Don't Hate the "B" Word!

It's November and a good time to deal with that "B" word. No, not that one. I'm talking about the B-B-Budget for 2012. Most small business owners hate to sit down and work the numbers - especially if the resources are limited. Yet, we know that most businesses fail because they simply run out of cash.

So if you have not done so, use the rest of the month to reflect on the current year's cash inflows and outflows. You may need to re-think your business model and the way that you currently generate revenues.  Next, review if there are areas that can be streamlined or even cut. Then, think about what you project will happen in the upcoming year. How many additional customers will you have? Do you need to reallocate dollars to marketing to increase brand awareness which could lead to new customers? Do your due diligence and expect 2012 to be the best year evah!

Click here for a cash flow budget template that you can use to get started.

For more tools to aid in your business, click here. 

Plan and Execute Like Noah

I received this devotional from Today God is First. It was too good not to share. I wish we all could plan and execute like Noah!

Noah's Building Plan
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 2 by Os Hillman
Tuesday, April 27 2010

"Noah did everything just as God commanded him" (Gen 6:22).

When God chooses to do something on the earth He uses a man or woman to accomplish it. It is a partnership that is very one sided. God got the worst part of the deal.

God got to a very bad place with the human race. He decided to start over. He was going to wipe out the entire population and begin afresh. He chose one man to place His entire strategy around. Can you imagine that? God placed His entire plan around one man. Why? Because He could trust him. The Bible says Noah did everything just as God commanded him. He didn't argue with God. He didn't take short cuts. He listened and he obeyed.

Who was this man Noah? "Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God" (Gen 6:9-10). When it came time to execute God's plan, He chose Noah to build a big boat. However, Noah had no idea what a boat was or how to build one. So, God told him how to build it. He gave him the dimensions; the height, width, space requirements - everything he needed to complete the task.

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Should Not a People Consult Their God?

Should Not a People Consult Their God? - Isaiah 8:19

Happy New Year! If you are like me, you are entering 2010 filled with hope and expectation. Before you hit the ground running, take some time for a good consultation - not with me, but with God. Make every effort to seek Him. He has the real plan. Search for Him. He promises that you will find Him if you search for Him with all of your heart (Deut 4:29)!

Why Employees Disengage

"They didn't come here that way. When people come to 'XYZ' company, they are eager to contribute. We make them this way." This was in response to a question that I asked one of the executive team members at a company I once worked. It took me about four months to realize something was out of kilter. On the surface, employees appeared to be contributing, but really they were just collecting a paycheck and doing just enough to get by.

Before long, I was struggling to stay engaged. One of the principles I live by is to find purpose and meaning in my life's work. I want all of me to show up on an assignment - body, soul, and spirit. I am not interested in merely doing tasks with my heart not really into it. Yet so many workers are doing exactly that. In the book Ten Thousand Horses by John Stahl-Wert and Ken Jennings, the authors cite research by the Gallup Organization that only 29 per cent of workers are engaged.The rest "essentially sleepwalk through the day, meeting only your baseline expectations, or in worst cases they're actively working to undermine your company's performance" (p.xii).

I am not sure if any nonprofit organizations were included in the research, but the results would eventually be the same. It may take a little longer for employees of nonprofits and ministries to disengage, because many times the very reason that they want to work for nonprofits and ministries is motivated by the desire to help others.

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The Greater the Mission, The Greater the Resolve

Alignment of vision, mission, and objectives is an integral part of plan execution.  But we can learn from Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, that alignment of your will to the mission is critical. Jesus knew that He was born to die for the sins of all mankind, but it was difficult for His own disciples to comprehend.

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Desperate Times Require Desperate Measures

I have been pondering President Obama's stimulus plan ever since he delivered his speech to the nation last Tuesday night. I must say that I admire his gumption. I am not sure whether President Obama's plan will actually stimulate the economy and provide the necessary jobs without the financial costs being too great. I do hope that the plan contains the necessary ingredients for success.

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Is Your Plan Too Vague?

On Tuesday, February 10, 2009, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner attempted to explain the bank bailout plan. By many accounts, he failed because the plan that he described was too vague and too sketchy.

What about your plan? Is it too vague? Can you "sell" it to your donors, volunteers, and staff? Do you have concrete numbers that support your mission and goals? Can people take your plan, knit their hearts to it, and run with it? 

Hmmm. It may be time to go back to the drawing board, rethink and rewrite your existing plan.