A Hangover Cure for Your January Finances

Christmas is a busy time for many small businesses. Paying wages early, an expensive Christmas party, and the increased chance of being paid late by your customers all mean you might find yourself in pain in the first few weeks of the New Year. And just as people make resolutions for themselves at the start of the year, many businesses get ready to hit the ground running in January. It’s not an ideal time, then, to be hit with a big tax bill. But this is exactly what happens to a huge number of businesses in the UK — whether it’s PAYE, VAT, or even corporation tax that’s due, a lot of different quarterly or annual bills can come up in January.

So what can business owners do to avoid a financial hangover caused by their January tax bill?

We’re not going to suggest raw eggs, hair of the dog, or a cold shower — but here’s a few ways you can shake it off and get your business’s New Year’s resolution back on track.

What are the implications if you don’t pay your tax bill?

It’s risky business to delay paying tax you owe. Last year, they ordered 3,000 businesses to shut down because of late tax bill payments. Of course, in some cases, businesses receive a slap on the wrist. This might tempt you to take your chances, but it’s really not worth the risk, and here’s why:

If HMRC take enforcement action because you haven’t paid your tax bill, it can cause your business serious problems. They might take you to court, pass your debt on to a debt-collection agency, or even close down your business. None of those options are good — and it doesn’t matter if you can’t or won’t pay.

So the best thing you can do is pay the bill as quickly as you can. If you don’t have enough working capital to do it, or paying the bill in full would leave you in a tight spot in terms of cashflow, short-term finance might be a good idea. If you’re really struggling, talk to HMRC!

Be honest with HMRC

It sounds obvious, but keeping the lines of communication open is really important in times like this. It’s no use running around trying to get the funds together to pay if HMRC don’t know — they could take enforcement action in the meantime. So make sure you’re honest and open with them, and they know that although you can’t pay now, you’re making plans to do so.

Bear in mind that if HMRC agree for you to delay payment or pay in installments, you’ll still have to pay interest and late fees. In other words, coming to an agreement with HMRC might save you from enforcement action, but will still leave you worse off than paying the bill in full before it’s due.

If you need any more convincing that it’s a bad idea to delay paying HMRC, bear in mind that many lenders will turn you down for finance if you have an outstanding tax bill, which limits your options even further. Overall, you need to be proactive and make a plan — with an overdue bill from HMRC, the absolute worst thing you can do is nothing.

What can you do about it?

If you don’t have the working capital to pay your tax bill outright, you might consider getting short-term finance to see you through the first few weeks of the New Year. At times like this, your accountant could prove very useful — talk to them to figure out an action plan, and see if there is any wiggle room on your balance sheet.

As we’ve seen, if at all possible the best thing you can do is pay the bill in full as soon as you can. If doing that leaves you without much working capital left over, think about what would happen in an emergency. And if there’s no way you can pay it, look at all your options — talk to HMRC, and think about approaching finance providers if you need to bridge the gap. Here are some of the options worth considering:

Overdraft alternatives

If you don’t need a huge amount to make up the difference, a cashflow facility similar to a bank overdraft makes sense. Lenders differ in exactly what they offer, but generally you’ll agree a maximum limit, borrow up to it whenever you need to, and only pay interest on what you use — useful for short-term hiccups like a big tax bill after Christmas!

Short term loans

Term loans aren’t as fashionable as peer-to-peer lending (or so-called ‘marketplace lending’) at the moment, but could be perfect for getting you through a few weeks or a few months of temporary difficulty. They’re suitable for a wide range of businesses, although you will need some kind of security or a robust trading history.

Invoice finance

If your firm trades on credit, January can be particularly bad for late-paid invoices from clients. With invoice finance you can get an advance of cash before your client has paid, so you don’t have to be left hanging. That means you can pay your bills on time, even if your customer isn’t doing the same!

Conclusion

Tax bills catch everyone by surprise — believe it or not, even accountancy firms can get a nasty surprise from HMRC in January. It’s always going to be hard to come up with a lump sum, particularly for the larger quarterly or bi-annual payments, so be prepared and have a plan. If it doesn’t work out perfectly, there’s a range of alternative finance that can help.

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The 3 Risks of Not Making Your E-Commerce Site Secure

According to the FBI, preventing computer fraud, network intrusions and identify theft are the key priorities of their Cyber Crime branch. Cyber-crime is on the rise as more consumers rely on the Internet and mobile technology to do things like shopping, banking and investing. As illustrated below, insecure e-commerce sites will result in serious risks and financial losses.

