Business Plan Essentials

The consultants at Corporate Business Solutions help business owners achieve success.  We utilize tried and tested methods to surpass growth goals in the small business arena. Often, a necessary step for small business owners is to revisit their business plan. A business plan is an essential roadmap for business success. This living document generally projects 3-5 years ahead and outlines the route a company intends to take to grow revenues.  Below are details that a strong business plans should include: 

• Executive Summary - Your executive summary is a snapshot of your business plan as a whole and touches on your company profile and goals. Read these tips about what to include. 
• Company Description- Your company description provides information on what you do, what differentiates your business from others, and the markets your business serves. 
• Market Analysis - Before launching your business, it is essential for you to research your business industry, market and competitors. 
• Organization & Management - Every business is structured differently. Find out the best organization and management structure for your business. 
• Service or Product Line- What do you sell? How does it benefit your customers? What is the product lifecycle? Get tips on how to tell the story about your product or service. 
• Marketing & Sales - How do you plan to market your business? What is your sales strategy? Read more about how to include this information in your plan. 
• Funding Request - If you are seeking funding for your business, find out about the necessary information you should include in your plan. 
• Financial Projections - If you need funding, providing financial projections to back up your request is critical. Find out what information you need to include in your financial projections for your small business. 
• Appendix - An appendix is optional, but a useful place to include information such as resumes, permits and leases. Find additional information you should include in your appendix. 
• How to Make Your Business Plan Stand Out - What makes your business unique? Determining this could help you stand out from the crowd and give you advantages over your competitors. 

To learn more about us and / or to schedule your appointment with the business experts at Corporate Business Solutions, call us today at 877-357-9366.

Top Business Trends for Successful Businesses

Corporate Business Solutions  helps business owners access the information that is often necessary for growth in small and medium – size businesses.  As we are already well into 2017, it is time to review the trends that are at the forefront of the business arena: 

1. Crowdfunding - To the surprise of many, globally crowdfunding is trending to surpass venture capital by the end of this year. Smart companies are using crowdfunding to not only raise capital, but to validate products before making substantial investments in product development. 

2. Sales And Content Marketing Become Fully Integrated- As customers and buyers continue to do more online research, top performing organizations continue to integrate sales and content marketing. The goal is to ensure that when customers search for risks, challenges, and implementation strategies associated with your solutions, they will find your content to address their questions.

3. Video Becomes Essential - According to a recent study, video is becoming a critical source of information for executives:

            • More than 80% said they are watching more online video today than they were a year ago.

            • Three-quarters (75%) of executives surveyed said they watch work-related videos on business-related websites at least weekly; more than half (52%) watch work-related videos on YouTube at least weekly.

            • Overall, 65% have visited a vendor’s website after watching a video.

4. New Collaboration Tools Require Rethinking Email - Collaborative tools like Slack are replacing email for internal communication. Started in 2013, Slack surpassed 4 million daily users in October 2016. Though this does not mean that companies will abandon email all together, it does change how you need to think of email.

5. Recurring Revenue - Companies continue to shift from single, up-front payments for products to recurring revenue for a service. Financial markets reward predictable, recurring revenue. Whether it be monthly or annual, smart companies recognize that recurring revenue with a high renewal rate demonstrates perceived customer value.

To learn more about us and / or to schedule your appointment with the business experts at Corporate Business Solutions, call us today at 877-357-9366.

Tips for Moving Your Office Location

The consultants at Corporate Business Solutions help business owners create and implement growth strategies, including the strategy behind moving to a new location. Regardless of the size or scope of your office move, it’s all about the time and detail that you put into the plan. Starting early on a moving plan is crucial to your success. If you have been tasked to work on a move project, you should first recognize that moving is just a process. Break it down into phases and map them onto a timeline. It’s imperative that the details are precisely timed for a smooth transition between sites with little or no downtime. 

