I recommend that all businesses no matter what size have a solid and well maintained accounting system.  This is the financial history of your business.  To get the most out of a business health review with your financial professional include these questions

1. What are my projected sales for the next fiscal year per month (factoring in product and sales cycles)?  By collecting information on your previous sales, customers, etc. you can use that information to make an educated assumption about what is going to happen in the future. 
2. What were my costs for the last fiscal year?  What are my projected costs in the upcoming fiscal year?  Again, by tracking everything you paid out, to whom and for what will help you develop a realistic budget.  This information can be utilized by an experienced bookkeeper to help you create and maintain that budget.
3. What does my cash flow look like?  Do I have enough operating cash to stay in business?  Even if your profit and loss statement shows you made money that does not mean it is in the bank.  Businesses who do not manage their cash flow tend to go out of business.
4. What is my break-even point?  In other words how may widgets (product/service) do I have to sell to cover my costs?  At what point should your business be making a profit?
5. There are other ratios your accountant can help you calculate that will provide insight into managing your inventory, accounts receivable and accounts payable.  If you are seeing problems with your cash flow one of these may help you understand why.

With all of the different threats and opportunities in today’s business environment, business owners need to make educated decisions for the long term health of their organization.  That includes using an accounting system to collect information while conducting business and utilizing that valuable data to formulate plans for the future.  A quality account can help you reach your business goals if ~ you help them help you.

Croll Productive Synergy has been successfully helping diverse businesses operate better, faster and cheaper than their competition throughout the Hudson Valley.  By “creating the shortest path to success”,  Ms. Croll has been able to facilitate improved workflow systems, allowing clients to save time, focus on revenue generating tasks, prioritize for maximum cash flow,  effectively delegate and, consequently,  increase profits.  To learn more visit www.crollproductivesynergy.com.

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Automation · bookkeeping · competitive edge · data management · faster cash flow · improved productivity · increased productivity · reduce costs · reduced stress

1. Before researching a CRM you will need to streamline your processes.  The software is a tool to help you work more efficiently and effectively.  In other words, choose the right tool for how you do business.  Not the other way around.
2. Generate the type of reports you will need.  If they currently do not exist create samples.  When you research options provide the software company these reports to ensure their CRM can give you this information.  If you have confidential customer information on the reports remove it before sending them to the sales man.
3. Develop a list of specific information requirements.  This is usually a detailed list of the types of screens, information, tracking, categorizing, date ranges, etc. that you will want to have daily access to as you work with the software.  This list should also be provided to the software sales person.  This will help them understand the kinds of fields they will need to provide you.
4. Check with your current professional or industry association to see if they recommend software that has been specifically designed for your type of business.  An example would be gyms, clothing stores, service companies, etc.  In most instances this will prevent you from having to pay additional charges for customization.
5. Find out if the software you are considering works with your existing programs such as Microsoft Office, Accounting Software, Email Marketing, Point of Sale, etc.
6. Does the program have mobile applications available that will work with blackberries, droids, iPhones, tablets, ipads, etc?  It is a real plus if you can get your CRM data in real time and have the ability to update contacts, customers, calendars, etc. on the road.
7. Is the software able to grow with your company?  It can be very challenging to move data management systems so try to avoid this from the beginning.  Software that can grow with you makes life easier.
8. Is it more cost effective to have the software on your equipment or use cloud based software as a service (SAaS)?  Your current and future goals should be considered when making this decision.
9. Once you narrow the choices down, test the product for at least 30 days.  Enter in some examples of your real workflow information.  Use it the way you determined in step 1. Do not put a ton of data in there; you just want to take it for a test run.  “Playing” with it will reveal any quirks or issues that were not discovered during the demo of the product.
10. When you purchase the software have all the staff that will be using the product trained.  This is not an area to cut costs.  If the staff does not know how to utilize the system they will not use it and fall back into old habits.  Thus, wasting potentially thousands of dollars.  Also purchase medium to high level support for the first year.  After that you can determine the needs of your organization.  I recommend that businesses continue technical support for as long as they have the product.  It will save you money in the long run.

The more research and work you do upfront will save you hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars.  Visit our YouTube Chanel for more information about increasing efficiency and profits through streamlining your operations.

Croll Productive Synergy has been successfully helping diverse businesses operate better and faster than their competition throughout the Hudson Valley.  By “creating the shortest path to success”,  Ms. Croll has been able to facilitate improved workflow systems, allowing clients to save time, focus on revenue generating tasks, prioritize for maximum cash flow,  effectively delegate and, consequently,  increase profits.  To learn more visit www.crollproductivesynergy.com.

