The Up and to the Right | Small Business | Practical, Actionable, Sustainable Improvements

Have you ever heard someone talk about running their business by ‘keeping all the balls in the air’? Now I can’t juggle… but I can certainly relate to the feeling that running a business can seem like a circus! So, how can one person keep “all the balls in the air”? In episode 14 of Up and to the Right I’ll share my 5 Moleskine Notebook Hack, how I set it up and how I work with it to run my business.

http://b50p.com/2017e04

How do you measure the importance of the work that you do in your small business? Sometimes I value the work I do by its impact on revenue; sometimes I value it based on how much I am interested in that particular activity and sometimes I value an activity by how long it can occupy me before I have to do something I've been avoiding.

Over the years I have been found that the work that we do can be described by one of three categories. In this episode I share this and the method I use to try to keep my work on track toward the most value I can.

Get the show notes: https://b50p.com/2017e03

One of the most common reasons for small business failure is problems with cash flow (not having the cash you need to operate your business when you need it). Looking at this another way... by learning when to incur expenses you can turn this risk for other small businesses into an asset for your own.

The secret sauce: operating profit drives expense

The world of marketing would love for us to continue believe differently but we're not falling for it anymore... at least not where our businesses are concerned.

//b50p.com/2017e02

Hiring can be rewarding when you've found just the right person with the right skills and experience that will fit perfectly into the culture of your business. It's a big commitment though... for both of you. As a business owner, there are a few strategies you can use that will increase the chances that your hiring process will go as smoothly as possible.

The Three Question Test Determining & Evaluating the Cost Preparing to Hire and Bringing Them On-Board Where do I Look? 

 In Episode 02 for 2017 I'll share my three question test for every hire along with an evaluation of cost. Front end preparation is an important part of a successful hire as is the process you go through to help them acclimate to working for your company. Where is the best place to find that new hire...? Listen now for all this plus there's a worksheet you can download on the show notes page to help you evaluate your hiring process.

It's true. We all need help. Whether it's seasonal sales cycles, end of year accounting or a full time staff position... there's always more to do that hours in the day. How do you decide what help you need, how to prioritize getting it and finally who you gonna call? In this episode our focus will be on outsourcing work without adding a permanent position at your company.

What is outsourcing? How does it apply in a small business situation? What should I outsource? Where do I start? 

In Episode 01 for 2017 we look at each of these questions. There's a worksheet you can download at b50p.com/2017e01 to help you put some structure to the process of outsourcing that fits your business and situation.

In the reading room this week we're talking about Essentialism by Greg McKeown.

Still using @gmail, @aol, @yahoo or another generic email for your small business?

Does it matter?

In the 2016 Week 51 episode of Up and to the Right we're going to go over why using this seemingly economic choice for small business owners may actually be costing you more than you think.

We'll also talk about how easy and inexpensive it is to get up and running with your own custom email address that will put a professional touch to the emails you send to customers, prospects and business partners.

In the reading room we're digging into Rejection Proof by Jia Jiang. Turn the whole concept of rejection on its head and then use that to push your company and life forward.

What are Financial Ratios? Can they be used to run a small business or are they only for big companies and stock traders?

In the 2016 Week 50 episode of Up and to the Right we'll learn the Secret Life of Ratios and how they can be used to operate and improve your small business.

The tool this week is a ratio analysis calculator. All you have to do is download it from beyond50percent.com/2016w50 and enter 12 values from your own financial statements. Ratio analysis just got easy!

In the Reading Room this week I'm recommending The Dip by Seth Godin. Push through the tough times and know when to quit when you're going in a direction that doesn't lead where you want to go.