Here are easy tips that may help you have a successful move:

1. Develop Checklists – Once the phases are identified, develop comprehensive checklists showing all the details to be tracked and confirmed. Make sure the checklist for each phase is coordinated with your schedule. Ask your team members to contribute to making the checklists comprehensive. Review the checklists frequently to confirm tasks are being completed as planned at each phase and add new items as they arise.
2. Engage Your IT Team Early – IT services are critical to productivity and keeping all systems and processes running smoothly, as well as providing the connection to your customers. Transitioning these services to a new site requires thorough planning. Make relocation of IT and telecom infrastructures a primary area of focus in your plan. Engage your IT team early and work closely with them to time transitions of business-critical systems.
3. Focus on the Plan – Many companies underestimate the time that you and other employees on the team are about to invest in planning and coordinating the office move. Remember, you may also have to balance your existing workload and commitments with moving responsibilities. Make sure your management understands the value in planning and the time commitment required.

To learn more about us and / or to schedule your appointment with the business experts at Corporate Business Solutions, call us today at 877-357-9366.

Employee Training in 2017

Corporate Business Solutions excels in perfecting the organizational aspects of business, including staffing, cost control systems and accounting.  We also create advanced training programs for staff members, which contributes to overall advancement in the workplace. 

Training employees is often a huge undertaking for many managers. However, you can do the following in advance of the employee training session to increase the likelihood that the training you do will actually transfer to the workplace.

• Make sure the need is a training and development opportunity. Do thorough needs and skills analysis to determine the real need for employee training and development. Make sure the opportunity you are pursuing or the problem you are solving is a training issue.

• Create a context for the employee training and development. Provide information for the employee about why the new skills, skill enhancement, or information is necessary. Make certain the employee understands the link between the training and his / her job.

• Provide training and development that is really relevant to the skill you want the employee to attain or the information he needs to expand his work horizons. You may need to design an employee training session internally if nothing from training providers exactly meets your needs. Or, seek out providers who are willing to customize their offerings to match your specific needs.

• Favor employee training and development that has measurable objectives and specified outcomes that will transfer back to the job. Design or obtain employee training that has clearly stated objectives with measurable outcomes. Ascertain that the content leads the employee to attain the skill or information promised in the objectives.

To learn more about us and / or to schedule your appointment with the business experts at Corporate Business Solutions, call us today at 877-357-9366.

Growing Business Trends in 2017

Corporate Business Solutions is knowledgeable of the information necessary for growth in small and medium – size businesses.  As we look into the New Year already upon us, we look to trends that will continue to grow in the business arena:

1. Options for non-technical professionals to become tech-savvy - Technology in your business is now more important than ever. In 2017, technology will be a necessary staple for every business if it expects to compete in today's market. CMS platforms like WordPress allow easy management of a website with minimal technical know-how for people to build their businesses online.

2. Tools to help with personal brand - Personal branding has helped some celebrities, like Oprah Winfrey and the Kardashians, create world-renowned brands. The internet opened up the playing field to make it much more even, so people that may have never been very successful have an opportunity at making it big. Many people are releasing similar products that the competition in the market continues to grow. Personal branding tools will start trending even more, helping businesses gain individuality and reduce the number of direct competitors. Look into personal branding tools to increase business in 2017.

3. Ability to train remote employees - A few years ago, remote employees were not common. Nowadays, tech companies and startups are doing most of their hires remotely. IBM led this trend and many other companies have followed suit. Since meetings can be done over Skype or other video conference platforms and customer service, social media and programming positions only require access to the computer and Internet.  Talented Millennials can be hired for positions no matter where they live.

To learn more about us and / or to schedule your appointment with the business experts at Corporate Business Solutions, call us today at 877-357-9366.

Tips to Stay Productive on a Slow Day

The consultants at Corporate Business Solutions help businesses succeed. When we partner with a business to help with advancement, we often review and revamp employee practices. By doing this, we’ve seen firsthand that many employees don’t utilize slow time as best as possible. 

There’s definitely plenty you can do to pass time on a slow day. However, if you constantly feel that you don't have enough work, talk to your supervisor about long-term tasks or projects that will make better use of your time. 

