I hope you find my writing and business tips and observations useful. My business and blog are dedicated to helping businesses communicate clearly and reach their potential.
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Protecting the essential
Last week I wrote about identifying the essential aspects of your business as one step in contingency planning. Obviously, the next thing is to protect those aspects as much as possible…
I see there are two distinct ways to protect essential details – find ways to prevent those details being hurt or destroyed and find ways to stop the business being so reliant on those details.
Each aspect of your business may require very different techniques for protection against damage, but the idea is to reduce the risk of a problem and then reduce the length of time before it is operational again.
Here are some examples of how to protect some aspects of your business – and you can use these even if they don’t count as essential aspects of your business:
- provide a safe working environment for yourself and staff – it may sound simple, but imagine a masseur or carpenter falling over a loose cord and breaking their arm …
- isolate people during health issues – for instance, swine flu can’t spread if those with the disease are not near everyone else. This can mean sick people don’t come to work or you arrange for remote access for sick people and/or essential staff
- have computer back up systems in place – and store the data off site. We use carbonite as it regualrly backs up for us and we can reclaim work easily at any time, even after human errors rather than major problems
- make sure your equipment is serviced and cleaned frequently
- instal security alarms, locks and so on to protect against theft
- ensure smoke and fire alarms are working and placed appropriately – smoke alarms above a stove going off all the time tend to be ignored so move them
- purchase a fire proof safe to store precious documents, data and equipment
- establish rules to minimise damage of fragile and essential items – for instance, only fully licensed drivers do deliveries, store fragile items out of walkways and on stable surfaces
- research details for a back up web host in case you need to swap in a hurry (for example their servers were damaged in a natural disaster and your site would be down for weeks)
- have a spare computer and monitor available to use if necessary – it doesn’t have to be as good as your usual computer as long as it can cope with the basic and essential requirements
- know where you can hire replacement equipment if need be, and keep those details somewhere accessible
What other ways have you protected your essential business assets?
Making changes…
Last week, I found out that cuboree (a big camping event for cubs in Victoria that I went on last year) has been moved. Instead of being in April 2011, it will be in September 2010 is the latest news in scouting. The previous five cuborees have been three years apart and in the March/April school holidays, so the date has surprised many people.
Not only has the change surprised people, but it has also annoyed and angered many leaders as well. The change from March to September was made for logistical reasons – it is easier to prepare such a large event later in the year for a voluntary group that effectively shuts down over summer.
However, the event could have been moved forwards to September 2011 or backwards to September 2010.
Moving forwards had the disadvantage of meaning some children would miss a cuboree on age rules – easily fixed by adding 6 months to the maximum age for that one cuboree.
Moving backwards has a number of disadvantages – it is sooner and in the same year as jamboree so leaders will potentially have trouble getting time off work and away from families, not to mention risking being exhausted and reluctant to help at future events, being the same year as jamboree makes it difficult for leaders and cubs to afford cuboree, being the same year as jamboree is a strain on groups preparing and possibly funding children going on these camps.
Many leaders are unhappy with the new date and are following this up so the dates may yet change.
Making changes in business
Aside from my personal interest in the timing of cuboree, there is a business perspective to this story!
Changing from plan A to plan B
Sometimes, it is necessary to make a change in business, even to long established practices. And those changes may just have to be implemented without much notice or consultation. However, the change is likely to be much smoother if you notify people as soon as possible and explain the reasons for the change if they are likely to be inconvenienced or annoyed by it.
So tell leaders that cuboree is moving to September because time is needed to organise it in the lead up. Simple.
If a change affects many people, especially if you have staff or key stakeholders, the ideal is to involve them in the change process. Ask their opinions, get their suggestions and listen to their objections. You may still do what you had planned but
- they will feel better and more in control if they were involved, which means they are more likely to support the change
- you will know what objections and challenges may arise and therefore prepare for them in advance
- you may be able to adjust the plan a little to reduce concerns and problems
- you will have more confidence that your business will survive and thrive with the change
Humans generally struggle with change, but a consultative process is easier to deal with.
How have you managed any major changes in your business? Or have you been an employee in a business undergoing big changes – what worked or didn’t work?
Small business tax break
The 50% tax deduction for small businesses (turnover under $2 million) announced in the Federal Budget has now been given royal assent so it is law. That means, eligible purchases over $1,000 can be added to your tax return as a 50% deduction.
Note that this is a bonus as you can still claim any depreciation and deductions you would otherwise be entitled to.
So if a purchase was already something you had planned this year (the deadline is 31 December 2009) it’s great news; if a purchase was a possibility or planned for early next year, considering buying it now is now more affordable. However, if cashflow is a problem and/or you don’t really need any $1,000 purchases, forget the tax break and spend your money elsewhere!
Is this tax deduction affecting your spending?
I am about ready to upgrade my computer so this tax break could be well timed for me – yes I could buy a computer for under $1,000 anyway but I want reliability, a large screen and various features (such as mobility, i.e. a laptop) that will make life easier for me.
What’s essential?
With the bushfires and floods, the global financial crisis and swine flu, every business should be thinking about having contingency plans in place. I gave some tips on preparing for a distruption to your business and being prepared, but real contingency planning requires even more effort.
A key step in ensuring your business can survive a major issue is understanding what is essential. Protecting and replacing the essential is what helps you survive – other things may be important but are of little use if the essential factors are missing.
For example, it is important to have the Word Constructions website online but it is essential that I have a computer and software for preparing documents (yes, I can write with pen and paper but it isn’t very professional to hand that to a client!)
