When doing any business plan or yearly review, we look at our strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT). Looking at our weaknesses, we often think about fixing them. But is this the right thing to do?

Good vs. Bad

All weaknesses are not built equal. Of course there are some that need to be fixed in order to run the business. For example if you don’t have a sales channel and this prevents you from growing the business, then you need to find a solution. But sometimes you have weaknesses that don’t really hurt the business (at least materially); for example a so-so customer support center. It could be better but you still manage and the business is successful.

When is it time to fix a weakness?

In order to answer this, I have two simple questions I ask myself:

• Can we continue to grow and be successful even with this weakness?
• Will fixing this weakness divert my attention from some of my strengths?

If the answer to these questions is YES, then I don’t look into fixing that weakness. If you still are determined to fix your weaknesses, you might create one of the biggest mistake in leveling all your strengths and weaknesses; losing at the same time any competitive differentiation you might have had.

Making your strength even stronger

One way to compensate for on-going weaknesses is to make your strength even stronger. Most of the time, it is easier to improve on what’s good than to fix things that don’t work. Having said that, I must admit that even myself struggle with this as I have a tendency to not only improves things but to fix the weaknesses. It’s a natural reaction but you need to pick your battles, to stay focused on what works.

Building the top 3

Another trick I have is to list all the key challenges that the company has. Priority is determined by the impact that this challenge has on your business as well as how much this problems troubles you (what keeps you awake at night). Of course, you need to make sure you are focusing on the right problems but if you do this exercise well, you will see how far (or how important) a given weakness needs to be fixed. If it’s not even remotely close to your top 3, then don’t even spend an additional minute on it …

In short, get stronger where you can, only fix the weaknesses that matter and yes, stay FOCUSED.

Notes from our classroom discussion today – click on the image to enlarge it.

En el proceso de crear una estrategia balanceada para una organización podemos utilizar esta matriz de conceptos e indicadores que nos permitirá ir construyendo nuestro tablero de mando de la estrategia

De esta manera podemos ir haciendo conceptos estratégicos que coadyuven a la visión cada vez con más complejidad partiendo de lo general a lo particular

Esta iteración puede llegar a ser manual o automatizada y se puede llegar a tener un sistema completo de documentos que midan en tiempo real cada una de las iniciativas

Y todas ellas enfocadas y alineadas a la Vision de la empresa y tomando en cuenta las 4 perspectivas básicas

Ejemplo

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mexico-City-Mexico/SIGNAL/142722830175?ref=ts

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En los procesos de Planeación Estratégica podemos hacer uso de la herramienta conocida en inglés como SWOT Analysis

SWOT = Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats

Y en español como ANALISIS DOFA o ANALISIS FODA

FODA Análisis de Fuerzas, Debilidades, Oportunidades y Amenazas

El análisis FODA es la base para desarrollar estrategias y tácticas que ayudan a crear una hoja de ruta para escribir el plan estratégico de operaciones del negocio.

Antes de definir un análisis DOFA que incluya los puntos fuertes de la compañía sus debilidades y las oportunidades y amenazas que enfrenta, se necesita al menos los siguientes procesos previos:

• Tener por escrito La Visión de la empresa, su Misión y una declaración de sus valores.

• Haber completado una minuciosa evaluación interna y externa de la situación del negocio.

Con la Herramienta de Análisis FODA se identifican en una matriz las Fuerzas, Debilidades Oportunidades y Amenazas

A pesar de tener 40 años o más sigue siendo una herramienta útil para entender situaciones más o menos estables en el caso de situaciones inestables y cambiantes a gran velocidad tiene una aplicación más limitada y su uso debe ser más frecuente

Es sin duda una herramienta muy útil para centrar diagnósticos y sirve también para la definición de Objetivos los verbos que pongo en cada panel definen ciertas acciones útiles ambas para hacer un diagnóstico o proponer una meta

Para elaborar una estrategia balanceada con el Tablero de Comando el DOFA es sin duda otra herramienta que puede permitir un análisis útil de cada una de las 4 cuatro perspectivas ( Finanzas , Clientes, Procesos, Aprendizaje)

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mexico-City-Mexico/SIGNAL/142722830175?ref=ts

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WikiWealth.com, a user generated provider of interactive investment analysis, initiated coverage of Qiao Xing Mobile (QXM) with a $15 price target giving QXM an estimated 250% investment potential. Wikiwealth.com’s coverage of QXM includes a comprehensive analysis of its short and long-term investment potential, company description wiki, real time company news, telecom industry analysis, SWOT analysis, WACC discount rate computation, cash flow analysis, comparative valuation approach, and Buffett-inspired valuation conclusion.

A summary of the QXM research report is presented below:
Description: Qiao Xing Mobile Communication Co. (QXM) develops and sells mobile communication devices and accessories for mobile cellular technologies in the People’s Republic of China.