If your company is experiencing a lull in work, here are suggestions to help you move forward:

• Organize emails- Even if you file every message in your email archives, there are some messages you should save on your company’s shared drive or in your personal files for later use. Save anything involving hiring or HR matters, but also those that you’ve used to diffuse a challenging situation. Also save great feedback you’ve received on projects or comments from a key stakeholder discussing why he or she participates in or loves your product or your work.
• Grab the phone - When you have time, take the opportunity to schedule catch-up calls with your clients and stakeholders. Start with small talk, then ask for their thoughts on how things are going or on any ideas you’ve been bouncing around. You’ll build trust and a spirit of teamwork, and you’ll strengthen the relationship. 
• Help out - If other departments are experiencing a busy season, this may a great opportunity for you to learn about other parts of the organization. If no one needs your assistance, look for new projects. Your boss will be happy that you took the initiative and notice your interest in the organization as a whole.
• Read - If you just have a short time to fill, focus on your professional development. Read articles on leadership, networking, marketing—anything that you’d like to know more about. Get the latest on sector trends or browse the big blogs in your industry. 

To learn more about us and / or to schedule your appointment with the business experts at Corporate Business Solutions, call us today at 877-357-9366.

Tips for Sending Holiday Gifts to Clients

Corporate Business Solutions  is recognized for using expertise, experience and education to access the information that is often necessary for growth in small and medium – size businesses.  

During the holiday season, we know many small business owners are looking for tips for sending out company gifts.  Here are three easy tips that may help you this season:

1. Re-check your list - There’s nothing worse than forgetting someone at a firm who has been a crucial part of your client relationship, so it’s very important to double-check your gift list. Consider including every individual who has played an important role in your business, or send a business-wide gift that everyone in the office can enjoy.
2. Choose the type of gift - Determine whether you want to send a more standard gift, like a basket of cookies, or if you’re going to tailor your gifts to each client. If you decide to send the same gift to each client, avoid cliché gifts, like pens and notepads. Whether you send a standard or custom gift, including a handwritten note or holiday wish shows attention to detail and tells your client that you care about them.
3. Don’t overspend -You don’t have to break the bank on holiday gifts. There are many ways you can express your gratitude without spending a ton of money. In fact, very expensive gifts may backfire by making your client uncomfortable or making them feel pressured to send one in return. You want to stand out, but ultimately, gifts are just a gesture. To avoid overspending on personalized gifts, consider customizing your gifts based on the revenue gained or length of your relationship—it can help you budget proportionately to the income you receive from each client.

To learn more about us and / or to schedule your appointment with the business experts at Corporate Business Solutions, call us today at 877-357-9366.

Small Business Government Contracting

The consultants at Corporate Business Solutions help the owners of small and medium – size business find their path to success.  We can also help contractors navigate through government contracting.  The SBA is also a great source for contractors looking to begin working with the U.S. government. 

U.S. federal government contracts represent a tremendous sales and revenue opportunity for small businesses because:

• The U.S. Government is the world’s largest customer
• It buys all types of products and services in both large and small quantities
• It is required by law to provide opportunities for small businesses

The Government’s Contracting Objectives

As you might expect, the government is very particular about how it purchases products and services. The general aims of the rules and regulations governing federal contracts are to ensure that:

• Competition is fair and open—The process of requesting proposals, evaluating bids, and making awards should take place on a level playing field with full visibility. Any business that is qualified to bid should be considered.
• Products and services are competitively priced. The government seeks pricing that is commensurate with its formidable buying power.
• The government gets what it pays for—The government protects itself by carefully defining requirements, terms and conditions for all purchases. Contractors must document that they have fulfilled all requirements and met all terms in order to be paid.
• Both the government and contractors comply with the law—Different rules and regulations apply to different types of purchases. The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) or Defense Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) apply to most federal agencies. Individual organizations often have their own rules as well.

Government Contracting Opportunities for Small Businesses

The government is particularly concerned to include small businesses as it buys goods and services for several reasons:

• To ensure that large businesses don’t “muscle out” small businesses
• To gain access to the new ideas small businesses are great at providing
• To support small businesses as engines of economic development and job creation
• To offer opportunities to disadvantaged socio-ethnic groups

To these ends, most government agencies “set aside” a percentage of their acquisitions (what they buy) for small and disadvantaged businesses. In some cases, these set-asides might consist of certain types of tasks on larger contracts. In other cases, entire contracts may be designated for small businesses.