Vulnerability to Hackers

Everyone is aware that websites, networks and email accounts are vulnerable to hacking attacks. However, more and more consumers are primarily accessing the Internet through their smart phones. As a result, hackers are taking advantage of the lack of mobile security technology standards to target smart phones. According to Computer Weekly, Blue Coat Systems’ research shows that mobile attacks are becoming more common and malicious. For example, one of the most infamously popular methods is cyber-blackmail, when mobile ransomware penetrates and takes over a user’s phone. In order to unlock their phone, the user is required to pay money or divulge personal information. In addition to this, spyware is the second most popular malware program. After it surreptitiously installs itself on the user’s phone, spyware programs will monitor online habits, behaviors and preferences. Therefore, online consumers are naturally apprehensive about e-commerce sites that appear suspicious. When they arrive at the check-out page, they may not end up purchasing because they aren’t sure if credit card information will be safe. The best way to overcome this problem is through having well-recognized security certifications that will dispel any consumer concerns over financial and identity theft. For example, a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) will encrypt consumer information the moment it’s entered on the website. In order to raise consumer awareness, be sure to provide visual clues and colored icons that alert online consumers when they are in a secure or insure part of the website.

Data Breaches

According to technology magazine Wired, mobile giant T-Mobile recently suffered one of the biggest data breaches in business history. T-Mobile had contracted with credit rating agency Experian to perform credit checks on potential customers. However, savvy hackers stole the personal information of approximately 15 million people. This included basic information, such as names and birthdays, and encrypted sensitive information, such as social security and drivers’ license numbers. While there was no financial or banking information, there is still plenty of information for cyber-criminal to commit identity fraud. Online identity theft is the biggest risk of unsecure e-commerce sites. Consider the fact that online consumers must submit both personal and financial information in order to make a purchase. Therefore, an unsecure site is a gold mine for unscrupulous hackers to target. After stealing the personal data, they can sell every victim’s personal information for anywhere from 50 to 100 dollars through underground, online black markets. Once dishonest individuals obtain this information, they can do anything from open a mortgage to apply for credit cards.

Business Interruptions 

As mentioned above, hackers that breach websites can steal information for personal gain. However, as a result of this, customers and the public will lose confidence in the company. For example, in just one night, T-Mobile lost the confidence of 15 million current and potential customers. Assuredly, there will be millions of potential customers who will avoid doing business with T-Mobile in the future. Consequently, insecure e-commerce sites may result in a serious PR debacle that will need the expert assistance of a costly reputation management to restore consumer and investor confidence. 

Keep in mind that a massive data breach or loss of consumer confidence over insecure websites will disrupt business, drive customers away and reduce revenue. There may be other unforeseen financial costs, such as legal fees or IPR lawsuits. There may also be other problems, such as strained partner relationships or government regulatory body investigations.

In summary, an insecure e-commerce site is a recipe for PR, operational and financial disaster. Companies can minimize these risks through following standard online security protocols, investing in cutting edge security programs and incorporating online risk management into executive strategic planning.

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5 Reasons Why Small Business Should Work With a Financial Broker

For those who aren’t that familiar with the term, Commercial Mortgage is a type of mortgage loan acquired for the development of commercial property. This can certainly be a great way how SMEs can benefit from Commercial Mortgage to expand their businesses. Due to their lack of experience and credibility, it is often hard for small enterprises to get easy access to loans and funding. Thus securing a loan through a commercial broker is a great way to get more funds for additional operations in a growing business. Listed below are the various reasons why working with a commercial broker is beneficial for small businesses and startups.

Lender Contacts

The number one reason for working with a commercial broker is the sheer number of contacts they have. As a business owner, you can do additional research to get a huge list of lenders whom you can contact. Nevertheless, there’s hardly a chance you can make much progress without proper reference of a repute broker. Helping lenders invest their money is the bread and butter of a business finance broker. Thus working with one will provide you access to a plethora of lenders to expand your growing business.

Lower Risk

Without a reputed broker, there’s a high chance that you will end up getting financed by a single lender. While that doesn’t sound bad, working with a single lender has a plethora of problems. The loan approval time is often long and several terms are non-negotiable due to the lack of options. Also, there might be a chance that you loan may not get approved at all. Such instances can be extremely devastating on your company’s morale and should be avoided. As a commercial broker arrange finances from a huge list of lenders and the terms are certainly more negotiable. A commercial broker will also provide a surety of you getting the desired finance lowering the risk of failures.