Investment Conclusion: A conservative estimate of value indicates that Qiao Xing Mobile has a $15 price target and over a 250% short-term investment potential. The long-term potential has positive ratings on business simplicity and the SWOT analysis.

Industry Analysis: The telecom industry performs best during the early stages of bull markets. The largest telecom companies have a weighted average potential of 54% and the most undervalued telecom stocks have an average potential of 123%. Based on the telecom industry SWOT analysis, the long-term outlook for the telecom industry is positive.

Valuation Analysis: Each quantitative analysis features a Wikiwealth Innovative Experiment Mode (WIEM) where users can experiment with QXM’s valuation analysis. A Discounted Cash Flow analysis produced a $17 price target and 280% investment potential; a Comparative analysis produced a $14 price target and 215% potential; Buffett valuation conclusion is a $4 price target and zero percent potential. QXM’s WACC discount rate conclusion was 12%.

SWOT Analysis: QXM has more strengths than weakness and more opportunities than threats, which results in a positive SWOT analysis. The full investment report has full details for the SWOT statements listed here: SWOT Strengths: emerging market phone development, low cost input, take-over candidate, country market leader; SWOT Weaknesses: company resources; SWOT Opportunities: domestic market potential, Chinese currency revaluation, mobile device growth, government bias, supply chain cost reductions, high-end phones, emerging markets, smart phones; SWOT Threats: counterfeit products, iPhone.

The full valuation report, found at http://www.wikiwealth.com/research:qxm, features detailed analysis of each section listed above. Users can also use the WIEM to experiment with the analysis and create their own conclusions and add their input to improve the investment community’s analysis of Qiao Xing Mobile (QXM).

About WikiWealth.com: WikiWealth.com mobilizes the diverse talents of Main Street investors to produce interactive research reports of the highest quality, clarity, and transparency. The wiki-based platform – popularized by Wikipedia – gives investors the ability to add content, openly discuss opinions and influence investment ratings. Control your future with the world’s only interactive investment analysis. http://www.wikiwealth.com/. Get our latest investment alerts by following us on WikiWealth Twitter.

Disclosure: WikiWealth.com is not a registered investment advisor. Nothing contained in any materials should be construed as a recommendation to buy or sell any investments.

In a scenario that is turning highly competitive, the name of the game is effective strategy formulation.

For a company strategy is all about moving towards the attainment of its vision and the means it employs in order to get there. In order to determine how one gets there, one needs to know where one is at present, which involves examining one’s existing strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats – what we commonly know as SWOT, Strengths could be brand image, market network, access to international markets, technology in a certain area, etc. and weaknesses could be for instance, the high turnover of manpower, short life-cycle of products, new products in the markets, competitors emerging in the market due to low entry barriers, and so on.

Examining strengths and weakness is easier said than done, as one usually tend to be subjective in such matters. In order to get a fair and objective picture of one’s strengths and weaknesses, the best approach would be to benchmark one’s own position vis-à-vis others in the same or in a similar industry. This benchmarking exercise is recommended as a tool for understanding one’s relative strengths and weaknesses, rather than for improving one’s position with reference to those one has benchmarked with.

Having thus understood one’s strengths and weaknesses, one should look at one’s opportunities and threats that are being posed at an accelerated pace by the era of globalization and liberalization. Government policy changes in India have thrown open opportunities in the form of the freedom to enter into joint ventures, the freedom to set up projects overseas, access to international clients etc. Opportunities have also been thrown up by the media explosion; people are now aware of and desire a variety of products and services available worldwide.

Since most people have recognized these opportunities, new threats and challenges are thrown up in the form of competition, with high quality products produced at scales that are economic, and hence, sold at lower prices. These threats will become even more acute as protection barriers are continually reduced, now that India, like many other countries is a part of WTO.

Thus, a clear understanding of SWOT will enable the how-to part of the strategy to emerge clearly. And in order to implement the strategy, one would have to develop specific action plans. For instance, a company could follow a strategy of entering foreign markets and setting up joint ventures in other countries, just a multinationals come to India. Joint ventures can be used to pursue a defensive strategy – for upgradation of quality with international forms, or an offensive strategy – to capture lucrative shares in competitive markets overseas and meet the competition on their ‘own turf’.

Companies like Ranbaxy have risen to the occasion and developed a strategy of setting up joint ventures overseas, which has enabled them simultaneously upgrade technology and R & D activities with support from the foreign partner. Dabur is also taking advantage of the opportunities by setting up projects overseas.

One of the major challenges confronting Indian corporates as far as their strategic planning endeavors are concerned, is manpower planning. Unfortunately, Indian corporates so far have treated human resource development as merely an adjunct of the industrial-personnel function – focused on personal administration such as wages, salaries, payments, appraisals and recruitment, with the little attention paid a modern optimal approach to recruitment and training policy.