To learn more about us and / or to schedule your appointment with the business experts at Corporate Business Solutions, call us today at 877-357-9366.

3 Business Trends for the New Year

Corporate Business Solutions is a leading business consulting firm recognized throughout the United States. We offer the valuable information that is often necessary for growth in the small and medium – size business marketplace.

As we approach 2017, we are looking at business trends that are expected to affect the New Year: 

1. Cyber Security - The number of Internet users with portable devices is constantly increasing. Therefore, the number of cyber-attacks is expected to rise. Companies will continue to be concerned with potential cyber-attacks and privacy data breaches in 2017 and the impact that these incidents could have on them. These incidents can be catastrophic for a company, as customers may not feel secure working with them in the future or they may lose their competitive advantages that led them to success. Existing standards of the cyber security world will need to adapt to the current threat situation. 
2. Advancing Technology - Businesses are expected to invest in harnessing emerging technologies and applying them to their business roadmap. Business owners will focus on developing IT tools (ERM, CRM, etc.) and analytics and on building IT technologies to implement their platforms with insights they get from data mining. This year we will see businesses trying more effectively to leverage breakthroughs in science to use for their business strategy.
3. Improving Employee Engagement - In the upcoming year, all-size businesses will continue their efforts to improve employee engagement. As we have discussed recently, an engaged employee is one who is enthusiastic and fully committed to his job, working hard to achieve organization’s goals and improve brand image. Employee engagement is a competitive advantage for a company through its people. The top three drivers that the organizations should focus in order to maintain or increase employee engagement are career opportunities, brand alignment, and recognition. Companies are launching initiatives to ensure their workplace approach results in the right conditions for all members of an organization to give of their best each day.

To learn more about us and / or to schedule your appointment with the business experts at Corporate Business Solutions, call us today at 877-357-9366.

Business Tips for New Franchises

The consultants at Corporate Business Solutions help the owners of small and medium – size businesses find their path to success.  We realize that many business owners consider franchising because it can provide the opportunity to grow their business fast -- but it may not be for everyone. Below are five important tips that should not be overlooked when planning your franchise model:

1. Have a precise concept - As a business owner, you may be comfortable running on intuition. But as a franchisor, you'll want your franchisees to have a plan in place for even the smallest of daily operations.
2. Carefully chose a franchisee with care - Recruiting the right franchisees is one of the most important aspects of franchising your company. Don’t recruit the first potential person that initiates interest. Refrain from giving the first few franchisees special deals by being consistent in dealing with all members of your network. As a franchisor you must be aware of where the franchisee is getting their funding and what their repayment terms are. Lastly, a franchisee should be entrepreneurial minded but not so much that they cannot work within the franchisor’s system.
3. Invest in stringent training- Solid training benefits both the franchisee and the franchisor. Training helps franchisees ensure their employees have the right skills as well as rise to challenges that will most certainly come.
4. Keep tight controls- Control begins with the franchisor providing significant help in operating the business with a proven marketing plan. Beyond this initial start, it encompasses numerous aspects of the franchisee’s operations: promotional campaigns, accounting practices, personnel policies and being clear on hours of operation are just a few.

To learn more about us and / or to schedule your appointment with the business experts at Corporate Business Solutions, call us today at 877-357-9366.

Savvy Tips for Business Travel

Corporate Business Solutions  is recognized in the small business industry for using our expertise, experience and education to access the information that is often necessary for growth in small and medium – size businesses.  We help overhaul a business, including implementing accounting systems, information systems, organizing employees and improving productivity, which often results in maximum success.