Additional Support

A good commercial or business finance broker not only provides assured finances from lenders, but will also provide additional support. Regular updates of your loan status, helpline and accounting solutions etc. are the various services that a repute commercial broker offers their clients. This not only provides a much needed respite to the business owners, but also provides them with a chance to work with seasoned professionals in the finance industry.

Protection from Over-hyped Interest Rates

You certainly cannot hope to win a court case without a lawyer, then why do the same with commercial mortgage? Working with the broker will not only ensure that you get the desired funds, but will also support you in negotiating the interest rates with the lenders. A good broker will accompany you during all the meetings with the clients and lenders, and will do their best in getting you a good deal.

Financial Advice

There are several benefits of working with an experienced financial broker. Being the owner of a startup, you would certainly want to learn more about managing your finances by working with experienced professionals. A financial broker not just helps you get the required finances but will also help you in managing the acquired funds and putting them to best use. Small business owners can certainly learn a lot when working with an experienced commercial finance broker.

Trying to get a commercial mortgage without a broker is like going to the court without a lawyer. The above reasons not only prove how important commercial brokers are, but also show that for a little fee, small businesses can say goodbye to their financial worries.

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Office Design for Optimum Productivity

In this post we take a look at office design and how it can influence productivity. We look at a few core principles in interior design including colour, ergonomics, clutter and light.

It’s all about the Colour

Some studies have shown that the colour of an office can have a direct impact on employees. To understand the science of colour, here are a few hues to consider, and the effect that they’ll have.

Blue:

Blue is a very stabilising colour, and encourages a calm environment, full of productivity and focus.

Green:

Green is great for people who work long hours, keeping them on-task and invigorated.

 Yellow:

Yellow boosts creativity and optimism in the office. If you want a cheery and productive environment, this is a great option.

 Red:

For physical jobs, the colour red has been shown to increase the heart rate, as well as emotions like passion.

Depending on what you need for your office, just changing the colour of your walls could lead to fantastic results. If you don’t want the hassle of deciding the décor for yourself, you can enlist the services of an office planner, such as Opus 4, or you can specifically hire a designer for your rebrand.

Ergonomics

It doesn’t get simpler than this: if your wrists or your shoulders are in pain, due to poor ergonomics, you’re not going to be a very productive employee – you might even have to take time off work to rest your injuries. Ergonomics are so important. All offices should be set out with them in mind. That means investing in equipment that will stop employees from feeling as if a demon has been stomping on their spine all day. Make your workers as comfortable as possible.

Get Rid Of Clutter

Clutter is distracting. There is a reason why many people choose to tidy up before they do anything practical. A clean office makes space for new ideas and fresh minds. Clutter everywhere can get oppressive and bring people down.

Bring Nature Indoors

Some offices don’t really come with window views, or if they do, they’re not always pleasantly green. Bring nature into the office by investing in plants that are hard to kill, such as succulents. Plants help to filter toxins out of the air and keep employees productive.

Let In Light

Nobody wants to live in a dungeon. Letting in lots of light helps to create a spacious feeling, and it’s often uplifting for employees to have a lot of natural rays coming through the windows. It will boost energy and creativity throughout the office. Darkness is often depressing and slows people down.

Get Rid Of Open Plan

Although an open plan office seems to be preferred these days (as people believe that the pressure of being looked at all day will make employees work harder) but really it’s just heavily distracting. With people talking and moving around members of staff all day, you need the concentration of a saint to keep your mind on your work. Give people the peace that they need to crack on.

Movement

Some employees will just sit at their desk all day. This lack of movement is bad for their bodies, but also bad for their productivity. Everyone needs to move around and take short breaks. Encourage movement throughout working hours, even if that’s a klaxon that goes off every two hours, signalling that employees should do some stretches or jump around!

What’s your office set-up like? Is there a specific structure of colour that increases your production levels? Comment below if you’ve got any helpful office interior tips!

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Five Online Training Essentials

There’s a lot of buzz about online learning. From academic institutions embracing ‘blended learning’ to people sharing their knowledge via internet forums, online education is taking an increasingly central role in the way we train and educate people

As a small business person, it’s vital that you regularly upgrade your skills and those of your employees. Staying ahead of the competition is crucial for any business, but especially for the cash conscious small business, where tight margins make every penny count.

