The Thriving Small Business

Advantages and Disadvantages of Outsourcing

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Outsourcing is a business strategy that moves some of an organization’s functions, processes, activities and decision responsibility from within an organization to outside providers.

This is done through negotiating contract agreements with a vendor who takes on the responsibility for the production process, people management, quality, service and key asset management.  Read the Full Article →

Advantages and Disadvantages of Performance Appraisals

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Employees, as well as managers, often question why organizations do employee performance appraisals. Anyone who has received or been given a performance appraisal could argue why they perceive it to be ineffective and a complete waste of time.

So what exactly is a performance appraisal?

A performance appraisal is an evaluation done on an employee’s job performance over a specific period of time. Read the Full Article →

2014 Business Planning – 6 Things You Should Be Doing Now!

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 We’re a few weeks into the 4th quarter and I thought it might be helpful to talk about those things your organization can be doing now to plan and prepare for 2014.  I am a firm believer in the old saying “If you fail to plan – you plan to fail”.

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Miss Representation – Are You Aware of the Misrepresentation Movement?

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According to a McKinsey Quarterly report, the glass ceiling is still very real and women are not advancing at a rate they should be despite sporadic corporate efforts over the last couple of decades.

An interesting documentary called Miss Representation will be aired later this month in the hopes of heigtening the awareness of the role mainstream media is playing on the advancement of women in our country.  

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7 Steps to Implementing Business Strategy

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Fulfilling the mission of an organization requires planning and management skills.  Every business should have a mapped out strategy and a strategic plan is only as effective as the supporting goals that are written to implement it.  And goals are only as effective as the people who have responsibility for completing them. Read the Full Article →

Sample of a Great Employee Achievement and Development Book

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I just finished reading Ken Blanchard’s most recent book, “Helping People Win at Work – A Business Philosophy called Don’t Mark My Paper, Help Me Get an A” that he co-wrote with Garry Ridge, the president and CEO of WD-40 Company.

The book is a simplified illustration of a good performance management system. Read the Full Article →

What is the hiring process for small businesses?

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When a small business is formed, it is often difficult to imagine the time when there is a need to hire employees. When that day comes, it is important to understand the new employee hiring process.

There are several steps that need to be considered before entering into an employment arrangement with someone. Read the Full Article →

Small Business Innovation

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Innovative people have been around since the beginning of time.  Without creative and innovative ideas, we would not be where we are today in terms of product development, technology and service delivery.  Successful organizations have figured out that in order to provide cutting edge products and services, innovation needs to be incorporated into the way the organization is managed. Read the Full Article →

Using Text Analytics to Improve the Customer Experience

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With today’s use of internet blogs, social networks and the like, customers have a voice, an audience and they talk.  They share their experience either with online business reviews, on blogs or social forums.  When customers have a good experience, they may share it but if they have a bad experience, they often feel compelled to share their experience in an effort to keep others from having a similar bad experience. Read the Full Article →

Will Toyota Recover?

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Unless you live in a cave, don’t listen to the news, don’t read the paper and don’t get online, you are aware of Toyota’s current “quality” challenge in dealing with millions of recalled vehicles. The question is, how will Toyota recover from this one?

It’s funny, I’ve never had a Toyota. Read the Full Article →