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Automation · data management · improved productivity · increased productivity · relational database management

When you are setting up your database system pay to have the company you are purchasing it from to help you do it correctly.  Garbage in – Garbage out.  If the settings and parameters are incorrect your reports will not be accurate.

1. Before you begin entering information into your database start with the end result.  What reports do you want to be able to run?  This will dictate how the information is entered.  Work with technical support to determine how best to produce your desired outcome.
2. Have all the users receive training so you can use your new tool effectively.  This will saves hours of looking for information or trying to figure out how to use the database.  Not to mention the time to fix things because it was setup incorrectly.  The trainers are the experts for the program.  Take advantage of that.
3. Understand your workflow and how you plan on using the database for streamline information flow.  Most systems come with functions that you may not use.  Determine which functions make the most sense for your company today and tomorrow.
4. Have defined naming protocols.  In other words, have procedures for how things are going to be tagged in the database.  I had a meeting with a client who was spending over 50 hours a month massaging data because the information was not uniform.  As a result, they were unable to run accurate reports.
5. Do periodic audits of the tags and reports to ensure that the information guidelines you developed in number 5 are being adhered to.  It is much easier to fix a small amount of records than hundreds once you discover there is a problem.
6. Work with marketing or your marketing consultant to analyze the information you have collected so you can run determine where your prospects come from, which customers have purchased and how you can better reach them.
7. When possible link information between your database and accounting.  This speeds up order processing and thus faster cash flow.  It also helps reduce errors.
8. Link your database and prospect collection.  Many database programs will have an add on that allows you to collect information from your website and download the person into your database.  This is ideal because it automates a prospect or customer communication and helps you track where they came from.  I use this tool for mail list collection, inquiries and seminar registration.
9. Lastly Always Purchase The Technical Support!  This will save you thousands of dollars in lost man hours.

Data management is one of the key factors in managing your customers, profits and expenses.  There are many tools that can help you be efficient and effective.  However, if they are not utilized properly they can become an information nightmare.  Understanding your database can help you effectively market to your customers, increase profits and reduce costs.   For more information on data management check out my article “Using Technology to Streamline”.

Croll Productive Synergy has been successfully helping diverse businesses operate better and faster than their competition throughout the Hudson Valley.  By “creating the shortest path to success”,  Ms. Croll has been able to facilitate improved workflow systems, allowing clients to save time, focus on revenue generating tasks, prioritize for maximum cash flow,  effectively delegate and, consequently,  increase profits.  To learn more visit www.crollproductivesynergy.com.

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Operate Better, Faster, Cheaper than Your Competition

I have mentioned in many of my articles about metrics.  Things we use to measure success and how far you are from reaching your goals.  Data is much more than that – it is a valuable tool to make solid business decisions.  It also helps you to save as well as make money.  Below are some of the metrics you can use to help grow your bottom line in 2012.

Many business owners understand it is far more cost effective to up or cross sell an existing customer than to acquire a new one.  Unfortunately, most small businesses are so busy getting new business and fulfilling the orders they do not leverage the gold mine of existing customers.  By collecting the information below you are accurately tack your current and past customers.  This can be done with a database and/or accounting system.  Both these digital tools are essential in running reports for making educated businesses decisions.

Average customer Lifetime Value

“Customer lifetime value (CLTV) is a formula that helps a marketing manager arrive at the dollar value associated with the long-term relationship with any given customer, revealing just how much a customer relationship is worth over a period of time. Understanding CLTV is a very powerful tool.  It becomes extremely useful in considering customer question processes as well as selecting optimal service levels to provide different customer groups.” (Harvard Business School Publishing)  The Harvard site has a tool that you can use to calculate this value.

This metric can help you to determine what types of customers you should be following up with now and targeting in the future.

A simple way to calculate CLTV is as follows:
Average order size is $500
Average purchases per year 3
Average customer lifetime 1.26 years
Average lifetime value ($500 x 3) x 1.26 = $1,890

Let‘s examine the components of this formula.  We need to collect: average order size, average order frequency and average customer lifetime.  Let’s look at each of these key metrics to help us determine how much our customers are worth.

1. Average order size
To complete this you will need to track your customer’s orders.  Using a bookkeeping system such as QuickBooks or Peachtree would assist you with the information you need to complete the calculation.  Make sure to take out exceptions or orders, either large or small or both, that are not the norm for your business.  Otherwise the calculation will be skewed and inaccurate.