So, how do you determine the right online training program to maximize ROI and achieve long-term benefits for you and your employees?

Flexible

Online training should be flexible. You and your staff have busy schedules; your training should work with existing priorities, not dictate them.

The need for flexibility is why, without question, one of online training’s most valuable aspects is that it’s just that, online. You can do it from home or your office or wherever else your mobile signal carries.

While the flexibility is vital, you will need to find the program that’s right for you and your team. Some people need the occasional hard deadline to stay on track, while others are better with an open-ended approach.

One way to provide structure and incentives for learners while maintaining flexibility is using badges or other signals of achievement and completion. Many institutions have begun using this method, with the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) of the Republic of Ireland providing a good example of the badge system in action.

Engaging

Online learning MUST engage the students. For that matter, of course, so must in-class education. Anyone who has ever taught a class at Uni or run a corporate seminar will know how difficult maintaining engagement can be.

Online training has especial difficulty with this element, however. Many students can have difficulty staying focused and engaged with online training over the long-term. It is essential that the course you choose offers innovative means of keeping your students interested and engaged.

Engaging online learning can employ a variety of technologies to keep students invested in the program, including chat forums, Skype sessions, discussion threads, shared screens, and shared files with multiple users.

Gamification is another exciting development in learning that is especially useful in the digital environment. E=mz2’s game-based sales training, for example, offers interactive scenarios where students can apply the skills they’ve learned in class to real world scenarios.

However they do it, an online training system must keep the attention of its students if it is to achieve long-term educational gains.

Peer-Based/Community

Real world connections and training based in a community are another essential for online training success. A healthy, active community can be a huge advantage for students.

There seems to be a boundless source of help and assistance available via the internet. For all the trolls out there, and all their nastiness, it’s truly amazing how many people are willing to help total strangers out online. Chat programs, forums, wikis, and user-generated FAQs all serve to pool knowledge and create communities around subject matter.

There are many peer-managed/reviewed training programs available that provide collaborative and interactive online training. Open-sourced training programs like Codecademy, for example, leverage online communities to supplement their training software, using P2P engagement to enhance the user experience.

Standards

One of the biggest questions is whether your training program is really worthwhile? Who sets the standards for online training programs? While colleges and universities differ in their standards and curriculum, there are plenty of reviews and standards out there to ensure you have a good idea about the quality of education you’ll receive.

Online training programs sometimes, however, do not have the same sort of official accreditation as established physical institutions. It’s important that you search out a program’s accreditations, reviews, past graduates, and other information to ensure you have found a credible institution.

Fortunately, progress on standardization is being made. The Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) standardizes the functionality of online training, helping to ensure that most online training programs are interoperable.

Cost

The cost of online training varies widely. From professional designations and university courses, to industry specific training courses and online forums, you can find training at any budget.

In the case of higher education institutions, you likely won’t save much money directly. Despite the fact that online education doesn’t put the same requirements on a physical campus, course providers from colleges and universities often offer a similar rate for courses as equivalent courses at a physical campus. That said, students can save in terms of travel time and expenses. Without any need to commute, buy lunch, or move their residence, students save money and reduce the impact of their schooling on their day-to-day life.

Academic institutions are only one option. There are hundreds of courses offered through companies helping you develop anything from industry specific skills to improving organizational structures to personal development.

There are also a ton the free courses. There are a proliferation of courses offered by companies, individuals or groups who simply want to share their knowledge. These represent sharing knowledge in the best traditions of the web.

When choosing the right course for your company, the essential question is not of money, it’s of value. Will the investment in money, and in time, achieve ROI for your business?

Conclusion

Online training is a revolution in learning. It brings the potential to learn about anything to anyone, anywhere. With constant innovations in the approaches to learning and idea creation, online training will continue playing an important role in the modern learning experience.

When choosing the course that’s right for your business, take the time to review it by the factors above. It may be cheap, but is it engaging or accredited? Is it flexible, with a great community, but no standards?

Before committing your valuable time and energy, be sure to review the program to make sure it’s right for you and your budget.

 

 

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Making Money is Killing Your Business

I am a huge fan of the German approach to business. The mittlestand, family businesses that are homegrown, anchored in the locality, with a long term multi generational perspective, focused on creating wealth. Particularly “Hidden champions” opened my eyes.

