their work. Also, keep in mind that dirty floors can quickly become slippery, which can lead to serious falls and accidents.Basic floor care includes sweeping, dust mopping and wet mopping. Dust mop and sweep before performing any other floor care procedures. When sweeping, it is important to sweep edges, corners and hard to reach areas. Make sure to get under shelving and move light objects to sweep under them. Dust mopping will remove roughly 90% of the soil and debris found on most hard and resilient floor surfaces.After sweeping and before you begin mopping make sure to put out wet floor signs. When you get ready to wet mop, prepare your cleaning solution by using four gallons of cool water and a neutral cleaner. Begin your mopping by cleaning the corners and edges being careful not get cleaning solution on baseboards or nearby furniture. After mopping the corners and edges, fill in the open area using a figure eight pattern. Change the mop water whenever it becomes dirty. After mopping, clean and store the equipment properly so it will be ready for the next use.If you are using a microfiber mop instead of a traditional loop mop head, mix your solution in your pail and then immerse the microfiber pads into your solution. Wring out and roll up your mop pads. Then store the mop pads in a bucket or container until you are ready to use them. Once the pads become soiled, remove them and put them into a container for laundering.Pay careful atte
THE TERM "STRATEGIC BUSINESS PLANNING"
When we speak about a strategic business plan, the message to be conveyed is about the strategies and tactics to be adopted by an organisation to reach its missions and goals. An integral part of the plan is financial in nature, but the strategic business plan is no plan at all if it does not address marketing, human resources, ICT and all other resources needed to integrate and fuse the organisational efforts to achieve targets, in terms of maximisation of profits. Thus, an effective business plan should serve FOUR underlying pur
Business Plans - The Rules of Forecasting, Part 2 of 2
This article completes our two-part discussion about the rules regarding forecasting that we apply in writing business plans. We share them with you in this article in the hope that you will find these rules worthy of adopting in your efforts to write business plans as well.Rule 5: Question basic assumptions.It is always a good exercise to question the basis for any assumption. You may find the basis is not defendable. You may even learn a better way to develop or present the assumption.Corollary 5A: When a forecast is developed around a specific policy or procedure, question that policy or procedure.Rule 6: Develop forecasts in the context of the entire system and properly reflects all relationships.It is important to understand that everything in the company affects everything else. For example, if you need to adjust the number of employees, you may also need to adjust the office space needed.Rule 7: The granularity (time divisions; e.g., monthly, quarterly, etc.) of the forecast must match the granularity of the system.Corollary 7A: The granularity must match the frequency of review and decision-making.It makes sense that you should review your projections whenever you review your actual operations. Most businesses are managed on a monthly basis. Therefore, their forecasts should be based on monthly numbers.Corollary 7B: Use the same granularity throughout the forecast.Changing the granularity of the forecasts often introduces errors. The longer the time period of the forecast, the more you have to rely on averages when reviewing your progress. See my article "Business Plan Mistakes--The Phantom Growth Rate" for a good example of this.Rule 8: Build projections using the most basic assumptions as a foundation.It is much easier to defend basic assumptions that are used to "roll up" into the larger forecasts. For example, if an investor were to ask you to reduce your payroll from $1,
s planning process is all about, and how its benefits could be maximised by the management of a business.This article completes our two-part discussion about the rules regarding forecasting that we apply in writing business plans. We share them with you in this article in the hope that you will find these rules worthy of adopting in your efforts to write business plans as well.Rule 5: Question basic assumptions.It is always a good exercise to question the basis for any assumption. You may find the basis is not defendable. You may even learn a better way to develop or present the assumption.Corollary 5A: When a forecast is developed around a specific policy or procedure, question that policy or procedure.Rule 6: Develop forecasts in the context of the entire system and properly reflects all relationships.It is important to understand that everything in the company affects everything else. For example, if you need to adjust the number of employees, you may also need to adjust the office space needed.Rule 7: The granularity (time divisions; e.g., monthly, quarterly, etc.) of the forecast must match the granularity of the system.Corollary 7A: The granularity must match the frequency of review and decision-making.It makes sense that you should review your projections whenever you review your actual operations. Most businesses are managed on a monthly basis. Therefore, their forecasts should be based on monthly numbers.Corollary 7B: Use the same granularity throughout the forecast.Changing the granularity of the forecasts often introduces errors. The longer the time period of the forecast, the more you have to rely on averages when reviewing your progress. See my article "Business Plan Mistakes--The Phantom Growth Rate" for a good example of this.Rule 8: Build projections using the most basic assumptions as a foundation.It is much easier to defend basic assumptions that are used to "roll up" into the larger forecasts. For example, if an investor were to ask you to reduce your payroll from $1,