Indian corporates faces the challenge of finding the right people and training them to meet the growing challenges of the future, especially as they have been used to operating in a protected environment. Part of their need for skilled and experienced people will be fulfilled by professionals of different nationalities as personnel flows feely between nations. Foreign companies too will want to take advantage of Indian brains; and this demand will not be restricted to the area of software development, but also apply to other areas of management, since much relevant experience is available in India.

The World Trade Organization is yet another challenge, the impact of which has not been given careful thought and consideration to by Indian companies. There is also urgent need for Indian companies to plan an optimal strategy to tackle this. And they need to find ways and means other than the lobbies and pressure groups they are accustomed to, for it is difficult to change the rules of the game at an international bodies level. While WTO provides an effective mechanism in case of violation, all conditions of WTO need to be met once countries become signatories.

The chairman’s speech at the Annual General Meeting 1996 of Workhardt provided reasonably sound insights into how an aggressive and clear strategy for attaining of long-term corporate goals can b formed.

“In an increasingly competitive world, Workhardt believes that profitability will not come merely through sales, but through consistent and reasoned customer focus. There are no product markets, only customer segments who we needs has to fulfill. The razor-sharp organizational focus springs from an almost fanatical degree of customer-centricity. We are therefore, committed to building business on an on-going understanding and dialogue with our customers. Quality is now the price of market entry, not a competitive differentiator.

“Workhardt prides itself on its growth in the international scene through its quality and globalization efforts. Our products are supplied in the markets of USA, UK, Germany and 30 other countries. Having acquired AccuMed Pharmaceuticals Inc in New Jersey, Workhardt America Inc. in USA will be our door to a huge generic market of the world. Our offices in Russia, China and Africa have expanded our global reach. We have tied up with Rhein Biotech to affect transfer of biotechnology and add value to our quality of products.
The question remains, What’s your Business Road map?
*Originally written by Dr. Hiru Bijlani, a Management Consultant at LMI India and a member of the board of directors of Karrox Technologies Pvt. Ltd.

Tablero de Mando Balanceado de Empresa Orientada a su Estrategia

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Se zice ca daca vrei, poti. In cat la suta din cazuri? Este chiar irelevant daca te afli in multimea fara succes. In cazul in care vrei sa te apuci de un business pe cont propriu inseamna ca cel putin ambitia o ai. Iti mai trebuiesc insa multe altele. Ca sa afli ce anume si daca le ai, fa-ti un SWOT personal. Iti va spune, la un nivel e drept nu detaliat, daca vei fi capabil sa razbati.

Ia in calcul cel putin urmatoarele aspecte si pozitioneaza-te fata de ele. Analiza te va ajuta sa decizi daca esti facut pentru antreprenoriat, daca ai cunostintele si abilitatile necesare sau daca e mai bine ca la sfarsitul lunii sa stii ca iei bani, nu dai.
- furnizorii de produse: vei face si productie, cum ar fi ornamente pentru care trebuie sa cumperi partile componente sau materia prima sau vei vinde produse finite pe care le iei de la alte firme?
- concurentii: cat de multi sunt, cat de mari sunt, ce resurse au si ce interes iti vor arata in momentul in care vei aparea drept concurent. Au puterea sa te scoata din joc?
- piata: ai loc sa te desfasori? Teoretic poate ai concurenti dar daca va adresati unor segmente de clienti diferite, joci singur, cum ar fi in vanzarea intr-un oras diferit sau catre varste diferite.
- promovarea: vei avea nevoie de asa ceva cu siguranta. Care sunt modalitatile si costurile aferente fiecarei variante?
- logistica: cum vor ajunge produsele sau serviciile tale la clienti? Printr-un chiosc, website, magazin stradal.. le livrezi la domiciliu sau prin curier? Fiecare inseamna niste investitii.
- infrastructura: calculatoare sau aparate de sudura, bancuri de lucru sau sevalete, de ceva vei avea nevoie. In cat timp iti scoti banii?

Celelalte functiuni ale firmei am presupus ca sunt externalizate: contabilitatea, crearea unui website, PR-ul, etc. Pentru aspectele de mai sus, pe langa intrebarile date ca exemplu si pentru care recomand o intrare mai in amanunt, pune-ti si intrebarea: stiu sa fac chestia asta? stiu sa lucrez cu un astfel de partener sau client? Cel putin pentru faza in care business-ul e doar in stadiul de idee, ar trebui sa fie suficient. Daca analiza spune ca poti s-o faci, atunci vezi ce-ai invatat pana in momentul respectiv apoi pune-te pe invatat inainte sa te apuci de lucru. Nu vrei sa te trezesti si in strada si nu banii dati.

uploaded the SWOT.

SWOTANALYSIS_PROJECT_revised

Forgive me if I continue in fairly philosophical mode at the moment.  There is something about our culture in the west that likes, no more than that… needs to be in control.  We are deeply uncomfortable when things are spiralling outside of our control.

Perhaps one of the reasons stillbirth and infertility are taboo subjects in our culture is that as well as being painful and scary they also remind us that however we deceive ourselves, we are not as in control as we thought we were.  People don’t like to be reminded that their best laid plans can be dashed at any moment.  That they do not control their destinies.