So I was very taken with “Making money is killing your business”.

Time to grow up

It is time for a lot of business owners to grow up. It is time for businesses to grow up. Chuck Blakeman has an interesting perspective on start ups and small business. Too many do not grow up and you have created your own job, not your own business.

The tyranny of the urgent

He refers to it as the tyranny of the urgent versus the priority of the important.

Urgent is reactive, short term and defensive and is the treadmill of making money. Important is proactive and long term. It is about making money versus building a business.

Wealth

It comes down to the definition of wealth, which is the ability to choose what do with your time and your money. Can you?

  • Are you the main producer/deliverer by choice or necessity?
  • Does the business make money when you are somewhere else?
  • Are you making decision based on where you are, or where you want to be?

Chuck blames the focus on exit and selling your business. In his view that is similar to selling your children. Why would you invest all that love, time and passion to sell it off, instead of creating an ongoing stream of long term wealth?

Time and money are at a premium

Gallup research tells that the average business owners work 52 hours a week (hose are the lazy or lucky ones). They work 6 days a week, some have zero vacation and when they do over 50% still answer work related e-mails and calls. Only 3% of business owners create 86% of the revenue in the USA. So time and money are at a premium. How can you earn more money in less time?

Are you on the treadmill?

According to Blakeman there are seven stages of business

Stage 1 Concept and start up
the trick here is to move as quick as possible from dreaming to doing. Dreaming includes thinking, researching and planning. The number one indication of success is the speed of execution.

Stage 2 Survival
you have burned a lot of fuel, time is grinding, sales are difficult and you are focused on making money. You are now on treadmill of urgent.

Stage 3 Subsistence
you can pay your bills and are making money. There is little time to relax and your focus is on keeping it going. If you don’t watch it you are back in stage 2.

Stage 4 Stability
you are making a net profit and you have freedom money to spend. You can choose what you can do with your money. Time is still a big issue. You have created yourself a well paid job. You are an employee of yourself. An hostage to your own business.

Stage 1 to 4 are treadmills. You focused on the wrong question, which is “How do I make money”. Making money is NOT an empowering vision.

You need to get off the business treadmill!

The basics of a mature business are that you are not the main producer and it makes money when you are not there. Which moves us to stage 5 to 7.

Stage 5 Success
you have shifted your mindset to building a business versus building a job. You are moving from production to process. This is where Chuck introduces “freedom mapping”, which is a version of process mapping that brings clarity to what people are supposed to do and how it fits into the overall customer delivery process. It makes things consistent, repeatable and replicable.

Stage 6 Significance
you role has shifted to becoming a leader and you are less and less involved in direct delivery and production. You business is starting to make an impact. You are free. However, leadership is in place, leadership is not in charge. It is vision and guidance, which means you still need to keep an eye on the business and guide management.

Which brings you to the last stage. Stage 7 Succession. This is where leadership is in charge and you have ingrained a culture that embraces you vision. Only vision. You are truly free.

The key question

What is stopping you to get to stage 7? Chuck thinks it is only one reason. You are not asking the right question. How do you build a mature business and when do I want to get there?

What do you need to do?

It is very simple. Intentionality. Make the decision, put a date on it and go public. Going public changes everything (the Hawthorne effect (also referred to as the observer effect) is a type of reactivity in which individuals modify or improve an aspect of their behaviour in response to their awareness of being observed).

As a business owner you owe to yourself to try. Why would you not? How could you not? Particularly if you know that retirement as we know it now is bankrupt. Create your own retirement on your own terms.

Pick a date. You now have a clock ticking in your head. Define what does your business look like at maturity. Consider your lifetime goals (why, why, why, what is the transformative purpose). Consider the time and money required to create your ideal lifestyle.

More money, less time

Now back to basics I. More money in less time. How to increase revenue and continually reduce time to bring in that revenue.

The freedom questions

Is this (whatever you are doing right now), the best use of your time? If this is not the highest and best use of your time, how do you ensure you do it for the last time? Those two questions need to be asked constantly in all parts of the business. Parts such as leadership, business development, operation and delivery, financial management, customer and employee satisfaction and to community and family impact.

Systems and processes are the key. What is your yield per hour now? What should it be? Do the activities you are involved with now, warrant the yield per hour you want?

