Posts Tagged ‘entrepreneurs’
Sunday, August 2nd, 2009
How are you going to measure your success as a company in financial terms? The most basic measurement is a profit goal. You might also want to set ancillary goals—growth goals, sales goals, or whatever you think would be the best ways to gauge your progress and help you achieve your primary financial goal.
Then, ask a few hard questions. Is your goal realistic? Is it achievable? Are there ways to leverage the overall goal to achieve the financial goal? If not, one or the other has to be reconsidered.
Some CEOs seem to set goals according to their sense of business ideals or to really push their workers to the limit. Goals of IS percent profitability and 10 percent growth, for example, may sound great and look great on paper. But are they realistic for your company? Can you actually expect to achieve them? Also, if the overall economy is suffering, 15 percent and 10 percent might be improbable goals even for established companies.
Tags: CEO, company, entrepreneurs, executives
Posted in campaigns, financial principles, funds, merchandise, profitability, strategy elements | Comments Off
Sunday, August 2nd, 2009
Do the elements of your strategy make sense? Do they define the direction in which your company wants to go? Do they sound forced or contrived or simplistic? Or are these elements that can guide your company toward success?
If the strategy doesn’t sound right spoken aloud, it’s time to start over. If it makes sense and if it could make sense to any new employee, that means your business likely is on the right track in developing its business plan.
Strategies are important, but never mistake strategizing for acting. The best strategy in the world is no strategy if action isn’t built into the plan. There are companies that spend a lot of time meeting and working out strategies, but not moving on to map out a plan of action. You’re not likely to have heard of them, of course. Wonder why?
Tags: company, entrepreneurs, executives, manufacturers
Posted in business goals, business patterns, business publications, employee, negotiationg, strategy elements | Comments Off
Sunday, August 2nd, 2009
After you’ve defined your business strategy, you should test the elements of that strategy. There are many ways to do so, but there’s one simple test that can be tried without fear or risk:
Say the company’s goals aloud.
Strategies are important, but never mistake strategizing for acting. The best strategy in the world is no strategy if action isn’t built into the plan. There are companies that spend a lot of time meeting and working out strategies, but not moving on to map out a plan of action. You’re not likely to have heard of them, of course. Wonder why?
This can be done as part of a meeting of the board of directors, in the executive suite, or even in the privacy of the department manager’s office. Identify the internal elements of the strategy and say them aloud. Some business people refer to this approach as “Run it up the flagpole and see who salutes.” But at this point you don’t want acceptance and allegiance—you want critical thinking and tough questions. It’s time to test, not to salute.
Tags: competition, entrepreneurs, executives, manufacturers
Posted in business goals, business publications, business strategy, campaigns, companies, strategy elements | Comments Off
Saturday, August 1st, 2009
Identify the key steps toward the goal. Knowing the steps the company needs to take to reach its goal is as important as identifying the goal itself. Sometimes entrepreneurs trust too much in their enthusiasm and spirit. That may be enough to motivate their employees, but leaders must plan their campaigns.
So, to sum it all up, you should know what you’re doing (your business) and how you’re doing it (your philosophy). You should recognize who else is out there in your way (your competitors) and decide what sets you ahead of them (your major advantages). Then, you determine where you want to go with your business (your goals) and how you intend to get there (your key steps). All of that forms your business strategy.
Tags: business philosophy, competition, entrepreneurs, manufacturers
Posted in business goals, business publications, business strategy, campaigns, payments, research | Comments Off