During the last few years I have desperately wanted to exercise control.  Yes I have wanted a baby and that has controlled my emotions.  But also, I have wanted to control how I got there, and that has dominated my mind.  I have designed strategies and formulated plans.

My ally in this has been the medical profession who love control too.  For about two and a half years my wife and I have been going to clinics and hospitals for various tests and appointments to quantify, qualify, slice and dice our fertility (or my lack of it).  With a steady stream of tests ahead of us lined up in our diaries we had a strategy and a plan.  We had percentage chances, waiting lists and backup plans.

When we first knew there was a problem with Abigail, we too tracked, plotted and graphed her progress as if it made a difference to the result or the actions we would take.  The regular stream of appointments with clever doctors assured us we were in good hands and if anyone could, they could.  Well no one could.  We were not in control of Abigail’s DNA or the trajectory it placed her on.  We controlled her entry into this world in the same way an air traffic controller would control an airline suffering colossal engine failure as it glided into the middle of the ocean.  We tracked and recorded her decline in agony and then hung around to pick up some of the wreckage.  All the clever machines and strategies gave us more information but not more control.

So we like to control things – so what?  Well I guess I am trying to ask a question of our culture and my response to it.  Perhaps we need to accept we are not in control.  I have spent a lot of time in Africa and have noticed that they are a lot more comfortable with this.  With death and suffering all around they don’t feel the same need to control everything.  They have more of a “what will be will be” attitude.  This is not great when it comes to motivating and sustaining change – a real problem for those working in development there.  But, it does help people accept what happens without some of the agonising we go through.  I also think Africans are more able to go to God in faith and accept the miracle or the mundane which he gives in return.

You see I think my relationship with God has been very strained after Abigail and our subsequent infertility diagnosis precisely because I didn’t really want him to be in control.  I wanted my prayers to dictate his response and for him to give me the miracle I designed.  There was nothing wrong with what I wanted.  But I did when under the greatest of pressures put my faith in my strategies and plans, the medical profession and even my prayer life hoping that these combined efforts would give me what I wanted.  This is different to resting in the care of a loving Father who wants to give good gifts to his children.  A God who loved Abigail even more than I do.  (I don’t think any of this would have changed the result, but it might have helped me find peace sooner).

Looking forward, will I continue this trend?  Well last night I was on the web scanning sites to do with international adoption.  I did what my good analytical training demanded and started something close to a SWOT analysis regarding us adopting.  In what ways were we a good couple?  What would be the question marks over us and how could I overcome these?  What were the next steps we should go through?  What questions did I need answers to?

Partly this is the natural way I work and it makes sense to think these things through.  But if we do end up going for adoption, perhaps the assessment process will be a lot more stressful than it could be if I try to “control” it.  Perhaps my time would have been better spent in prayer asking God if this was the right road for us to embark on and trusting in his sovereignty for where it would lead us.

SWOT Análisis – Análisis DAFO. Es el análisis de 4 variables (oportunidades, amenazas, fortalezas y debilidades. Permite analizar las características de la empresa en relación con el medio que la envuelve, compensando las oportunidades con las amenazas y las fortalezas con las debilidades.

Ano de realização: 2009  / 5° Período do curso

Nome da disciplina: Informação e Estratégia

Professor orientador: Dr. Newton Corrêa de Castilho Junior

Apresentação

Visando a intensa competitividade em diversos seguimentos de mercado, tem-se que a sobrevivência empresarial está atrelada à capacidade das organizações se adaptarem às adversidades ambientais e para tanto existe a necessidade averiguar e classificar as informações que possui.

Pautando-se em tal concepção, foram avaliadas as características inerentes a Meet Point Informática e Lan House, localizada na cidade de Curitiba/ PR, proporcionando a visualização de ser capaz em antever e solucionar a problemática relativa a possível diminuição na procura dos serviços, devido ao aumento da concorrência e facilitação do acesso a Internet através de novas alternativas.

Escopo

Realização de uma análise convergindo ao fim em um planejamento estratégico capaz de nortear as atitudes empresariais em direção ao alcance de seus objetivos, e extinguindo relativamente as ameaças quanto a preocupação apresentada de diminuição da procura pelos serviços da Meet Point.

Concentra em identificar e delinear as atitudes e decisões que devem ser tomadas para garantir a competitividade, crescimento e sobrevivência empresarial da Meet Point Informática e Lan House.

Formalizando assim:

- As competências da empresa em seus serviços de acordo com as expectativas de seus clientes com relação aos serviços ofertados;

- Formulação do direcionamento estratégico com o propósito de posicionar a empresa no seu ambiente, quanto aos rumos da atuação futura;

Produto: Plano Estratégico

Apresentou-se a opção de ampliação do escopo de serviços da Meet Point Informática e Lan House com a agregação de serviços de um Café, tornando-se futuramente um Cyber Café. Ressaltando-se as formas de diferenciação nos serviços e no atendimento à demanda e, nas oportunidades do mercado.