THE TERM "STRATEGIC BUSINESS PLANNING"
When we speak about a strategic business plan, the message to be conveyed is about the strategies and tactics to be adopted by an organisation to reach its missions and goals. An integral part of the plan is financial in nature, but the strategic business plan is no plan at all if it does not address marketing, human resources, ICT and all other resources needed to integrate and fuse the organisational efforts to achieve targets, in terms of maximisation of profits. Thus, an effective business plan should serve FOUR underlying pur
Starting a Successful eBay Business
Ebay uses a point system for buyers and sellers to give feedback on how each transaction went. Most buyers and sellers are very considerate about leaving feedback for transactions. If you are serious about starting a business on eBay, it is important to get your feedback rating as high as you can before you start selling. A 30 to 50 feedback rating is a good number to aim for. The more positive feedback points you have, the more trusting people will be to complete a transaction with you.An easy and fast way to get your feedback rating higher is to buy as many inexpensive items as you can from different sellers. Why different sellers? On eBay, if you buy ten doodads from one seller, you will only get one feedback point for that transaction. It doesn't matter whether you buy one or 100 items in a single transaction, you will only get one feedback point for that one transaction from that one seller. The easiest and cheapest items to buy would probably be ebooks. There are many sellers on eBay that sell ebooks for .01 just to get people into their store to buy the more expensive ebooks. So even though you might not be helping their business too much, you will be helping yourself by getting your feedback rating higher, and you will not have spent a fortune in the process!Now that you've had a crash course on gaining trust from buyers by having a decent feedback rating, what should you sell on eBay? The easiest way to start is to find items around your house that you do not need anymore. This way, it doesn't matter what you earn from the auction, and it will show you how the whole selling process works. The next venue might be garage sale and second-hand store items. This route might keep you happy for a while, but you most likely will not make a lot of money this way. You now need a way to find suppliers that have quantities of products, and products that are priced in such a way that you can still make a profit.A great way to find suppliers are to visit local businesses and ask if they have overstock inventory that they need to get rid of. They might even let you list the items on their behalf and if they sell, wonderful, and if not, then nothing is lost except the few dollars you
is about the strategies and tactics to be adopted by an organisation to reach its missions and goals. An integral part of the plan is financial in nature, but the strategic business plan is no plan at all if it does not address marketing, human resources, ICT and all other resources needed to integrate and fuse the organisational efforts to achieve targets, in terms of maximisation of profits. Thus, an effective business plan should serve FOUR underlying purEbay uses a point system for buyers and sellers to give feedback on how each transaction went. Most buyers and sellers are very considerate about leaving feedback for transactions. If you are serious about starting a business on eBay, it is important to get your feedback rating as high as you can before you start selling. A 30 to 50 feedback rating is a good number to aim for. The more positive feedback points you have, the more trusting people will be to complete a transaction with you.An easy and fast way to get your feedback rating higher is to buy as many inexpensive items as you can from different sellers. Why different sellers? On eBay, if you buy ten doodads from one seller, you will only get one feedback point for that transaction. It doesn't matter whether you buy one or 100 items in a single transaction, you will only get one feedback point for that one transaction from that one seller. The easiest and cheapest items to buy would probably be ebooks. There are many sellers on eBay that sell ebooks for .01 just to get people into their store to buy the more expensive ebooks. So even though you might not be helping their business too much, you will be helping yourself by getting your feedback rating higher, and you will not have spent a fortune in the process!Now that you've had a crash course on gaining trust from buyers by having a decent feedback rating, what should you sell on eBay? The easiest way to start is to find items around your house that you do not need anymore. This way, it doesn't matter what you earn from the auction, and it will show you how the whole selling process works. The next venue might be garage sale and second-hand store items. This route might keep you happy for a while, but you most likely will not make a lot of money this way. You now need a way to find suppliers that have quantities of products, and products that are priced in such a way that you can still make a profit.A great way to find suppliers are to visit local businesses and ask if they have overstock inventory that they need to get rid of. They might even let you list the items on their behalf and if they sell, wonderful, and if not, then nothing is lost except the few dollars you
