Are You Stuck in the Day-To-Day Operations of Your Business?
Business Operations is the compilation of all the activities carried out inside a company that keep it running and generating revenue.In standard business plans, the operations section is dedicated to helping business owners understand what systems, tools, people, and processes will be needed for the company business model to function.A few examples of business operations:
Creating and maintaining key systems needed to run a business, including customer service, billing, communications, marketing, deliver, and backup
Creation of processes, tools, and players for key systems within the business
Management of systems that control access and login information
Establishing decision-making guidelines for team members
Creation and maintenance of your Standard Operating & Procedures (SOP) guide
Setting up effective backup systems to control company information
Creation and management of systems that process payments
Implementation of business tools and software to manage multiple systems
Managing the process of delivering products and services to customers
The operations area is a constant segment of your business and requires daily attention.And this where most women business owners get stuck!In the beginning stages of your business, it was just you. Just you making all the daily decisions and executing the many tasks that must be performed each day to accomplish goals and strengthen your business model.As your business model proved successful, the endless task list began to increase exponentially. Business decisions and responsibilities increased. Quiet, creative, and productive time to focus on growing the business was more and more limited and many times downright non-existent.As women in business, we must stay focused on those areas of business that ONLY we can do – everything else must be delegated to a team!The Visionary and CEO role in the business at this level needs to stay focused on very high-level leverage tasks that will grow your business, such as:
Big Picture Vision
Marketing and Sales
Delivery of Services
Content Creation
Creating New Products
Partnerships
New Sources of Traffic
Everything else you need to get off your plate – much of this lies in the day-to-day operations of your business.If your business has reached six figures, hold on to your seat belt because your company has taken on a life of its own.And this is the point where you are most likely feeling that you’ve hit a ceiling and are even feeling a bit burned out. You may not see how you will be able to grow past the current challenges.Bad news… good news…You won’t be able to break that ceiling when you are the only one in charge of everything. The good news is that it does not have to stay that way.A seasoned online business manager is the perfect second-in-command to pull you out of the day-to-day operations and marketing management of the business. You’ll have the time, energy, and focus you need to work on those high-level leverage tasks that will grow the business.You can’t possibly expect to grow if you don’t position someone else in your business to be your “Mini-Me” – to take the day-to-day operations and management of business off your plate with the support of a team. Your business is now bigger than you are, and in order for it to continue to grow, you must have your operations running smoothly and cost effectively.Isn’t it time that you are LIFTED out of the day-to-day activities so you can work ON your business instead of IN it?
Hiring an Entertainer for Your Kid’s Birthday Party
Hiring an entertainer for your kid’s birthday party is a matter of doing some research. You have to first find out what type of entertainment your child would be interested in and then you have to start looking for entertainers of that type. You want to make sure you do a thorough interview of the entertainer, too, so you can ensure he or she will be able to provide the quality of performance you desire.Entertainment at a birthday party is a way to help kept he party moving along and to help keep everyone busy. It is also a chance for you to take a break from the chaos. You can do a little clean up and be able to prepare the next activity on the agenda during this time as well. You are sure to appreciate what having entertainment can do for the party.To begin the process of hiring an entertainer for your kid’s birthday party you will need to decide what type of entertainer you would like to hire. There are many options and you will need to narrow them down. You should consider the following things:- your child’s age- your child’s interests- the time allotted for entertainment- your budget- what is available.You want to choose an entertainer that will be interesting to your child and age appropriate. You will also want to make sure you choose someone who can fill the allotted time and fit your budget. Lastly, you have to go with what is available, so you may want to check out the yellow pages before making the decision on what type of entertainer you want. You may find out you need to choose a few different types of entertainers depending on what is available in your area.After you know what type of entertainer you want you can begin to contact them and see if they meet your other needs. You should try to speak directly with the entertainer, if possible, so you can ask specific questions. However, if you can not speak directly to them, that is fine. You can always ask questions at the interview.The interview is an important step. You want to make sure the entertainer can deliver what they promise. They should be willing to do a short presentation for you to give you an idea of their show.Based upon the information you have gathered you should be able to make it easy to make a choice. Hiring an entertainer for your kid’s birthday party is a process, but one that you will be glad you went through. By doing a complete assessment of the entertainer you can be assured that he or she will fit into the party and accomplish the goal of actually entertaining the children.
How to Invest and Save Big Money in 2012 and Beyond
Wondering how to invest and where to invest money in mutual funds in 2012 and going forward without paying heavy sales charges, expenses, and fees? Here we spell it out for you so you can put your money to work and invest with confidence.How much does it cost to invest $10,000 in a typical stock fund? This depends on where you invest your money. In a fund company that charges a 5% load (sales charge) it could cost you $500 up front just to invest your money. Then it could cost $200 a year for fund expenses, increasing as the value of your account grows. For a $100,000 rollover from your 401k you could be looking at $5000 off the top and $2000 a year plus perhaps $1500 a year in management fees for your “advisor” who handles your account. These are examples of how not to invest in 2012 and beyond.The secret to how to invest money in funds is to put all of your money to work by avoiding sales charges called “loads. The secret to where to invest is to go with a fund company that offers funds that have no sales charges or extra fees; and also has low expenses. The one thing you can control is your cost of investing. The lower your cost the higher your net returns.Here’s how to invest and really put your money to work in stock funds and bond funds: go with NO-LOAD INDEX FUNDS. Here’s where to invest: with Vanguard or Fidelity, the two biggest fund companies in America. How much will a $10,000 stock fund investment cost you vs. our first example? Zero for sales charges and maybe $25 to $50 per year for expenses. For a $100,000 rollover you could save $5000 up front plus $1750 a year in expenses plus $1500 a year for extra management fees!Just search for NO-LOAD FUNDS on the internet and you will see names like Fidelity, Vanguard, and T Row Price. If you are not quite sure how to invest with them give them a call. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. All fund companies want you to invest your money with them. That’s how they make a living.Investing money in 2012 and beyond could get tricky. You can not predict the markets, but you can control your cost of investing if you know where to invest and how to invest to get your money’s worth.