Portanto, como resultado foi preparado um projeto estratégico para a implementação. O caminho a ser seguido pela empresa foi detalhadamente analisado fornecendo assim, as passagens que a empresa deve percorrer para que se chegue ao sucesso de implementação do projeto.

Considerações e o profissional de Gestão da Informação

Formulados e descritos todos os passos do planejamento estratégico para transformação da Meet Point em um Cyber café, objetivou-se o alcance de vantagem de competitiva e sucesso no mercado de inserção da empresa.

Desta forma, a postura do gestor da informação vem de encontro na melhor adequação, organização e seleção das informações para que sejam relacionadas com as reais necessidades do público alvo, do nível operacional, tático e estratégico.Entretanto enfrenta restrições quanto ao apoio gerencial, mas o profissional possui competências para analisar e aplicar trabalhos e projetos efetivamente relacionados com a realidade do contexto empresarial.

Equipe de realização: Camila Manfrinatto; Florindo Rhaoni Picoli; Vanessa Putrique Gonçalves; Vanessa Viol Moretti.

***Todos os autores estão cientes desta publicação.

Short-term SWOT analysis requires you to be able to identify:

1. Current competitors – Businesses with similar offers, similar customer needs, similar geographical scope; businesses with higher market share; and new entrants looking to grow market share in similar areas.
2. Critical offer features – Those features of your offering that have a significant effect on sales.
3. Present significant operating factors – Those characteristics of the operating environment where your organisation must be strong to be successful.
4. Present strategic resources – Assessed in relation to the competition and in light of the significant operating factors.
5. Present issues – Those which have to be reacted to fairly quickly. For example, constantly changing web-technologies require high-level skills and continual training in order to maintain your website.

Building a longer-term SWOT

1. Determine the present situation
2. Present significant operating factors >> Future significant operating factors
3. Present strategic resources >> Future strategic resources required
4. Future strategic resources required >> Strengths and weaknesses
5. Issues >> Opportunities and threats

In longer term SWOT, strengths and weaknesses:

• Derived from looking at present strategic resources in light of future significant operating factors.
• Strengths and weaknesses are relative to future competitors.
• In online markets, for example, customer switching costs can be significantly lower. Inertia is reduced and the likelihood of customers changing to your competitors is increased.

In longer term SWOT, opportunities and threats:
Identified by looking at all the issues and dividing them into those which:

• Can be taken advantage of
• Must be guarded against

SWOT analysis for an e-business looking at current and future use of technology should focus on corporate, marketing, supply chain and information system issues.

E-marketplace modelling
A fundamental technique that can be used to develop an organisation’s e-marketing strategy and is also useful in the early stages of planning an online marketing campaign to indicate:
•  Which types of site to partner for promotions
•  The type of search terms required to purchase pay per click advertising

An e-marketplace map helps to summarise the linkages and traffic flows in your e-marketplace

This modelling approach will reveal:
•         The relative importance of different online intermediaries in the marketplace
•         The flow of clicks between your different customer segments, your company site(s) and different competitors via intermediaries

Situation analysis to support digital communications planning
Required on an ongoing basis to assess:
•  Consumer use of keyphrases entered for generic product or service searches
•  More specific phrases and brand phrases incorporating their brand and competitor names

Use web analytics to track your brand’s popularity and monitor how this varies through time with seasonality and offline and online campaigns.

Reserach tools for assessing emarket place

My wit BMW staan lui onder die Jakaranda wat haar vol pers glibberige blommetjies versier het.  Sy lyk so ampertjies verlydelik terwyl sy soos ‘n bruid daar onder al die blommetjies staan en wag tot ek weet die pers blommetjies so een een in die wind laat af waai.  Pers.  Die hele wêreld is pers die tyd van die jaar.  Soos ‘n groot blou kol na die winder wat geleidelik gesond word.  Maak ons reg vir die somer en die persigheid kondig Moederaarde se sweterige seisoen aan.  Maar nes alle studente weet kondig dit ook die eind eksamens aan. 

(SUG….) Eksamens is maar crap.  Wie wil nou op sonnige (of renirige in Pta) dae vir ure voor die boeke sit.  Wie wil nou eintlik elke bladsy annaliseer en die sige van jou prof. verstaan sodat jy net sekere werk leer?  Natuurlik wil ek mos baie eerder met ‘n groot sonhoed buite stap en in die warm son my lyf soos ‘n akkedis warm bak.  

