As my fellow Atlantans make sense of a great season that ended just short of our first ever Super Bowl victory, we must try to shift our attention to something that has no offseason and can’t afford a loss: our businesses.
The Falcons reaching the grandest stage of all at “The Big Game” was no fluke; it took many years and lots of hard work to make up their winning formula. Just like a championship team must be fundamentally sound on special teams, offense and defense, there are many factors that make up a successful business.
The ones that jump out are great customer service, a great product or service, and building customer relationships for more business referrals, a better reputation and career longevity. But, let’s dig a little deeper and find the ones that allow you to really see where your business stands – and where it is headed in the future. After all, one harmless misstep or uninformed decision can cost you and your business significant amounts of time and money.
Here are some of my recommendations to a winning formula:
Budget, Budget, Budget. Every football team must operate within the salary cap to put a team on the field to generate the most success. You are in the same boat. You can only spend what you can afford, and you must be able to strategically plan out that spending to generate success and stay in business.
Are you spending out of control or have no plan for the future? We’ve all been there. If you are currently in this predicament, or simply need a sounder plan and a more realistic way to achieve your goals, implementing a company budget may be just the solution you need.
Sound Business Services is here to help you through the entire process. Not only can we help you prepare a budget, but we can also provide you with a budget vs. actual report on a monthly basis to help you track your performance against your goals. And, it would be performed for a reasonable fee.
Projection. Whether it’s a coach, a player or a trainer, everyone under contract with a football organization must do his or her part to plan for, and project, a successful season. As business owners, we must do the same.
It’s so important to know where your business is going. For example, we can help you project where your business will be in the next six to 12 months. Through regular reporting, we will get you the latest information and results when you need it.
Know Your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). We often find that the information a lot of our prospects and customers have been given in the past doesn’t resonate with reality. That’s unacceptable.
With KPI reporting, we can look at the key drivers that determine your company’s success. KPI reporting tracks the key metrics of the goals you are trying to obtain as a company, and can be financial or non-financial, such as man hours or closed leads vs. lost leads.
How does this work? It’s a painless process; we meet with you to identify KPIs you would like to track, we help you decide the best way to track them, and then we design reporting to show you that data in a clear and meaningful way you can understand.
Don’t Hesitate to Reach Out
Every winning team has a game plan on how to win – and your business isn’t any different. Bookkeeping is one of those behind-the-scenes activities that must be done accurately, consistently and purposely for your business to thrive.
Contact us today to learn more about these strategies, and you will be on your way to a winning formula that can withstand the pressure and get you the Super Bowl ring.