We know that travel is required for many business leaders today.  Work travel is often welcomed, but it can also be daunting and tedious. For those with business travel on their upcoming schedules, we have fun tips that may help with your travel experience: 

1. Get elite status: Nothing beats having being an elite member of an airline insofar as travel goes as the perks are just great: Faster lines, free seat upgrades, first class upgrades, the ability to use their lounge in the airport, etc. You can do this by obtaining and using a frequent flier mileage number as well as getting an airline credit card. 
2. Invest in a great four-wheeled rollaway: Not only is checking bags is for amateurs, but a great rolling bag makes travel so much easier since a rollaway with four wheels can stand without you having to touch it, thus freeing your hands.
3. Purchase noise cancelling headphones: Although they are not cheap, they are worth it. Being able to shut out loud neighbors, a crying baby or engine noise when you are seated above the wing can be critical to your comfort. 
4. Skip car rental insurance: Not only does your normal auto insurance probably cover any problem you may have with your rental, but often your credit card does too.
5. Download helpful apps: There are many great apps available that make travel easier, and here are some of the most popular:

• TripIt - Turns flights, hotel, and car reservations into a simple itinerary. Additionally, the app allows you to get flight status, driving directions, and more.
• SeatGuru - Gives you detailed airline seat analysis, comments about seats which have limited recline, less legroom, bad windows, etc.
• TripAdvisor- When going to a new city, these crowdsourcing reviews of hotels, restaurants and more are invaluable. TripAdvisor is the world’s second-most-popular travel app (Google Earth is #1); it is estimated that it is downloaded 25 times per minute.

To learn more about us and / or to schedule your appointment with the business experts at Corporate Business Solutions, call us today at 877-357-9366.

Managing Employee Time Off During the Holiday Season

Corporate Business Solutions is a leading business consulting firm that works with businesses that have a minimum of 10 employees and $1 million in revenue. We offer the critical information that is often necessary for growth in the small and medium – size business marketplace.

Business owners often struggle with the influx in requested employee vacation time during the holiday season.  In fact, at no other time of the year do companies have to field multiple requests for time off. If handled poorly, this could hurt the business at an otherwise busy time of year – not to mention it can hinder your culture and brand.

To prevent potential problems you may have this year, we have general tips to help manage employee holiday time off:

1. Be organized - Many industrial businesses have their holiday schedule planned well in advance, and there’s no reason why a small business can’t do the same.  Send workplace emails and hold a brief discussion early in the year to help avoid any last minute challenges. 
2. Keep seasonal workers– When managing a business that is busier during the holiday season, or you realize many staff members will be gone during one specific time, a helpful option is to keep seasonal workers that you can utilize when you need extra help. It’s also a good idea to keep in contact with these part-timers through the year so you’ll know their availability in advance. 
3. Offer holiday pay - Money may be the main objective for many employees, even if it means they won’t be with their family during the holidays. Therefore, offering a holiday pay differential can keep your business staffed.  However, this practice should be part of the company’s structure and not something you offer just to entice an employee not to take off.  
4. Introduce a vacation blackout period - For some businesses, particularly retail, the holidays are the busiest time of year. This usually means the location needs a full staff, and often extra help. If your business falls into this category, a way to prevent employees from taking off is to have a blackout period where no one can take off.
5. Let employees work at home. These days pretty much everybody has a laptop, iPad or smartphone that enables them to work remotely. If your staff doesn’t have to be on site, letting them work at home during the holidays can be a productive way to get things done without having to bring in additional staff. 

To learn more about us and / or to schedule your appointment with the business experts at Corporate Business Solutions, call us today at 877-357-9366.

Tips to Begin a New Workplace Procedure

Corporate Business Solutions is recognized for our exceptional ability to create and implement new policies and procedures that help small and medium – size businesses thrive and grow in their respected industries.  

Common workplace policies may include:

• code of conduct
• recruitment policy
• internet and email policy
• mobile phone policy
• social media policy
• non-smoking policy
• drug and alcohol policy
• health and safety policy
• anti-discrimination and harassment policy

If you’ve already established the need of a new policy in your business, here are tips that may help you ensure a successful implementation:

