90 Day Sprint Archives - EM Solutions

2018 Business Sprint Webinars
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2018 Business Sprint Webinars

90 Day Sprint, Entrepreneurship

2018 Business Sprint Webinars

There are just over 80 days left on the calendar for 2018.

It has been a year of water focus, mayor disputes, petrol price hikes.

Now we have rain, the winter cold has gone and the end of the year is just over the next hump. Shops already have Christmas puddings and decorations for sale. Yikes.

But the next few weeks could be the most important of your year. It is a time to focus and finish with a sprint, not a whimper. So why not create a sprint plan for your business to get you to the desired end point before you shut down for the holidays and enjoy a rest.

We have 10 working weeks left in the year. Each week we will focus on a different aspect of your business and help you focus and get things done. Each of these will be done via an online live webinar broadcast every Wednesday for the next 10 weeks, starting this week on 10th Oct at 12:00 Noon.

The topics we will cover, not necessarily in this order, are:

1. Business compliance

2. Products and services

3. Customers

4. Internal processes

5. Financial management

6. Marketing internal

7. Marketing external

8. Branding

9. Risk Register

10. Year-end tips

Join us each week from 12:00for a 45 minute live webinar as we unpack your business to help you stay in business and be ready for2019.

The link to the webinar each week will be: https://zoom.us/j/723567165

By EM Solutions Marketing|2018-10-08T16:27:33+02:00October 8th, 2018|90 Day Sprint, Entrepreneurship|0 Comments

Business Growth Strategy Part 1
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Business Growth Strategy Part 1

90 Day Sprint, Strategy

Business Growth Strategy Part 1

October is here and with only 3 months until 2018 we are embarking on a final 2017 strategy sprint to help us all get to those items on the list that we planned to get done in January.

This month we are going to take a trip through some of the Business Growth Strategies that we use to coach our clients. So please join us over the next four weeks as we go under the covers a bit and unpack the secrets of business growth.

The first item we need to define and unpack is STRATEGY. Strategy is a word we throw around a lot in our business: we use it in marketing, coaching and a lot when doing talks. But what is strategy? What does it imply or contain? Let’s unpack for a bit.

Strategy is a means to an end: it defines the process of getting from here to there. But it assumes that you know where here and there are and that there is where you want to be. Got it?

So first we must assess where we are, in all aspects of our business. Then we must discover and understand where it is that we must or want to be. This second destination is determined based on available resources, market-driven indicators and a desire to change.

Now, with an understanding of here and there: we can employ our strategy to reverse engineer the process and then drive it forward from today into the future. But just having an ideal of a future destination is not enough: this needs to be developed with a plan. The plan has actions, accountability levels with resources, a critical path and defined outcomes. This is a strategy.

Join us this week on our Weekly Wednesday Webinar as we unpack the elements of a growth strategy and create a framework for the next 90 days in your business.

By Bruce Wade|2017-10-02T12:02:19+02:00October 2nd, 2017|90 Day Sprint, Strategy|0 Comments

Are you Planning to Fail?

The old saying: “Failing to plan is planning to fail” is never truer than it is in these busy, fast moving times in the economy.
If you and your business do not have clear-cut plans for at least the next 12 months, the chances of still being in business this time next year are drastically reduced. Your team should all be on the same page with clear objectives and strategies for the near and far future.
Plans bring ideas and people together into a focused laser beam strategy that will coordinate effort and energies into a single destination. This obviously starts with a clear Vision, mission and purpose for the business. Then breaks down into long term goals and short term plans, sprints and accountability.
But remember that setting goals is like a budget: you need to measure your actual against it on a regular basis. Goals need to be timelined with critical paths and actual progress mapped against each activity. This gives you, the manager, a clear understanding of where you are and what may be any issues or obstacles that need managing around. This, when communicated to all team members build momentum and results in forward driven progress.
So, is it not time to sit down and map out a plan for 2017?

By Bruce Wade|2016-12-05T10:09:47+02:00December 5th, 2016|90 Day Sprint|0 Comments

Do you manage your business based on your financial information?

Financial management is, for most business owners, something that is never done well or at all. Knowing your numbers has been the take home lesson for a lot of the contestants on the Mnet Shark Tank programme. You can read some of my comments on the various presentations.
There are many business owners, who just do not know their numbers and if they do, do not know how to use them effectively to make management decisions based on their interpretation.
Here is a short check list for you to do a self-assessment:

Do you know your turn-over figures for the last 6 months?
Do you know the comparison to last year actual and this year budget figures?
Do you know your break even points per product category?
Do you have a budget for the New Year that reflects actual trends and seasonality variations?
Do you know your; net profit ratio, working capital ratio, stock turnover rate, debtors turnover rate or your cost of sales values?

If any of these are foreign or even vague to you, please add financial management to your personal development plan for 2017 and get in the driving seat of your business. It could just be the thing you and your business needs to survive the next 12 months.

By Bruce Wade|2016-11-28T11:39:50+02:00November 28th, 2016|90 Day Sprint|0 Comments

Questions to ask your accountant

As a business owner, how often do you chat to your accountant about the financial management of your business? When you do, what do you chat about? Here are some key questions to ask then at your next meeting. We have split them into two categories for you: Accounting and Financial Management. Spend time with your finance team and accountant discussing these points and keep talking until you fully understand each of them and are able to share the answers with others in your business and take action where action is required.

