Category: Business
Strategic planning and management is one of the keys to the success of the business. And this is what brought Warren Buffett to where he is now. He is the world’s second richest man according to the Forbes Magazine. His net worth is approximately $62 billion. Buffett is often called the Oracle of Ohama or Sage of Omaha. Right now, he is the largest shareholder, chairman and CEO of the company Berkshire Hathaway.
From a capital of $35 when he was still a teen, he grew largely by billions. He has shown a potential during his early years .In 1945, when he was still a freshman, he and a friend purchased a second-hand pinball machine that they placed in a barber shop. After some few months, they already owned three machines in different locations, His interest and dedication for business was already noticeable at a very young age which continued until today.
Now, he is one of the world’s greatest investor. Almost all businessman focusing on buying and selling industry have heard of Warren Buffett. Experts have now come up with the Warren Buffett Business Factors, a compilation of business principles that was used by the Sage of Omaha. He was the only man in Forbes rich list to have made it purely from buying and selling stocks and shares. In Buffett’s own words, he quoted:
Im 15 percent Fisher and 85 percent Benjamin Graham. The basic ideas of investing are to look at stocks as business, use the market’s fluctuations to your advantage, and seek a margin of safety. Thats what Ben Graham taught us. A hundred years from now they will still be the cornerstones of investing.
This is a brief view of Warren Buffett’s Business Factors that is applicable for all business owners.
1. Always stick to what you know, and that which is within your area of experience, expand on that experience, and stay focused.
2. Only enter into a business agreement, investment, or project where you can reasonably predict the outcome with certainty.
3. Only enter into a business agreement, investment, or project where you can reasonably predict the outcome with certainty.
4. Maintain emotional detachment in your business dealings. Invest only with a business perspective, do not let the others or the crowd persuade or dissuade you, but rather develop your self and your trust in your self. Make a point of learning from your mistakes.
5. Identify what kind of business deal you want, then determine what you are willing to pay. Small fluctuations in the price of what you need to buy can vastly affect your returns in the long run.
6. Work out the return on capital of your business, and try to make every business deal at least the same if not better than that return.
7. Use other peoples money to leverage returns. If your return on capital is greater than the cost of using other peoples money, then make sure you use their money as much as possible, not forgetting about your margin of safety. Warren has had great success with insurance companies, using this principle.
8. Only appoint or work with managers of outstanding quality. Use managers who act in the best of interest of the business and hence the owners of the business at all times.
A business cannot be run without certain skills and techniques in hand – this was the belief in earlier times. Today, the concept of running a business has come to include so much more than just skills; there are processes, applications, technologies, and different practices that enhance decision making. All these are put under one roof, known as Business Intelligence. Business intelligence analysis has assumed grave importance for the corporate world, considering the heavy competition afoot in all industrial sectors.
What is Data Analysis?
Now, if you are a business owner, you would need to know how your company is doing in the market, how your rivals are faring, what are the current market trends globally, and so on. All this information is to be collected and presented as data in the form of graphs, tables, and charts. Experts will draw inferences from this data. Problems can be pin-pointed and solutions worked out. Since it is not possible to handle all this manually, there are manufacturers who have come up with sophisticated Business Intelligence Systems to take over the job. And they do it commendably, though they can be expensive.
What Role does Data Analysis Play in Business Intelligence?
Where business intelligence analysis is concerned, it relates to the collection of data involving customers, trends, finances, productivity, and so on. The information is historic, current, and predictive. Of course, the professionals ensure that it is presented in an easy-to-understand way. This has to undergo analysis now; the process is detailed and very precise.
Tools Used for Business Intelligence Analysis
There are many tools that are used, but some of the common ones are:
The Finance and Budgeting tool analyses the management and control of finances. Which areas need to be focused on? How much money is required? Are there certain areas that are involved with heavy expenditure? Is that expenditure more than necessary? Once the right answers are received, it helps in balancing costs evenly, so that the business always stays on its feet and does not collapse.
Business Activity Monitoring talks about the activities taking place within the organisation. All the operations, processes, and transactions are scrutinised. This type of analysis will aid in improvement of services, as well as revenue.
Then there is Trend Analysis, which is basically about the future. Observing current trends will indicate the direction of the future. This kind of analysis even works with past performances and trends. Patterns within the data can aid in making informed decisions concerning future events.
Another aspect of Business Intelligence Analysis is Competitive Analysis. If any company is to stay afloat, it has to be one step ahead of its competitors. And this is possible if there is adequate knowledge about the rival’s strengths and weaknesses – objectives, assumptions, strategies, resources and capabilities.
The last tool is Multidimensional Analysis. With the help of this tool, data can be classified as data dimensions and data measurements. In simple terms, the data spanning over several years (could be related to anything) would be known as Multidimensional Analysis.
Business Intelligence Analysis cannot be attempted without the proper tools, for there is too much of data to be collected and analysed. Thus, Business Intelligence Systems can help in saving time, effort, and money.
The goal to all business is turning a profit, but exactly how to do so is another matter. The truth is there are no real simple answers, but there are guidelines that offer the promise of success. Some things depend on the scope of the business, and what the business owner is capable of doing.