Dis eintlik vreemd want tydens ‘n eksamen voel dit of ek myself dood swot maar na die tyd weet ek ek kon baie meer geswot het.  Maar hey as jy 51% kry het jy te hard geswot en as jy 52% kry het jy jou vriende afgeskeep. Haha…  Jy wonder nou seker waarom ek die hele pers gedeelte so beklemtoon het en die waarheid is… ek het gin idee nie.  Dink dis omdat ek enige iets tans sal doen om nie te swot nie.  Dis snaaks tydens eksamens kom ek agter hoe deurmekaar my klere is, hoe ek eintlik iets wil restoreer.  Hoe ek wil koekies bak en hoe my boekrak eweskielik nuwe skatte oplewer.  Ja, enige iets om nie ’n “pliggie” te wees en te swot nie.  ENIGE IETS. 

Ek bied aan om mense rond te ry, ek bied aan om melk en brood te kry, my niggie by die skool te gaan haal en tee te maak vir my oupa. En dan natuurlik om onbenullighede uit te dink soos waarom dinge pers is.  

Dan eweskielik (soos ek seker is jy weet) is dit sondag aand en jy’t nog nie geleer vir more se eksamen nie.  Vir die hoeveelste keer kan jy jouself skop want waarom het jy nie vroeër begin nie.  Maar Maandag na die toets besef jy jou klere kas is perfek georganiseer, jy het daai boek oor Israel en Palestiena gelees, al jou niggie se hoërskool geheime gehoor en dit alles terwyl jy 50% op jou toets kry.  

Ek dink dis die verkeerde tyd vir my om dit te besef en ek moet dit seker nie vir julle sê nie maar 50% is genoeg.  Die boeke, die stories van my oupa en om ekstra klere vir arm kinders te skenk beteken veel meer vir my en ek leer ook baie meer by die allerdaagse dinge.  So my punt is, wie gee om wanneer jy begin.  Begin net, slaag en maak vrye tyd om dinge wat jy nie normaal weg voor tyd kry te doen.

And so the saying goes, “We don’t plan to fail, we fail to plan.”  According to the Small Business Association, 9 out of 10 independently owned businesses will fail inside of 10 years.  You can’t succeed without a plan, in anything you do!

Do you have a strategic plan?  Is it sitting in a drawer somewhere?  Even worse, is it in your head?  If  it’s not written down, it doesn’t exist?  Lacking clearly defined outcomes and measurable goals, how can a leader lead?   How can a team perform?  Results will be short of expectations for sure!

Every athlete and large corporation have clearly defined goals to attain specific objectives. Yet, in the world of small business, many lack a focused goal.  Are we so time-strapped, that we don’t have the time to set goals?  In reality, small business owners don’t make the time or they reply “get more business” when asked of future plans.  Any self-respecting CEO would be tossed out of a shareholder meeting for uttering a vague response.

Whether you have a 50-employee company or an empire of one, your business success depends on your ability to set and achieve goals.  It helps you focus your efforts,  a key ingredient to success.  Before we look at S.M.A.R.T goals, let’s take a look at another acronym, SWOT analysis.  Doing a SWOT analysis allows you to view your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats at a specific moment in time and, then, you can build your goals around further development of your strengths, ways to overcome your weaknesses, becoming strategically aware of your opportunities, and thinking about how to minimize your threats.   Typically, strengths and weaknesses focus internally, and look mainly at the past and present.  Opportunities and threats focus on external factors, such as the economy, competition, etc., and look toward what your company might do in the future.  In a matter of one page, you have a very clear, concise picture of the road ahead and your organization’s ability to move down it.

Now lets look at your goals, S.M.A.R.T goals.  The acronym stands for goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and, time framed.  First, they should be specifically designed to improve on the situation as outlined in your SWOT analysis.    Secondly, they should be goals that you can measure, a certain number of new customers, or a goal of additional revenue.  Next they must be achievable that is, goals that you can really achieve, if you apply yourself and then they must also be realistic.  Finally, they must be goals that have a deadline; goals achieved within a specific time frame.

The SWOT analysis is a quick and simple tool to understand the overall big picture.  Setting SMART goals is critical to get and maintain focus within your business.  This is the starting point of strategic planning.  Congratulations!!  Now that you have done this exercise, it is important that you make sure that every employee is aware of their part in achieving these goals.  The more they buy into the idea the more likely you are to achieve the success you want.  And if you need any help with this, PCM (Please call me)!

Angela Inzerillo

The Capital Coaching Group Inc

703-691-2299

Sum2, LLC is pleased to announce that they will begin to offer the corporate rating products of CreditAides. CreditAides is an independent corporate rating and research firm that provides financial health assessment reports and credit risk analysis ratings on companies using the Z-Score methodology. The CreditAides reporting system is a predictive tool that helps managers gain insights into the financial health of a company.  The insights help managers identify a company’s ability to remain competitive and financially sound while measuring the impact of business initiatives to achieve profitability and growth.

