For some thought provoking information Click Protecting My Business from fraud

For data concerns, Click Protect my Data - Protect My Assets

For Intellectual Property protection information click on these two papers by Safford, Baker PLLC

Protect your intellectual property - protect your business

The Four Corners of IP

Protecting your business can also mean keeping abreast of changes in the business environment that affect your employees. The health care changes certainly will do that. For imformation on how click Health Care Reform and the Impact on Group Health Plans 

While ads, web pages and brochures are all important elements of your company’s integrated marketing communications plan, they do not have as much credibility as news coverage. Public Relations (PR) plays a key role in your business development efforts by stretching marketing dollars and integrating with marketing messages, resulting in valuable earned media and the opportunity to be in the news spotlight

To ensure that your are ready click PR Briefcase

Dashboards for a Growing Company - Not Just a Weather Report

Dashboards are all the rage right now with the State of Michigan, local governments, etc. promoting progress and transparency. Well, dashboards should incorporate measures that drive the results desired, and not just be a "weather report" on current conditions.

For samples and guidance, click  Dashboards

What Are Performance Metrics and Why Do I Need Them?

Explanation of metrics used in many types of businesses and how to install the right kind of metrics for various uses.

How to install the right metrics - click Performance Metrics

How to Market in a Recession

Or SMART Marketing in a Dumb Economy. Explains how to get the best bang for your buck with information on the real cost per lead. Click Marketing in a Recession

Click To Clique  - The Most Effective Social Media for Business

All of these social media give you the possibility to establish you as a person, your “personal” brand. Once people are comfortable with you and how you relate, you can continue spreading your personal brand and infuse that with your company’s brand.  When your “company” brand is established, the mix of your brand and the company’s will be stronger than either one separately. Now, you’ll be able to influence your immediate social and professional network and then reach and venture out into the broader world of social media to increase the awareness of  individuals and organizations not familiar with you or your company.

For the lowdown on social media click Click to Clique

Internet Marketing Strategy

Search engine optimization, the strategic use of blogs, and considerations embodied in an internet marketing strategy are covered in SEO, Blogs, And Internet Marketing Strategy

The 4 Stages of Cash

Explantion of this chart and other key concepts

• Business Continuity is the enterprise-wide proactive BUSINESS process by which we manage the risks we operate within.
• It addresses all aspects of the business: People, Processes, Resources and Technology (PPRT) 
• The goal is: preventing or mitigating the risks we can and preparing for recovery from those we cannot, or choose not to prevent.

For help on a plan, click Disaster Recovery

The primary objectives of this program are to help you effectively evaluate and improve your:

• Overall business strategy and vision for the future.
• Ability to maintain a competitive advantage
  in the marketplace.
• Readiness for growth and profitability potential.
• Focus and alignment of all aspects of the business.

To learn how to develop your strategy, click Upsize my Business

To learn the basics on a business plan and why you should keep it up to date, click Anatomy of a Business Plan

For help writing or updating a business plan and learning about GPS for a business, clck on Business Plan GPS

Marketing is anticipating the needs and wants of targeted customers and managing the process through which these needs and wants are satisfied . . . profitably.

For an outline of a marketing plan, click The Marketing Plan

Improve Processes 

Learn A Process to Improve a Process

• A process is a series of steps or operations leading to a desired result or product.
• Everything done in a company fits within a business process.

 click: Want to Improve your bottom line

Cut the Right Costs

For reducing non-core expenses, and thereby freeing up cash flow for other uses, review The definitive Guide to Cost Cutting

The Path to Prosperity - CFOs at small and midsize companies on post-downturn cost control

Methods, do's and don'ts for selecting a business system

Learn a simple process, click Selecting the Right System

Is Your accounting software the right one? Some considerations and guidance can be found by clicking Accounting Software

What is Occupational Fraud?

“The use of one’s occupation for personal enrichment through the deliberate misuse or misapplication of themall busi employing organizations resources or assets”

Learn how to prevent fraud from damaging your business.

Click: Preventing Small Business Fraud Document

or Preventing Small Business Fraud powerpoint

Slide show taking you through the thought process for considering a CRM solution

Click CRM for Small and Mid-sized businesses

What are your IT Service Options

Effective Email Management using  AntiSPAM, Rules, Folders (Public/Private), Flags, Views. Task List Assignments, Auto Reply, Advance Find, Search Folders, and Email Options. Many tips and tricks that will make you more productive and efficiaent. Click Managing Your E-Mail

 Here is how to ensure you get the value your company requires from a technology (or any other) investment. First - stop trying to find a "Silver Bullet" to solve all your problems - realize it is an investment - you must be able to tie an ROI to it and you must know exactly how to measure it's return. To learn how, Click

Creating Business Value From IT   

Many companies use Technology to create a strategic advantage. An expect gives the necessary steps. Click Using Technology to Create a Stategic Advantage.

Dispelling financial myths, the budget process, and sample budgets

The Budget and Critical Financial Decision Making

Here are a whole group of ideas on how to cut your costs or spend wisely on technology - hardware, software, communications and printing. Should you own software or go with SaaS. Do I own the server or do I put my data in the cloud.

 Ideas to Cut Information Technology Cost and Improve Capabilities

For information on how to determine whether Cloud Computing is an option worth pursuing, click on Cloud Computing - Great Idea or All Wet

Employee Manual Best Practices provides employers with the knowledge of how a manual is best used to communicate your organizational culture, a tool to welcome new hires, an easy reference for your internal policies, practices and benefit programs.  Additionally, we reviewed why we need to update our manuals, how the book should be used, identified recommended sections to review now, a few best practices on maintaining your handbook, along with communication and continuous training in order to remain compliant and current.

Employee Manual Best Practices

Buying and Selling a Business In Michigan

To understand the key questions and considerations of acquiring a company or disposing a company clickBuying or Selling

The Pros and Cons of Employees and Independent Contractors

 For employee's you should define the relationship as either "at will" or "just cause" and make sure you understand the different elements and requirements of this relationship. For just cause you should have a written agreement covering all the elements included in the details below.

For Independent Contractors, understand the key considerations and include key terms and protections in your agreement.

For details, click Pros and Cons

401 K Secrets the IRS Doesn't Want You to Know contains some shockingly high amounts that owners can contribute to qualified retirement accounts - all approved in advance by the IRS. Slideshow also shows how the allocation percentages can be changed when the owner needs to save money. See what many medical proctices and law firms are taking advatage of the current tax law.