Questions about accounting

How much tax should I be setting aside?
How can I reduce the amount of tax I’m paying?
Should I pay myself a salary or drawings?
I want to purchase a vehicle/building/equipment, what is the most tax efficient means of structuring the deal?
I’m expanding – new venture, product, branch, partner – what is the most efficient business structure?
Am I compliant with all legal requirements?

Questions about Financial Management

How can I increase my gross profit?
How can I increase my net profit (will I make a profit)?
When am I going to have a cash crunch?
When are my quiet periods, that I need to plan for?
What are the annual expenses (and when) so I can set aside money for them?
How do I manage my debtors?

By Bruce Wade|2016-12-02T11:30:06+02:00November 25th, 2016|90 Day Sprint, Financial Management|0 Comments

Show me the Money

We see too often how entrepreneurs and business owners are tripped up in their presentations when asked about the money side of their business. We just do not seem to have a good grip on our business and what makes it work financially.
I love watching the Shark Tank and Dragon’s Den as entrepreneurs pitch their ideas, asking for sums of money in exchange for equity and expertise. Their well-rehearsed pitched go well, with all the technical issues presented and well laid out. But when they offer their request, the valuations are way off and when questioned about GP, NP, ROI and COS, they fall flat. These are the numbers you should know and be able to talk about into others, especially when pitching for funding.
So this week, I want to challenge you to get to know your numbers and begin to understand what it takes to manage your business well from a financial aspect side of things. And if numbers are not your thing, then ensure that your business has a person or persons who do know these things and can advise you accordingly.

On Friday we will give you a list of questions that you should be asking your accountant on a regular basis to keep up to date with what is happening, what will happen and why.

By Bruce Wade|2016-11-28T08:47:50+02:00November 21st, 2016|90 Day Sprint|0 Comments

How Legal is your Business?

If you were asked today to produce all your companies registration papers, latest Tax certificate, staff contracts, health and safety compliance and a BBBEEE certificate, how long would it take to get these copied and ready?

If your answer is, “Just a few minutes”, then you do not have to read any further. If you gave an audible Gulp, then this week is for you. We will walk you through some of the issues of compliance and legislation that a typical business in South Africa needs to adhere to.

We will start with your CIPC registration and the annual return that need to be done. Then there are all the required tax registrations and returns followed by the Labour and HR policies.

But what about your health and safety compliance of your office, factory or workspace. Who is responsible for that? We will introduce you to people who are experts in these fields and who are willing and able to assist you in getting the right things done right.

Remember that ignorance of the law is not an excuse. Get to know what makes a business legal and get on it.

By Bruce Wade|2016-11-28T16:56:33+02:00November 14th, 2016|90 Day Sprint|0 Comments

The 3 P’s of your back office

Getting your business defined is not just about the products and sales pipelines: you also need to define very clear processes, procedures and policies that will govern how your business is run when you are not around.
The supply chain process that follows stock items from initial order, manufacturing, packaging, delivery and returns needs to be setup, defined and different procedures and policies defined to ensure that it remains constant and in line with customers expectations and any service level agreements.
Your customers flow from initial contact to final invoicing and follow up also needs some form of definition. This allows your staff to follow these procedures without having to consult you, the boss, for each and every decision that needs to be made.
Finally your financial flows need to be defined together with all the associated paper work to ensure a correct auditable paper trail and regulations are followed.
Developing an in-house procedures manual is a tedious and often long process, but you will reap the benefits from it once done. This allows you to work on your business and then out of your business giving you time to take leave, relax and rejuvenate form the new year.

By Bruce Wade|2016-11-28T17:05:05+02:00November 7th, 2016|90 Day Sprint|0 Comments

Do you have an effective sales funnel?

This is week 8 in the 90-day business sprint and this week we speak all things sales and marketing. Last week we chatted a bit about the internal marketing and getting the message right inside your business before going outside to customers. So let’s go out and see what you need to create a solid offering to your potential customers.

Your Sales funnel is key: this is the defined and refined process that drives people from initial interest down to that all important first invoice stage. We will define this in more detail later in the week, but it all starts with having Captivating Content on your website, blog and social media platforms. This is what initially attracts your clients.

All marketing processes need to follow the sales cycle of Inform, Educated and then Sell in order to not lose people along the way. But one aspect of selling that a lot of people fall short on is the ability to close the deal and get that all important confirmation from the customer. We opt out and look for discounts and other ways to close because we lack the confidence in our product and self-ability. We will chat about this one too.

We have an awesome web assessment tool that we use and we have 10 vouchers on offer this week for free. If you want your website assessed for how effective it is as a marketing tool, then email us to claim one of the 10 vouchers.

By Bruce Wade|2016-11-01T10:20:04+02:00October 31st, 2016|90 Day Sprint, Marketing|0 Comments

Internal Marketing

What do you do to market your business internally?

Marketing your business always starts from the internal. It always starts with how you view yourself and how you view your business. Your business starts with you and then it flow onto your staff. If you market your business well to your staff they would be the best and most effective people to start building brand awareness for your business. The idea is to treat your staff as though they were your first customers. Internal marketing sells your business to your employees.

Internal marketing will help you find out where you are as a business. Why don’t you do some research. How is your business doing? Is everything you are doing still in line with your vision and goals of your business? Are your office staff members aware of your goals and vision for your business?

How effective is your internal marketing? Why don’t you do some internal marketing research within your business and find out how much your staff knows about what the vision of the business is, the products you have and all the service you offer. If you have a website, what is your website like? How do does your offices look and do they represent you brand well? Do you use social media to market you business? If you do, how are your ratings like? All questions will help your business get ready and geared up for marketing.