Recognition Is A Journey
At this time of year we have the opportunity to interact with many small organizations that aspire to be known as extraordinary or "top small workplaces." Recognition is good for business – it helps market products and services, and it can be a differentiator in attracting top talent. Winning Workplaces seeks to draw attention to organizations that effectively engage employees and are “better for people, better for business and better for communities.” Likewise, organizations seek to have the reputation of somehow being "great."Over the years we've learned that great organizations have strong underpinnings, a driving sense of purpose and clearly defined values that shape the focus of the organization and how it operates. We have observed, recognized and written about these qualities in enterprises ranging from a California-based provider of insurance to nonprofits to, most recently, a Vermont-based marketer of environmentally responsible consumer goods.In her most recent book, corporate strategist and speaker Christine Arena sheds light on what contributes to a "high-purpose company." She validates that a focused mission is not something that an organization achieves quickly, nor is it a motto for a new marketing campaign. It is the defining element that makes the organization unique. For fans of author Jim Collins' "hedgehog" model, it is the place where the spheres encompassing passion and uniqueness overlap.The consumer goods marketer mentioned above, Seventh Generation, is defined by its core mission of manufacturing and marketing "green" household products. Strategic and operational decisions are all tied to growing the business by effectively addressing this purpose. Like most great organizations, it is constantly striving to become better. Its actions demonstrate that the organization aspires to continually demonstrate its mission and values.Because of their sense of mission and values, many outstanding organizations are able to think innovatively about the challenges they face. This is reflected in the wide range of ages of employees in high-tech, manufacturing and service sector employment of our Best Bosses, who hire the right people for their workforces, rega
keting, human resources, ICT and all other resources needed to integrate and fuse the organisational efforts to achieve targets, in terms of maximisation of profits. Thus, an effective business plan should serve FOUR underlying purposes:At this time of year we have the opportunity to interact with many small organizations that aspire to be known as extraordinary or "top small workplaces." Recognition is good for business – it helps market products and services, and it can be a differentiator in attracting top talent. Winning Workplaces seeks to draw attention to organizations that effectively engage employees and are “better for people, better for business and better for communities.” Likewise, organizations seek to have the reputation of somehow being "great."Over the years we've learned that great organizations have strong underpinnings, a driving sense of purpose and clearly defined values that shape the focus of the organization and how it operates. We have observed, recognized and written about these qualities in enterprises ranging from a California-based provider of insurance to nonprofits to, most recently, a Vermont-based marketer of environmentally responsible consumer goods.In her most recent book, corporate strategist and speaker Christine Arena sheds light on what contributes to a "high-purpose company." She validates that a focused mission is not something that an organization achieves quickly, nor is it a motto for a new marketing campaign. It is the defining element that makes the organization unique. For fans of author Jim Collins' "hedgehog" model, it is the place where the spheres encompassing passion and uniqueness overlap.The consumer goods marketer mentioned above, Seventh Generation, is defined by its core mission of manufacturing and marketing "green" household products. Strategic and operational decisions are all tied to growing the business by effectively addressing this purpose. Like most great organizations, it is constantly striving to become better. Its actions demonstrate that the organization aspires to continually demonstrate its mission and values.Because of their sense of mission and values, many outstanding organizations are able to think innovatively about the challenges they face. This is reflected in the wide range of ages of employees in high-tech, manufacturing and service sector employment of our Best Bosses, who hire the right people for their workforces, rega
•It is a tool for management to convey both within and outside the organisation the goals for the business plan period;
•It provides the strategic framework for holistically managing the business;
•It allows the identification of objectives and how the attainment of these objectives could be achieved and, most importantly, closely monitored
•By demonstrating that proper controls and achievement of objectives are happening, it provides an effective means of attracting new capital to finance the business objectives.
WHAT IS REQUIRED? Many have compared the marketing of a strategic business plan to a candidate's CV, when applying for a job. What must be ensured is that the plan is not just figures and numbers, but also shows a good understanding of all those essential determinants in reaching the stated targets. Thus, we should first and foremost ask ourselves questions such
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