Back to basics II

  1. Back to the big why. Why are doing this? Why do you matter? Why does your business matter? Why is it significant? What do you want to be remembered by? Purpose and passion. Using time, money and energy to create significance. Every book on strategy we covered on Bookbuzz always boils down to that question. See http://www.bookbuzz.biz/the-strategist/ for example.
  1. You then need a strategic plan. You don’t need a business plan. Chuck is not a fan of business plans. Planning does not create, movement does. And the size of commitment to the intent. Straight from Do! by Kevin Kelly . Develop a two page strategic plan with key milestones and with an action plan attached. You review that strategic plan every day. You need to be able to recite that plan verbatim any time, any place within a maximum of 3 minutes. In the meantime the business maturity date is ticking in the background……
  1. You need then set of outside eyes. A group of mentors. An advisory board. Make sure you are not alone.

In the book Chuck Blakeman gives a wide range of toolsets to figure out your lifetime goals, strategic plan, your leadership profile, etc. But the most important tool is the freedom mapping. Your franchise handbook. Your process descriptions. If you do one thing, do that. Map your overall business process and then break it down.

Stop playing office

Build a business engine. Create wealth, not money. Become a master of your own destiny. Become intentional, set the date, tell the world and move.

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Guide to Buying a Small Business

Embarking on a small business venture takes courage, lots of energy, and a willingness to take risks. This guide to buying a small business, instead of starting a new business from scratch, will showcase several advantages that buying an established small business venture offers.

The current owner has already done the crucial, real-world testing, and established a cash flow track record, which proves the products or services have a market. Learning how to buy a small business is largely a matter of paying attention to due diligence, and evaluating three core concepts.

1. Cash Flow and Profit Margin

One of the most important questions to ask when buying a small business is what is its profit margin? Profit margins vary between industries, and you should do your homework on what is a competitive level to shoot for.

The income and cash flow statements should give you a window into what is working for the company, and if there are products or services that are dragging down the profits. What to look for when buying a small business is the breadth of the customer or client base. If losing one or two major customers would jeopardize the cash flow of the venture, you should develop a marketing plan that brings in new clients.

2. Human Resources

What to consider when buying a small business in terms of human resources are the following: employee morale, work ethic, and commitment to quality. Taking the time to talk with as many of the employees as possible is a great investment. You need to find out if they are committed to staying with the business, and if they have ideas on areas in which the business processes can be improved.

Just like a business that is too dependent on a few customers, the loss of key employees can also destroy the venture. You need to make sure the crucial employees are willing to stay, or train in their replacements.

3. Processes

There are processes the business uses for everything from marketing, customer service, manufacturing, inventory, billing, receivables, etc. By asking lots of questions on the current processes, you gain a clearer picture of the true health of the business. This post is a good guide to the legal processes which may be involved.

What is the cost to acquire a new customer, and how is it accomplished? Does the business rely on advertising, trade shows, or word of mouth, and is there a marketing plan to test new ways to generate more business? How much is an individual customer worth over time, and is there a system to sell them additional products or services?

How current is the business on paying its bills? And how efficient is it in collecting its receivables? The balance sheet may list receivables as assets, but the employees may know which ones really are unrecoverable.

How accurate does the business know the cost of goods sold? Many small businesses have very poor inventory control systems, and manufacturing often is delayed by parts shortages. Does the business check with several vendors to keep its costs down?

Is there space allocated to dead inventory? Just like bad receivables, some inventory listed as assets may well be worthless. Even worse, the dead inventory continues takes money to store, count, and manage.

If it is a manufacturing process, how current is the equipment? If a piece of equipment breaks, what is the repair or replacement cost? And what does the work flow look like. Many companies have just grown over time without any thought to work flow, and have ended up with an inefficient process.

What is the quality of the products and services the business produces? Do customers continue to buy from the business, and refer new customers to it? How good is the business at meeting its time commitments to customers? What is percentage of products that are defective, and returned?

Final Thoughts

After taking the time to investigate as many of the business processes and employees as you can, you will be in a position to evaluate the numbers. Is the business sustaining growth, or have revenues and profits margins dropped? What is the reason the business is now for sale?

Before you make an offer, you need to have a clear plan on the direction you want to take the company. Does it require more working capital, new equipment, new product development, expanded marketing efforts and better customer service?

By doing the appropriate due diligence, you can deduce the inherent risk of ownership, and the investigation process itself can uncover new ideas for your success!

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