James McCallum, the President of Sum2 stated, “The CreditAides quantitative assessment tool is a wonderful compliment to the qualitative risk assessment applications offered in the Profit|Optimizer.  Now our clients have a recognized standard to measure the financial impact and returns on capital allocation decisions they implemented as a result of a Profit|Optimizer review.  The challenging business cycle requires that managers allocate capital to a few select initiatives.  It is critical that managers fund initiatives that mitigate the greatest risk and provide the potential of optimal returns.  The combination of CreditAides reports with the Profit|Optimizer will provide our clients with the ability to discern the optimal initiatives to fund and measure the effectiveness of their capital allocation decisions.”

The Profit|Optimizer guides business managers through an thorough enterprise risk assessment.   Uncovering the risks and opportunities associated with products and markets, business functions,  numerous macro risks and critical success factors are key components of  effective enterprise risk management (ERM).  ERM requires the assessment and aggregation of hundreds of risk factors.  The Profit|Optimizer helps managers identify the key initiatives that will  help to maintain profitability and sustainable growth.  The use of CreditAides provides an important measurement tool to affirm and validate that managers have made correct bets on capital allocation decisions.

Z-Score Financial Analysis Tool

The Z-Score formula for predicting bankruptcy was developed by Edward I. Altman a Professor of Finance at New York University.  The Z-Score is used to assess the financial health of companies and the probability of  bankruptcy.   The Z-score uses multiple corporate income and balance sheet values to score  the financial health of a company. The use of  Z-scores is a strategic tool managers use to measure and validate the effectiveness of their business strategy.

Risk Assessment and Opportunity Discovery

The recession has created macroeconomic conditions that are causing widespread business failures.  Small and mid-size business enterprises (SME) require effective risk management tools to effectively manage business threats to survive extreme business downturns.  Assessing, measuring, aggregating, prioritizing, pricing and initiating actions are the tactical means risk managers use to support the business objectives of the enterprise.  Sound risk management practices are central to a healthy corporate governance culture and are central to maintaining profitability and long term sustainable growth for the business enterprise.

The Profit|Optimizer

Profit|Optimizer helps managers assess risk factors and uncover opportunities that are always present in the business environment. The product is based on Basel II working group recommendations that outline optimal risk profiles of SMEs.  The Profit|Optimizer incorporates four focus areas.

1.) product and market dynamics (products, clients, competition, supply chain, market segments)

2.) business functions (management, sales and marketing, operations, facilities, IT, HR, accounting)

3.) critical success factors (generic and specific)

4.) macro risk factors (macroeconomic, STEEPLE, SWOT, segment benchmarks, business plan optimization)

SME’s lack of agility and reluctance to change has made it difficult for these businesses to survive severe market conditions. There are tremendous market forces at work in the current business environment that are creating dangers and opportunities for SMEs if they can effectively assess and adapt.  Business managers must be astute and exacting how they allocate the precious capital resources required to achieve business objectives.  The Profit|Optimizer helps managers make better capital allocation decisions.  CreditAides provides fiscal metrics to validate or adjust business strategy and initiatives.   Sum2’s risk assessment products coupled with the measurement tools provided by CreditAides creates a leading edge solution for SME risk management.  The ease of use and superior value proposition  of the combined solution is unsurpassed in the market.

About CreditAides

CreditAides (www.creditaides.com) online business analysis and credit assessment portal provides business managers with important insights into the financial health of their company. Automated financial analysis improves efficiency of the business enterprise.  CreditAides reports are used to assess the financial health of clients, supply chain and used to demonstrate financial health and credit worthiness to credit and equity providers.

True underlying financial health of companies has never been harder to identify and never been of greater importance. Across both equity and credit markets, understanding relative financial strengths of companies is paramount for effective business decisions.  Good decisions cannot be made without good quality information generated by incisive tools.

About Sum2, LLC

Sum2 (www.sum2.com) was founded in 2002 to promote the commercial application of corporate sound practices. Sum2 manufactures, aggregates, packages and distributes innovative sound practice digital content products to select channels and market segments. Sum2’s sound practice products address risk management, corporate governance, shareholder communications and regulatory compliance. Sum2’s objective is to assist businesses and industries to implement sound practices to create value for company stakeholders and demonstrate corporate governance excellence to assure profitability and long term sustainable growth.

You Tube Video: Ella Fitzgerald, A-Tisket A-Tasket

Risk: bankruptcy, default, market, credit

1. Open up the news analysis files attached below. Find an analysis that supports the development of a perceptual map. (See pages 203 and 204 in The Core 3/e for a review of perceptual maps.) Here are a few hints for selecting the best analysis:
   • The file should refer to consumer behavior terms. For example, brand loyalty, values and attitudes, VALS, etc.
   • The file should also describe competition for a target market.
   • The file should also explain the positioning of competing brands or products.
2. Create a perceptual map for the news analysis that you select. You can use the features in scrapblog.com, Photoshop, or even Microsoft Word.
3. Attach your perceptual map to the news analysis file you selected, and email it to me at jmcdowell@aii.edu.

Here are the news analysis files:

KimberlyClark

ice arena issues

Target file

target organic

Supply Chain Article

starbucks_article

mall of america

Pawlenty unveils _green jobs

It is relatively easy to use your research skills to find a news story that covers marketing topics. Most newspapers and business magazines publish a Business section.

