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Planning Your Business Future Requires Company Investments that Work

Today’s economy is in transition. Investors are seeking new venues to explore and energize with capital. Emerging markets are a major factor in capital development. Today the United States has less than 50% of the world’s capital investments. Current statistics place 70% of the world’s population living in developing countries with 46% of the land mass and 31% of the GDP. Opportunities are in abundance for astute investors with a conservative attitude and approach.

Setting financial money investment goals is a critical first step in any financial plan, personal or business related. Many investment fund companies have a selection of products from annuities to fixed rate return investment packages; your goals will help you select the appropriate product or combination of products as well as rate of return. Next will be to select a reputable investment firm that markets the type of funds you have determined will satisfy your plan.

With the current world situation of financial challenges, working with a company that offers reputation, longevity, experience and skilled advisers and fund managers who will listen, provide advice and work on your behalf with ethics and high professional standards is essential. Companies that have been in operation for several decades offer the dependability and security an investor wants without the staleness of ideas and inertia other older companies might be carry as the baggage of age.

Firms that are investing in capital projects in what was once called the third world are seeing dramatic success in earning legitimate and safe profits for their investment funds. This environment is properly termed the developing economy sector. It holds great promise for the savvy investor who utilizes a qualified company that has the experience and sufficient fund capability to sponsor development projects. From energy development to mining, the new economies are developing their natural resources with company investment capital from investor resources.

There are some caveats that investors should have in mind when considering a company that puts their money in these projects in the developing economies. Due diligence is for everyone: investors have a personal responsibility to select the best money investment firm that is qualified for this type of process. The investor should also be as knowledgeable as possible about the location of the project, what local authorities, regulations and other unique conditions are involved that could have an effect on the outcome and their investment.

The firm itself has in-depth due diligence as its priority. Developing proper, ethical and cordial relationships with the appropriate authorities is essential to the necessary cooperation needed to guarantee the project’s completion and success. The firm must be aware of potential problems and have in advance the resources to resolve them. They must possess a deep knowledge of any and all regulating bodies and have the local representation to work directly with them. The reward for considering investment in developing economies with investments managed by reputable, professional and experienced firms is waiting for the conservative investor who plans, sets goals and does their own due diligence. Fortune favors the bold and the knowledgeable.

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Is your workspace working for you? Research shows that your environment makes an impact on your mood. So it may be time to give your space at the office a makeover to liven up things at work.

“Now you can change your office decor as often as you change the ink in your printer,” says Anna Griffin, designer of the Anna Griffin Inc. line of desk accessories. “A change of color and pattern in your workspace can help to motivate, destress and even improve your disposition.”

The key is to add variety to your area so that you don’t get bored with the same surroundings and decor day after day. Griffin offers the following tips to help you create a pleasing and invigorating work area.

* Clear the clutter. The first step in producing a pleasant cubicle space is to make it clean and organized. This will help you stay focused on your work.

* Accessorize. Disposable desk accessories in fun colors and patterns will add instant pizzazz to your workspace and can be replaced whenever you need a change of ambience.

The “Rose” and “Elsie” collections from Anna Griffin Inc. are fresh, fun and, best of all, affordable. They feature four different patterns in eight coordinating office items, including file sets, magazine and pencil holders, paper, letter bins, journals and photo albums. The Rose Collection is full of rich, vibrant color in Old World floral patterns, while the Elsie Collection is sophisticated and playful, incorporating retro, pastel abstract and floral designs.

* Decorate your workspace to look like home. Because you spend so much time at work, choose a color or style and start decorating. A small area rug can add color and texture to your space, and a favorite lamp or lamp shade can cast just the right light. You can personalize with touches like a decorative basket as an “in box” and fun prints and paintings for the walls. Don’t forget photos of your family, friends and pets. They will bring a smile and help reduce your stress level.

* Just add water. A desktop fountain, fresh flowers or a fishbowl can add ambience and a sense of style and tranquility to your office space.

* Don’t forget the finishing touches. Use a pre-made slipcover to add style and color to that tired old desk chair. Switch out those boring manila folders with decorative patterned ones. They make work fun! Show some individuality with your mouse pad. You can purchase a mouse pad featuring an art masterpiece or cartoon character, depending on your theme and mood. A whimsical clock, fun paperweight or funky plant could be just what you need to make the space more “you.”

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Here are some tips to help you ‘cut the fat’ and improve the productivity of your business. If you apply a few of these, you’re well on your way to achieving greater profit and creating less stress!

1. Cut the Slackers!
“Carrying dead-weight employees? Lose them now!” Ever tried to run a marathon whilst towing an old tire? This is what it’s like trying to grow a productive business with unproductive (or unmotivated) employees. Not only will they not add value to your bottom line, they’ll drag other ‘productive’ workmates to their level. Cutting a slack worker (legally of course) will actually increase the productiveness of other workmates.

2. Cut the Paper!
“Start a war against paper!” Do you need to print that email to read it? Or that brief? Reduce office clutter on desks and encourage better use of digital filing. Ask clients to email files rather than send faxes, and printed media. Use a web based project management or time tracking solution rather than paper based timesheets. Get the drift ? saves trees too!

3. Cut the Time!
“A task can take both 10 minutes and an hour!” Have you noticed that if you give a task (i.e.: write a proposal) to an employee and they have a day to do it, they will, but if you give them 3 days to do the same task, guess what, they’ll take 3 days! Put tight and exact deadlines (i.e.: Wed 3:30pm) on important tasks, and your staff will become more productive.

4. Cut the Expenses!
“Plug all the holes in your cash flow!” Make a list of all general expenses in your business. Next to each one, write one of the following: Need it, Review it, Cut it. Take this list to either a receptionist or employee with some free time. Have them work down the list firstly on the expenses to ‘Cut’. This will create immediate savings. Then have them ‘Review’ the expenses you need, but perhaps could get a better deal on. ‘Trimming the fat’ every 6 months can help you create profit.

5. Target Different Work!
“One project for $20,000 or ten projects for $2,000 each”. Look at the type of work you’re targeting. Is it worth targeting a different type or value of work? Most businesses just ‘do what they’ve always done’ rather than looking for more profitable types of revenue. Think hard about other more profitable work your business can do with its available resource.

6. Don’t Work Late, Come in Early!
“A clear mind is a productive mind!” Outside of work, this time should be used to recharge. Don’t take extra work home, rather just go home, relax, play golf, go for a run, enjoy the family & come in early to do that extra work. Not only will you work better after relaxing, but your family life will improve!

7. Motivate Staff, Offer Incentives!
“Staff priorities are not the same as manager priorities!” Managers, Owners & Directors have different motives and priorities than staff. Just because you are excited about your business doesn’t mean the staff are. Your mind is on the bottom line, whereas staff think of their pay, and they’ll get paid whether they perform or not. Motivate staff with performance related bonuses such as money, time off & job flexibility.

8. Hire multi-skilled workers!
“Enlarge your skill base without the cost!” It’s better to have two designer/developers, than a designer and a developer. Multi-skilled workers, by nature are generally better problem solvers, more flexible and more productive than single skilled workers. You’ll also have more options for work delegation and due to an increased skill base will be able to take on a wider range of projects.

9. Clean your Desks!
“Start the Week Fresh”. Make it company policy that every Friday, before staff leave, all loose paper is to be filed away or organized in racks, drawers, folders or cabinets. A messy workspace is a messy mind. By having staff organize their desks on Friday, when they start on Monday, they’ll get straight info focused work, rather than looking at clutter wondering where to start. More productive time!

10. Clean your Digital Files!
“Make it easy to find information!” Searching hard drives and servers for information can waste a lot of productive time. Designate a tech employee the job of tidying the server. Have them organize files logically into client folders, archive or remove old files, check everybody has good network access and tidy the other staffs’ desktops and PCs.

11. Prioritize Your 20%’ers!
“Do the important things first!” Most people procrastinate on the 20% of the tasks that create 80% of the revenue. At the end of each day, make a list for the next day. If you have 25 tasks, list the 5 most important revenue generating tasks (the 20%’ers), then list the 5 most urgent tasks (usually admin). By working through the 20% items first, you’re working ‘on’ the business (growth), rather than ‘in’ the business (maintenance).

12. Review your Services!
“Your services should be team players, not just expenses!” Do you consider your accountant, or lawyers an expense? Or do they truly add value? A good accountant will save you more money than they cost. With so many accountants, lawyers, printers, couriers etc available, are you sure you are working with the best you could be? Every 6 months you should review your external services with this question in mind: “Are they helping or hindering my business?”

13. Systemize your Processes!
“How can I do it easier, faster, and cheaper?” As a matter of habit, always look for ways to systemize processes. Create templated emails, templated forms and documents, a ‘roles and responsibilities’ chart, use process automation applications, digital timesheets, auto responders, automatic payments etc. Almost every process in your business can be creatively systemized to be easier, faster, and cheaper! If you systemize 3 processes a month, that’s 36 processes a year ? what a difference!

14. Use Remote Workers!
“Only pay for what you use!” Every staff member not only costs a salary, but also a chair, a desk, a computer, power, square footage, coffee in the kitchen etc. By using remote workers and contractors, you’ll save money and maybe not even need a huge office. They’ll even pay for their own coffee!

15. Learn to Delegate!
“Work on your business, not in it!” If you are a manager, you should be spending at least 80% of your time working on growing, systemizing, trimming, and strategic planning. Are you spending too much time on menial tasks and grunt work that can be delegated? If so, learn to delegate (or use contractors) as this will free your time to concentrate on the big picture ? “Growing your business and making it profitable!”