Moving Forward Business Coach's Newsletter
http://www.movingforwardcoaching.com.au
Email:  robyn@movingforwardcoaching.com.au

September 2006,  Issue #14

Welcome to our September 2006 newsletter. Spring is in the air and it is a great time for clearing out the old and making way for the new. In this issue we expand on this theme in our article Monitoring Business Performance. It is all about analysing the past and the present in order to create the best possible future for your business. Do away with what doesn’t work and build on what does.

There has been a very exciting new development for us at Moving Forward Business Coach. After much preparation and dedication, our sister company MFBT P/L is now accredited to deliver the Advanced Diploma in Business Management. This means that clients we coach can gain a recognised qualification. It is a huge step as it means firstly that what we coach in is recognised officially by the Australian Qualifications Framework. Secondly, it means that our clients now have even more scope for their careers as they can obtain the Advanced Diploma by doing exactly what they have been and simply fulfilling the appropriate assessments. It’s a significant change and one we are very proud of.

My husband and I went away recently for a weekend stay at Yarrawonga in regional Victoria. As well as being a welcome get-away, the weekend was most enjoyable because of the impressive customer service we received at the Capri Waters apartments where we stayed. Upon check-in the receptionist asked us a few key questions to identify what we enjoyed doing and the kind of break we were after. We were then presented with a list of possible things to and some suggestions as to good places to eat. What a simple idea – but what a big difference it made when trying to make the most of a short time away! One of our most memorable meals was at the Heritage Bar and Grill. It is under new management and it really is fantastic. The food was excellent and the customer service first class. What was most impressive is that I believe in days gone by it did not have such a reputation. It has clearly been a wonderful effort by the new management team to turn that reputation around and create such a special place to go, where you really felt important as a customer.

Do you know how new clients find their way to your business? Can you predict peak sales periods? What times of the year are lowest in terms of productivity? Every business is different and must be measured in its own way. How well do you know your business?

It’s important to set up effective systems for measuring the things in your business that effect sales, growth, costs etc. And the best way to do this is to set systems up as early as possible. Don’t wait until after your first year of sales to start looking at trends. If you haven’t kept a record of how things were at the beginning, how can you measure whether certain initiatives have had any impact? It’s all about efficiency, and ensuring that the things you set up for your business are having a positive effect, not just taking up time and effort.

Another key element to monitoring business performance is choosing things that are measurable and things that will make a difference if they are measured. You don’t want to measure for no reason as that is a waste of time.

Staying on top of what needs to be measured and the most effective way to do it is a crucial challenge for any business. Think of the way a diabetic needs to measure the level of sugar in their blood. There’s no point doing that in retrospect. If they don’t stay on top of those levels, monitor and adjust them, their condition will spiral out of control. This is exactly the same for your business. You have to develop systems that measure the day to day activity of your business and analyse the results regularly. Otherwise it may be your business that is spiralling out of control!

Measuring the different things that impact your business is the only way to make meaningful changes. If you can’t measure it, then you can’t manage or improve it. Take a moment now to think about what you can measure in your business. It may include any of the following: income from different product lines, gross profit, sales per person, productivity, number of new clients. The potential list is endless. All that matters is the things you choose to measure must be relevant to your business. It is impossible to say whether an advertisement bought in clients if you don’t ask how your clients found out about you. It is difficult to know whether a continuous improvement initiative improved operations or sales if you don’t know what the numbers were in the first place.

Setting up some systems to monitor your business may take a little bit of time. But what you learn about your business, your clients and the market place will be an invaluable source of information. Once you know what is having an effect and what isn’t, you can refine your business practice and streamline procedures for maximum productivity, profit and success.

Staff Booklet- Getting to know the business: This is a new booklet produced by Moving Forward Business Coach.  Many business owners and managers don't feel confident that their staff  really understands the business.  This booklet has been designed to make it easy to train your staff about the business.  It's so easy - the staff member will just complete the booklet which will encourage them to research the answers.  You as the business owner or manager can guide them.  I designed this booklet because when I work with staff of a business – there is so much that they have never been told about the business. This is an absolute must for any business owner to work on with their staff. For more information or to purchase the Staff Booklet – Getting to know the business, click here.    Don't forget to order one for each one of your staff members!!!!  We also welcome inquiries from international businesses as well.  The international postage rates are not up on the website as yet - but don't hesitate to email us.

Getting online Pack:  Too many businesses ignore selling on the internet because they don’t know how.  How can you ignore an area which is growing so quickly, and imagine having a passive income whilst you are sleeping.  I chose these e-Books to help people understand the internet and internet marketing. Click here for more information.

Take a look at our Useful Links & Resources Page.  There is a successful business checklist, reading lists and useful links.

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© Moving Forward Business Coach - June 2006
You are welcome to use the articles from the 'Tips to create a successful business' newsletter as long as you include complete attribution and a live link to the website, The attribution should read "By Robyn Pollard of Moving Forward Business Coach.  Please visit our website at http://www.movingforwardcoaching.com.au/" for extra tips on creating your successful business