1. Management support - It is crucial to have management support for the implementation or modification of a policy, especially where policies relate to employee behavior. The endorsement and modeling of the behavior by managers and supervisors will encourage staff to take the policies seriously. While management support for a policy is an important first step before actively seeking employee feedback on a proposed policy, the idea for the policy and some of its details may in fact come from staff.
2. Consult with staff - Involve staff in developing and implementing workplace policies to promote stronger awareness, understanding and ownership of the outcome. Staff involvement also helps to determine how and when the policies might apply, and can assist in identifying possible unintentional outcomes of the policy.
3. Define the terms of the policy- Be very specific. Define key terms used in the policy at the beginning so that employees understand what is meant. You may wish to include specific examples to illustrate problem areas or unacceptable types of behaviors.
4. Publicize the new policies - To be effective, policies need to be publicized and provided to all existing and new employees. Policies should be written so it can be easily understood by all employees. Ensure all staff understand what the policies mean, how to comply with the policies and the implications of not complying.
5. Training and regular referral- The policies may be explained to staff through information and/or training sessions, at staff meetings and during induction sessions for new staff. They should also be reiterated and discussed with staff regularly at staff meetings to ensure they remain relevant. Copies of policies should be easily accessible. 
6. Implementation- It is important that policies are applied consistently throughout the workplace. A breach of a policy should be dealt with promptly and according to the procedures set out in the policy. The consequence of the breach should also suit the severity of the breach – whether it be a warning, disciplinary action or dismissal.
7. Evaluate and review - Review policies regularly to ensure they are current and in line with any changes. Where policies are significantly changed they should be re-issued to all staff and the changes explained to them to ensure they understand the new directions. These changes should also be widely publicized.

To learn more about us and / or to schedule your complimentary appointment with the business experts at Corporate Business Solutions, call us at 877-357-9366.

Tips to Help Eliminate Business Failure

Corporate Business Solutions has the expertise to help small and medium – size business access valuable information that is often necessary to achieve success in the business arena.  By understanding critical business necessities, it is easier to avoid failure in business. 

Here are important factors that can greatly affect the growth of any business: 

1. Leadership: Dysfunctional leadership in your business will trickle down and affect every aspect of your operation, from financial management to employee morale, and once productivity is hindered, failure looms large on the horizon. Do whatever you can to enhance your leadership skills and knowledge of the industry. 
2. Brand recognition: Your brand is the image your customers recognize and associate with your business. Your brand identity, including your logo, tagline, colors and all the visible aesthetics and business philosophies that represent your company should be supported by your value proposition. It should separate you from the pack and present your individual perspective to your customers. 
3. Customers: A successful business keeps its eye on the trending values and interests of its existing and potential customers. Survey customers and find out what their interests are and keep abreast of changes and trends using customer relationship management (CRM) tools. Effective use of CRM can help keep your business from failing.
4. Finances: Use professional business accounting software to keep records of all financial transactions, including all expenditures and revenues received, and use this information to generate not only profit and loss statements, but critical variable reports that tracks the financial trends in the business to show important variances from week to week, month to month, and year to year. This is valuable information that you need to run your business, know where you stand at all times, keep it operating in the black and know where you need to make changes.  If you lack skill in financial management, consider hiring a tax advisor and professional bookkeeper or certified public accountant to help manage your financial affairs.

To learn more about us and / or to schedule your complimentary appointment with the business experts at Corporate Business Solutions, call us at 877-357-9366.

Tips for Starting a Wholesale Business

The team at Corporate Business Solutions is renowned for their expertise in many industries, including the wholesale business. 

Starting a wholesale business may be easier than you think. There are several different types of wholesale business that you could start, some of which can be run entirely over the internet without pre-purchasing stock. Ultimately, you may be able to start a wholesale business quickly, easily and with little or no capital investment.

If you’re looking to start a wholesale business, we have general tips that may help you: 

1. Identify the industry you want to be in - It's generally advantageous to have knowledge of the industry before starting a business and often easier to get started if you know the products, manufacturers and retailers that you'll be working with. If you are considering starting a wholesale business in a new industry you should research industries of interest and contact potential suppliers for product information, terms and pricing. Ideally you should look to sell products that you feel passionate about and believe in, within a market that is not over-saturated and too competitive.

2. Recognize your market – You must determine who you will sell to. Consider these factors:

• What will be your customer demographic be?
• Where will they be located geographically?
• Will you need to ship goods or operate on a drop-ship basis with your suppliers?
• If you have to ship goods, how much will it cost you?

3. Review competition - Check out the wholesalers your new business would compete with. The less competition your new wholesale business has the easier it will be for you to break into the market and capture the business you will need to sustain long-term success for your venture. .  