Linked here is a recent story from the New York Times.

Compared to research, analysis requires the use of more sophisticated skills. Wikipedia defines analysis as, “the process of breaking a complex topic or substance into smaller parts to gain a better understanding of it.” Analysis therefore involves identifying important details, explaining how these details relate to each other, and summarizing the overall meaning of the material.

The New York Times article above offers a useful opportunity to practice your analytical skills. Click through the article link below:

1. Note the highlighting. I chose these details because they describe how marketers think as they attempt to manage the promotion “P” of the marketing mix. When you analyze a news story, look for details that are related to a single marketing topic.
2. Read my comments in the sticky notes. You’ll find related information tidbits, insights, and references to key terms from the course. When you analyze a news story, you should also try to find related information from other sources.
3. Read the attached file. Here I explain how the highlighted and additional details (from sticky notes) relate to each other, and I summarize the overall meaning of this material. (Look for the paperclip!)

Link to my analysis here.

And so the saying goes, “We don’t plan to fail, we fail to plan.”  According to the Small Business Association, 9 out of 10 independently owned businesses will fail inside of 10 years.   You can’t succeed without a plan, in anything you do!

Do you have a strategic plan?  Is it sitting in a drawer somewhere?  Even worse, is it in your head?  If  it’s not written down, it doesn’t exist?  Lacking clearly defined outcomes and measurable goals, how can a leader lead?   How can a team perform?  Results will be short of expectations for sure!

Every athlete and large corporation have clearly defined goals to attain specific objectives. Yet, in the world of small business, many lack a focused goal.  Are we so time-strapped, that we don’t have the time to set goals?  In reality, small business owners don’t make the time or they reply “get more business” when asked of future plans.  Any self-respecting CEO would be tossed out of a shareholder meeting for uttering a vague response.

Whether you have a 50-employee company or an empire of one, your business success depends on your ability to set and achieve goals.  It helps you focus your efforts,  a key ingredient to success.  Before we look at S.M.A.R.T goals, let’s take a look at another acronym, SWOT analysis.  Doing a SWOT analysis allows you to view your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats at a specific moment in time and, then, you can build your goals around further development of your strengths, ways to overcome your weaknesses, becoming strategically aware of your opportunities, and thinking about how to minimize your threats.   Typically, strengths and weaknesses focus internally, and look mainly at the past and present.  Opportunities and threats focus on external factors, such as the economy, competition, etc., and look toward what your company might do in the future.  In a matter of one page, you have a very clear, concise picture of the road ahead and your organization’s ability to move down it.

Now lets look at your goals, S.M.A.R.T goals.  The acronym stands for goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and, time framed.  First, they should be specifically designed to improve on the situation as outlined in your SWOT analysis.    Secondly, they should be goals that you can measure, a certain number of new customers, or a goal of additional revenue.  Next they must be achievable that is, goals that you can really achieve, if you apply yourself and then they must also be realistic.  Finally, they must be goals that have a deadline; goals achieved within a specific time frame.

The SWOT analysis is a quick and simple tool to understand the overall big picture.  Setting SMART goals is critical to get and maintain focus within your business.  This is the starting point of strategic planning.  Congratulations!!  Now that you have done this exercise, it is important that you make sure that every employee is aware of their part in achieving these goals.  The more they buy into the idea the more likely you are to achieve the success you want.  And if you need any help with this, PCM (Please call me)!

Angela Inzerillo
703-691-2299
e-mail Angela

Read articles by the Lawson-Inzerillo Team.

To complement my Human Capital Assessment post and related form, I am now posting a template for the next step a simple SWOT, using information gathered from the Human Capital Assessment Exercise.

Like the Human Capital Assessment this tool is an aid to implementing Peter’s Tips #6.

Download the document at Slideshare, let me know how you fair with it, if you want to.

If you find any broken Tweets or Links, please report them in the comment section.

If you like what you see, may I recommend you start following me on Twitter to enjoy the benefits of real-time content as it materializes.

If you choose to follow @rlavigne42, please leave me a comment. I will make sure to check out your Tweets in return.

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My Thoughts Enclosed…Rb

Prepare for a quiz on all terms covered so far in the course – through Break-Even Point Quantity! I won’t ask you to calculate BEPq, for the obvious reasons, but you might be asked to calculate the following:

Total Revenue
Total Cost
Fixed Cost
Variable Cost
Unit Variable Cost
Unit Price

You will be quizzed on consumer behavior, marketing and market segmentation terms as well.

Also for next Tuesday, find a news story from a local newspaper or news magazine, that incorporates the terms and concepts from this course. Bring it to class, and be prepared to share it with the class.

Also for next Tuesday, update your course portfolio.

Also for next Tuesday, read pages pp. 10-11, 60-74, and pp. 203-205 for the following terms: