Here’s an interesting fact: Every organization has 3 main functions: Sales and Marketing to generate opportunities,and close deals. Operations to produce and deliver the goods/services sold Finance/Administration for accounting, HR, and other admin functions. Knowing this allows us to understand how work flows through the company. In fact, it’s linear. It must pass through all 3 functions in that order to generate money/profit. Are you aware that every business has a bottleneck, or constraint? That is a mathematical certainty. Why? Because if your business does not have a constraint, you’d have infinite profits. And even Apple doesn’t have that (although some think they are close)... Your…

  Have you ever asked yourself this question? There are several reasons this is important: Do you like your customers? Some we really like, some we tolerate, some we dread every time the phone rings. So in other words, some customers suck up energy and some give us energy. Which can you do your very best work with? Duh… The Pie Is Usually Big Enough I love pie, don’t you? Let’s compare your market segment(s) to a pie. Every market pie has a certain size. It’s impossible to serve the entire market (or eat the entire pie). It’s too big, or at least it should…

  It’s ok, you can be totally honest with me. And I will be honest with you, too.  Most business owners hardly ever look at their financials. There are several reasons for that: The financials are not very accurate It’s difficult to read the financials because they are so messy looking It’s difficult to understand how those financial results ended up on the financials The info on the financials is too old to be useful How in the world can you implement our Profit First Cash Management System (PFCMS) without accurate financials? Answer: It’s almost impossible.  Let’s look at your financials one by one. You good with that? Let’s…

Cloud storage is now easily available to everyone.  This gives the advantage of knowing that your files are backed up and being able to access them from anywhere.  You shouldn’t be storing important files on your computer alone or on memory sticks.  But just throwing files randomly in a folder isn’t helpful either.  You need to be able to organize them so that each file’s purpose is clear without having to open it and so that you can quickly find files when you need them. To organize files well, you need both an organizing folder structure as well as a file…

Did I just get your attention? I’m very glad I did!! So by now you’re asking how in the world can I make such a bold claim. I can absolutely guarantee it. How? By implementing our “Profit First Cash Management System (PFCMS)". Have you heard of Profit First? Our friend (yes, he’s our friend) Mike Michalowicz wrote a book a few years ago called “Profit First.” I first became acquainted with Mike at a conference several years ago. I was so enthralled with his presentation that I immediately bought and read his book. Then I called up his office to see what…

    Last week I got an automated call from my credit card company.  They had noticed some strange activity on my credit card and wanted me to call to verify the details.  Their message was pre-recorded and automated (I’m feeling suspicious already - I already get several scam calls a week with pre-recorded messages), they included their address in the message (why? They’re not asking me to write to them are they? - this is public data - is this a scammer trying to give me a false sense of security with publicly available information?) and gave a phone number to…

  IMPORTANT NOTE: This article discusses Canadian Taxation matters and may not be applicable to those outside of Canada.  Personal circumstances play a significant role in determining your taxation situation and should be discussed with a tax professional to determine your unique situation.  This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute tax advice. SECOND IMPORTANT NOTE: Be careful where you get your tax advice from.  Rules in the US are quite different from rules in Canada, and most stuff you find on the internet is written from a US perspective.  Also, don’t take tax advice from a plumber!…

In school, our parents and grandparents studied the 3R’s. Do you know them? Reading, Righting, and Rithmetic. There is even a song about it called “School Days.” How about putting a more modern spin on it? 'Reading' “There are none so blind as those who will not see.” This has nothing to do with eyesight. I’m talking about your openness and desire to see what really needs to be seen in your business. It’s easy to see things like our daily tasks (Send an email, make phone calls, etc). But how good are you at reading your business? Do you have a clear picture…

  We love to focus on profit and business growth. But sometimes (for all sorts of reasons) we still need to shut down a business. This needs to be done and planned well.  It will take several months and the steps will vary based on location and situation. The following steps are designed for a Canadian incorporated business, but the general steps may be similar in other locations as well. Cease Trading. It's important to have all operations completed. If you’re still accepting orders or doing the odd job this will stretch out this process. Make sure that your website reflects your non-trading status (we recently had…

You’ve Got Problems? Whoa, Dude (or Dudette), We need to talk!! Last month we started talking about how our “Profit First Cash Management System” can help you better manage your contracting business. Now it’s time to show you some of the snakes hiding in the grass. Oh yes, there are snakes… While it sounds simple to create a few extra bank accounts and start allocating cash into them, that doesn’t mean it’s easy. There is a big difference between simple and easy, you know. Simple means that it’s doable. But sometimes it takes a lot of work to get to “simple’” And…

  Businesses tend to progress more consistently if the owner sets financial goals and makes a plan to achieve them. The new year is a natural time to decide what you want to achieve and how. With that in mind, read on to learn the steps for setting financial goals for your business for 2023. 1. Review and evaluate your 2022 goals You’ve got to see where you’re coming from to know where you can realistically go. At year’s end, review the goals you set last year and use your numbers to see how your business measured up. Whether or not you met your…

  CashFlow is the Fuel That Keeps Your Business Running For contractors, the idea of cash flow management can seem overwhelming. But with the right strategies, you can ensure that your business has the necessary funds to cover expenses and remain profitable. With Profit First, you can learn how to manage your cash flow so that you always have the right amount of cash in the right place, at the right time. In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at how Profit First can help contractors make sure their businesses stay solvent and profitable. Understanding Cash Flow Management for Contractors and Specialty…

What is always in front of you but can’t ever be seen?  Yup, the future. None of us have a crystal ball where we can clearly see the future. But that doesn’t mean we can’t be response-able to meet any challenges that are thrust upon us. Sounds simple? It is simple, but it’s not easy. Preparing for the future requires 2 things: A Plan Discipline to execute the plan First the plan  What components should be in your business plan: A 3-5 vision statement 1-year strategic objectives 90-day Rocks 3-5 year Vision Statement This is a statement of clarity. We recommend a compound sentence that covers the following: Revenue targets Market segment(s) Product/…

Few business owners enjoy breaking the news of an upcoming price increase. However, when you own a business you have to deal with ever-increasing costs. Although inflation is an unpleasant part of life, it is still part of life. Price increases are inevitable for a sustainable business. If you want to stay afloat, you’ll have to do them – and regularly. Read on for some tips on how to determine how much you should raise your prices. Company costs The type of business you run will determine how much it costs to stay in business. If you’re service-based, you will need to…

Upgrading or changing your payroll system comes with a ton of wonderful benefits. Saving time and money, making everyone’s lives easier, and better integration are all good reasons to consider a change. But if the switch is mishandled, the results can be catastrophic and lead to long-lasting problems. Read on for some tips on how to avoid a disastrous payroll system migration. 1. Give the project the time it needs It’s true that people may enjoy coming to work. But for most people, earning money is the main reason they seek out employment. Our jobs make the world go round, and support…

The economy continues to struggle, now is NOT the time to panic. In fact, if you follow our proven strategies, you can use the recession in your favour and capitalise on the weaknesses of your competitors. What may surprise you is that numerous studies dating back to 1923 (Ronald S. Vaile—Harvard Business Review) and continuing through to 2001 (notably by Malik PIMS ) have shown that in times of recession those companies that maintain or even increase marketing spend, prosper most.

When you own a business everyone’s got their hands out for some of your money. Whether it’s employees, suppliers, the government or even customers – you’re paying bills and paying people left-right, and center. But it’s not just business – you have a family and friends and the sports club and the girl's night out – many things that require you to make payments. Sometimes it can be a challenge to keep it all straight. In fact – it really is like having multiple personalities with you that sometimes all try to come out together,