To learn more about us and / or to schedule your complimentary appointment with the business experts at Corporate Business Solutions, call us at 877-357-9366.

Tips to Help Improve the Employee Review Process

At Corporate Business Solutions , we have the expertise to help your small to medium – size business access the knowledge that is often needed to achieve success.  

In order to maintain a positive workplace, we recognize that employees must be cohesive while working towards similar goals. One way that business owners can help streamline this is to implement and / or improve upon their employee reviews and make them into an effective communication, goal setting and development tool for their workforce.  

Here are five tips that business owners can use to help improve their employee review process:

1. Use the review document at least quarterly to assess employee progress. The review document is a useful discussion starter since it provides a running record of employee performance discussions all year. It also offers a picture of the employee's accomplishments and progress throughout the year.​
2. Provide feedback to employees regularly - not just in the annual review.  Employees like regular feedback and effective business owners take time every day for employee feedback. 
3. Engage the employees in a two-way discussion whenever their performance is the topic. You can improve the review process by involving the employee in the discussion all year long. Then the official review is just an extension of the normal performance discussion.
4. Improve reviews by using an employee self-appraisal prior to the review. This way, you can also see the employee’s feedback on their progress and struggles. 
5. Set goals in a way that reinforces the employee's ability to plan and implement the steps necessary to reach the goal. The review must support and strengthen the employee's empowerment, his or her ability to chart the course to successful accomplishments. 

To learn more about us and / or to schedule your complimentary appointment with the business experts at Corporate Business Solutions, call us at 877-357-9366.

Determining a Fitting Charity to Partner With

The business experts at Corporate Business Solutions know firsthand that small businesses looking to be philanthropic have many options today. Our business experts can help business owners navigate the world of charity. 

If your business is looking to establish a new corporate giving program, we have some tips that may help you determine a fitting charity to partner with:

1. Research charities: 

• Identify what factors are important to you and your business, such as the environment, education, animal welfare, children, etc. 
• Decide if you want to partner with a charity that does work in a specific area, including your neighborhood, region, the nation or internationally.
• Determine if you want to support a large or small charity, a new or an old one.
• Review the mission. Are their goals in line with the goals of your philanthropic endeavors?

1. Evaluate your list of charities:

• Check a charity's legitimacy. Does the IRS recognize the organization as tax exempt? If the organization is faith-based, you can ask to see its official listing in a directory for its denomination.
• Obtain the facts. A reputable organization will define its mission and programs clearly, have measurable goals and use concrete criteria to describe its achievements.
• Be sure to compare charities that do the same kind of work, especially if you're looking at their finances. The type of work a charity does can affect its operating costs dramatically.
• Avoid charities that won't share information or pressure you. Reputable nonprofits will discuss their programs and finances and are willing to send you literature about their work or direct you to a Website.

To learn more and / or to schedule your complimentary appointment with the experts at Corporate Business Solutions, call us at 877-357-9366.

Note-taking Apps for Small Businesses

The business professionals at Corporate Business Solutions are renowned for solving the complex and unique business challenges our clients are experiencing in the multifaceted business world.  We are committed to bringing the positive change that your business needs to have sustainable growth and profits.  

We review and analyze your business so we can create protocols to improve functionality. Our experts will help your staff become more productive and efficient.  Often, we help employees integrate apps into the workplace. 

With the right program, a smartphone or tablet can be multifunctional.  Many entrepreneurs especially appreciate note-taking apps. Digital notes have many advantages over the traditional pen-and-paper counterparts, including eliminating loss and adding convenience.