So what is essential in your business? Think about the essential equipment, skills, people, services and resources you rely on.
Imagine a dentist’s surgery without a dentist, an engineering firm with no engineers, a dressmaker business with no sewing machine, a hairdresser with no scissors and a referral agency missing its directories.
Make a list of what is essential for your business, and perhaps a second list of what is very important but non-essential.
Value of education
Perhaps the most valuable result of all education is the ability to make yourself do the thing you have to do, when it ought to be done, whether you like it or not.
Thomas Huxley
An interesting quote… Thinking of education in a broader sense (that is, not just going to school for a formal education) I tend to agree with Huxley. By learning more through seminars, books, articles, conferences, discussions, professionals and so on, we often have a better idea of what we could do to achieve an aim.
So what will you learn this month? How will you further your knowledge and give yourself more power?
Stimulus bonus
Assuming you qualify, you may get (or already have) a bonus from the Government as part of the stimulus package. Remembering this is a tax free payment (how many hours would you have to work to get that much after tax?) have you seriously thought about how to use that money?
I think there are two useful ways to spend your bonus – pay off debt (credit cards or mortgage) or investing it (shares, property, etc, or to your super or in your business.) Either way, the bonus can then go towards your financial future. Of course, the aim of the stimulus package is to get us spending rather than saving which is why I think the bonus could be well used for your business…
- spending on your business is an investment that can increase your long term profits – which means you can spend more later!
- whatever you purchase will help another business and stimulate the economy!
- this tax free money can buy you things that are tax deductible – and I suspect your accountant will approve of that!
- depending on what you buy, it may also be eligible for the extra tax deductions available at the moment – this can make bigger things much more affordable for tight budgets
Given we’re potentially talking about $600 or $900, I don’t mean buying a few pens and a ream of paper! Investing in your business could include some of the following expenditures:
- upgrade your computer or some software
- update your website – think about a CMS, shopping cart, design, content, new photos and graphics
- attend some training – seminars and conferences can pay back their price and time many times over through information, ideas and people met
- get some professional help – a trademark lawyer, accountant, coach, writer, image consultant and so on can make a long term difference for your business
- hire some help, whether it is a cleaner, VA, packer or letterbox deliverer
- buy a good chair – your comfort is worth it especially if you sit for hours to run your business, and it will increase your productivity
- buy some resources – books, DVDs, videos, business guides, magazines
- get some flyers or postcards printed or some promo items made to spread the word of your business
- look for some sponsorship or prize opportunities to help others and build exposure and publicity for your business
Phone or email…
When writing about including an email address on printed materials the other day, I mentioned that I prefer emails to phone calls.
Other than anyone’s personal preferences between writing and talking, here are some of the reasons I prefer communicating via email in my business:
- it is much easier to ignore an incoming email than phone call. If I am concentrating on a document for a client, I don’t like interruptions and prefer to keep working so ignore incoming messages
- I can manage my time better with emails – I choose a time to go through emails and respond as it suits me, but a phone call won’t just sit and wait for my convenience! Yes, I have an answering machine which can allow me to call back later but that doesn’t mean the other person is available when I do call back…
- I don’t always work conventional hours – I can read your email at 3am but I doubt you want me to return a phone call at such hours!
- an email forms a record of what is discussed. This makes it easier for me to check facts and deadlines when working on a project rather than relying on memory or finding where I scribbled notes during a phone call!
- in an email, I have the time, when necessary, to plan what needs to be said and how to present it; on the phone, an immediate response may be regretted later
- I can appear professional in an email no matter what is happening in the office – not always feasible over the phone in a home office with three children and renovations in the background!
That said, the phone can be quicker and easier for clarifying information or an involved discussion. And obviously my reasons don’t apply for different types of businesses.
Do you prefer email contacts over phone calls? How do you prefer to contact potential suppliers/service providers yourself?
Keep your emails out of junk folders…
Last week, I wrote about reducing the amount of spam you receive in your inbox. The other side of the issue is having your legitimate emails being caught by a spam filter and not reaching the recipient.
isp providers and email programs both use rules to sort out real emails from spam – that’s how some emails never reach you and others go into your junk folder instead of your inbox. That’s great for keeping your inbox clear, but not so good when your emails aren’t arriving…
I spoke this morning at a seminar for the Yarra Ranges council and mentioned how certain words can get your email classed as spam even if you use those words in an innocent way. Many mass email tools can review your emails and tell you which words may cause a problem, which is handy. Alternatively, you can find lists of such words online (some examples are here and here.)
For words that are in the spam rules, you have a few choices:
- use the word where necessary as some words are just too hard to avoid – for example if you sell fishing rods it is very hard to avoid writing ‘fishing’ (yes, fishing is a word to avoid!) If you only use one or two words and otherwise pass the spam tests, your email has a fair chance of getting through
- find an alternative word to use. For example, use ‘go to’ instead of ‘visit’ or ‘click here’
- write the sentence differently – to stay with our fishing example, we could write ‘we went to catch some fish’ to replace ‘we went fishing’
- break the word with symbol (this is why you see ‘V.isit us for a f.ree valu.ation’ and the like.) This divides trigger words into two part words which spam filters don’t worry about, although some are also being added to rules. I hate the look of doing this but am coming to accept the necessity of it unfortunately.
Avoiding the use of such trigger words can help you get past spam filters, but these are not the only rules to be aware of. Spam assassin provides some tips for keeping your emails out of spam folders, as does Bob Thomson.
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