Good Habits for Profit
This is not an exhaustive list, and there will be many variations offered by different sources. The following will give a basic idea of ways get your business into the customer base building mode:
Putting the right gear in place: No business can succeed without the necessary implements of the trade. Computers and various types of meeting software are pretty much basic essentials these days. However, other solutions that are fast becoming must haves include web conferencing tools, smart phones and Internet based promotional tools.
The customer is always right: It may sound like a tired refrain to say that the customer always come first, but this adage is still true today. Always be willing to listen to your customers. And be prepared to go the extra mile for those that arent quite satisfied, that is, if you didnt deliver as promised.
Upgrade your skills: There is always something new to learn in just about any field. The smart business owner keeps abreast of changes in their area so they can keep offering quality service.
Network, network: There are so many opportunities for building vital links for your business. These include trade shows and expos, family gatherings and high school reunions. This simply means letting others know what you do in order to create your own opportunities.
Business owners can add to this list as they see fit. This is a useful guide that can serve as a springboard to profitability. Many businesses choose to promote themselves online as it is more cost effective. The boom in support software for customer support and smart phone use underscores the need for fast and reliable communications. Keep in mind that if you ignore the basics of good business habits, you can be sure your competitor wont.
Customer relationship management or CRM refers to all of the processes that an organization makes use of to organize and track its contacts or relationships with prospective and current customers. Hence, CRM covers quite a wide array of activities, departments, and processes, from front desk or first line interactions to analytical and behind the scene procedures. These varied practices are sometimes tracked and monitored using so-called key performance indicators or KPI practices are sometimes tracked and monitored using so-called key performance indicators or KPIs. There will be a good variety of CRM KPI to consider, associated with the different aspects of the entire customer relationship management paradigm.
CRM can be more or less divided into four separate but interrelated aspects: front office operations, back office operations, business relationships, and analysis. Front office operations would refer to that part of the system involving dealing with customers directly, whether face to face or through the phone or the Internet. Back office operations, on the other hand, vary from business to business, and involve those processes necessary to provide the appropriate products or services to the customers. Business relationships, the next aspect of customer relationship management, involve, as the term implies, forming working relationships with other companies and organizations as opposed to clients or customers. That is, these would be the firms that a business finds itself working with, as a manufacturer would work with a distributor, and so on.
Key performance indicators refer to particular measurable quantities or metrics that serve as either the most relevant or most important signs of progress or performance in particular aspects. In practice, they are usually not chosen by themselves or out of nowhere. Instead, they form an integral part of a measurable, objective goal. For instance, such a goal may be Increase gross sales by 10% from 2008 to end of year 2009. The KPI in this case would be gross sales. Of course, this specific example would not be applicable or appropriate to all organizations. Other possible KPI’s could be net profit, customer satisfaction rate, return client percentage, employee turnover, and so on and so forth.
In customer relationship management, some performance metrics may be identified in general. Front office operations, for example, would want to process customers not only quickly, but also thoroughly. That is, not only average handling time or maximum customer capacity is important, but also customer satisfaction ratio and percent of cases fully resolved. For the back office and analysis aspects, on the other hand, other KPIs would be more relevant to consider, mostly relating to the speed and efficiency of information storage, processing, and analysis.
But, of course, CRM KPI would be useless without a solid strategic plan backing them up. It would not help much to measure an assortment of quantities if they are not integrated and considered as painting a whole picture of organizational performance. However, if they are used with the proper context and mindset, metrics and key performance indicators will be able to provide invaluable insight into often mis-estimated overall performance.
Many people wonder why SEO (Search Engine Optimization) matters, especially in small business where resources are limited. While it may be true that some people overrate SEO to the point of magic (make millions in a year, etc.), its hard to argue that SEO is one of the best ways to advertise in the modern Internet age.
Usually, the ones who criticize SEO advertising or have disappointing experiences with an SEO company dont entirely understand how the process works. SEO is a form of advertising, and a form of targeted advertising, in that you only sell to the people who look up your chosen keywords. Who in their right minds would say that advertising is overrated or that targeted advertising is a passing fad?
Technology comes and goes but advertising and marketing are as old as human history. The facts show that SEO advertising is one of the best ways to attract attention online, and no one denies that everyone is on the Internet in 2011, whether they are shopping, surfing, or wasting time playing farm simulator games.
The truth is that SEO doesnt single-handedly make or break a businessyou do. With your efforts, you can strategise and bring your company to new heights or let it stall out by taking a misguided turn. However, SEO must always be a part of your campaign, because search engines are a major part of Internet life.
There are only four major ways to attract attention online: SEO (that is, the articles and texts that make websites), PPC (pay-per-click advertising), banner advertising and news articles/press releases. SEO is not only the most affordable way to advertise, its also the best way to target advertise. Instead of selling your business to random surfers or Googlers, you are selling your services to people who are already interested in your productpeople who have taken the time to type out what they want to buy.
Did you know that an estimated 60% of the market do not invest in SEO? Furthermore, upwards of an estimated 20% dont even know what the term means. This means that once you start a complete SEO 9 campaign, you can expect to reach more of the market than over half of your competitors are reaching.
The fact that SEO is affordable and targeted makes it exceptionally important for small businesses, who cant afford to put off advertising or run an expensive ad to random Internet surfers. Your investment in Search Engine Optimization will help your small business grow!