If you’re considering adding a note-taking app into your workplace, here are three free options:

• Papyrus is a multiplatform app designed to let you jot down notes and sketch out ideas on your mobile device using a stylus or your fingertip. The notes engine lets you cut, copy and paste items between pages, and features touch gestures so you can zoom and pan around your notes easily. Once you're finished, you can sort your notes by category, and export them to share with colleagues, co-workers or employees. For iOS, Android and Windows Phone.
• Evernote lets you dictate or manually enter notes, snap photos, create to-do-lists and more. The app features text identification, which can recognize and index printed — and even handwritten — text. That means you can search for specific words, whether they're in a PDF, a typed memo or a photographed note scrawled on a scrap of paper. Evernote is available for a wide range of platforms, including iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Mac and PC, so you can access your notes on any machine and stay organized. 
• Simplenote prides itself on being a simple app. It excludes most of the extras that you’ll find in apps like Evernote , but the tradeoff is that it’s a lot easier to use. You can quickly create new notes and add bullet points. It also allows you to search through your notes with keywords.  Compatible with iOS and Android.

To learn more and / or to schedule your complimentary appointment with the experts at Corporate Business Solutions, call us at 877-357-9366.

Marketing Ideas for Entrepreneurs

The business professionals at Corporate Business Solutions are renowned for solving the complex and unique business challenges our clients are experiencing in the multifaceted business world.  We are committed to bringing the positive change that your business needs to have sustainable growth and profits.  

As a small business, you may think it's impossible to get the word out about what you do. That's no excuse. And you don't need fads or gimmicks. Follow the proven, timeless tips and techniques to help get the word out about your business and watch it grow.

• Attend Networking Events – Small business owners should research relevant organizations and then attend and present at events in town. Your contribution to the overall community makes you relevant.
• Volunteer to Lead an Organization - The secret to getting the most out of a group or organization is not just to attend but to lead. Become an authority and people will automatically associate your name with success.  
• Start a Podcast – Launch a podcast and interview other business owners.  People love to tell their story, and by highlighting them on a podcast you make an instant and meaningful connection. It's also a great way to get an education on a topic you are interested in.
• Send a Weekly E-mail - If you want to stay in relationship with your customers, there is nothing simpler than creating a weekly e-mail that provides something of value. 
• Support a Cause- Successful philanthropic endeavors are built steadily over time. The impact comes not just from which organizations receive funding but also the development of positive, lasting relationships between companies and their communities.
• Create a Cool Giveaway- When determining what your company will give away, make sure it's something valuable that won’t be thrown out or lost!

To learn more and / or to schedule your complimentary appointment with the experts at Corporate Business Solutions, call us at 877-357-9366.

Negotiating a Business Lease

Whether it’s an office lease, sales terms or a contract, negotiating is part of every small business owner’s life. But unless your former work experience required you to engage in negotiations, you may not feel overly confident in your negotiating skills.  Business owners can turn to the experts at 

Corporate Business Solutions for help with this daunting task. 

Our mission is to deliver amazing outcomes for clients based on professionally set expectations.  This means we solve the complex and unique business challenges our clients are experiencing in the multifaceted business world, including negotiating a business lease. 

If you’re considering negotiating your business lease soon, here are tips to help you improve your negotiating skills:

1. Perform due diligence. Know the average cost of the type of commercial space you’re seeking—retail, office or industrial. A commercial real estate broker can show you historical data for the region, and you can research prices online. 

2. Define your needs. Consider location, space, infrastructure, parking, storage, etc. Create a checklist of your needs and wants, specifying which are optional and which are essential.

3. Obtain professional help. Real estate brokers work for landlords and receive commission on the lease’s value, so while they can offer a lot of useful information, it’s also important to consult an unbiased professional experienced in commercial real estate.

4. Understand the law. Make sure you clearly define what uses the property is permitted for and that there are no zoning regulations or laws that could adversely affect your business.

5. Put it in Writing. Before viewing properties, make a list of questions to ask the broker and landlord. Never negotiate based on a verbal offer. Get terms in writing and have your attorney review them. Commercial landlords generally expect you to make a written counter-offer, too.

6. Discuss potential developments. If you need to remodel the property to suit your business, be sure you know what improvements can be made to the space, who will pay for them, who will oversee the work, and whether you’re expected to restore the space to its original state if you move.

7. Ask about subleasing. Getting the rights to sublease part or all of your space to another tenant protects you from breaking the lease if you must move unexpectedly. It also helps you cover costs if you’re leasing more space than you currently need in anticipation of growth.

To learn more and / or to schedule your complimentary appointment with the business consultants at Corporate Business Solutions, call us at 877-357-9366.