Number of orders in Quarter 4: 60
New orders in Quarter 4: $30,000
Average order size: $30,000/60 = $500

2. Average purchases per year
This number is how many times a customer buys from you in one year.  See the example below:

Total orders in 2011: 240
Total active buyers in 2011: 80
Average purchases per year: 240/80 = 3 per year

3. Average Customer Lifetime
Average customer lifetime is how long a customer will buy from you from beginning to end.  This is calculated by determining who your inactive customers are and how long they purchased from you.  Get this data into a spreadsheet in a list format so you can calculate the lifetime for each inactive customer. You can also see if your bookkeeping software can provide you with the date for first and last order and export that information into a spreadsheet or run a customer report from within the program.

Date of last order:  1/17/2011
Date of first order: 10/15/2010
Customer lifetime:  1/17/2011 – 10/15/2010 = 457 days (1.26 years)

After you have calculated this number for all your inactive customers – calculate an average and that is your Average Customer Lifetime.

Ok so you figured all this out, now what?  How can you use this information to help grow your business?  Start with who of your current customer base is coming to the end of their lifecycle.  This would be a good opportunity to reach out to those customers and let them know how much you appreciate their business in the past and look forward to serving them in the future.  It is also an opportunity to cross or up sell them products or services to extend the lifecycle.  You are also able to survey those customers to see what other products or services they would be interested in.  Additionally, you may want to survey your inactive customers to touch base and let them know about your products and services that have been added since they last purchased from you.  Possibly bringing them back into the buyer cycle.  Reach out to only inactive customers that look like they have the potential to become active.  Some customers will only be low or single order.  In other words, make sure you are targeting the right people to get a return on your time investment.

Calculating the Customer Lifetime Value can aid in forecasting and determining your goals for 2012 and do they line up with previous sales?  What do you need to do differently to reach your goals?   Compiling these numbers will take a bit of time but are worth the effort.

There are many metrics a company can use to measure success in their business.  These are just a few.  These numbers can help you make smart decisions about marketing and customer retention.  Start with the metric that would most help you in making educated decisions and then move onto the next.  You will start to discover trends that can provide vital information on what to do next to make 2012 a prosperous year.

Croll Productive Synergy has been successfully helping diverse businesses operate better, faster and cheaper than their competition throughout the Hudson Valley.  By “creating the shortest path to success”,  Ms. Croll has been able to facilitate improved workflow systems, allowing clients to save time, focus on revenue generating tasks, prioritize for maximum cash flow,  effectively delegate and, consequently,  increase profits.  To learn more visit www.crollproductivesynergy.com.

Copyright © 2012 Cynthia Marsh-Croll, Croll Productive Synergy

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bookkeeping · competitive edge · data management · faster cash flow · improved productivity · increase profits · reduce costs

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Automation · bookkeeping · competitive edge · data management · faster cash flow · improved productivity · increased productivity · lean office · reduced stress · Waste in the office

1. Determine if you have enough money coming in to cover all your expenses.
2. Where is most of your profit and customers coming from?
3. Determine which vendors have raised their prices so you can negotiate a better rate.  Thus control your costs.
4. Ability to create a budget so you do not spend more in an area of your business than planned for.
5. Ability to review the budget and if overspent in an area determine why and adjust for the future.
6. Create financial statements that can help you with projected sales, market trends and overall financial health of the business
7. Ability to look at your financial performance monthly, quarterly, yearly instead of just at tax time.
8. Ability to create financial statements needed for securing additional capital for expansion.
9. Reduced accountant fees.
10. Ability to delegate the bookkeeping to a professional so that you can spend more time on revenue producing activities.

When I review these items in my workshops or with clients most of this is common sense.  However, when we talk about how your bookkeeping system is not just for the IRS it is also for helping your business remain viable and sustainable they see the value of maintain accurate records.  Your past performance is an important tool in helping to determine if you are reaching your goals and objects as well as next steps.  Information is an essential part of making smart business decisions.

If you do not have a current bookkeeping system talk to your accountant about which software best suits your business’ needs.  They usually can recommend a bookkeeper to you that will work with your accountant to make sure the records are accurate and error free.  If you already have a system, see if you are using the information to its full potential in strategizing for your business.  Either way a good accounting system is a must.  For more data management articles visit www.ProductiveSynergy.biz  today.

Croll Productive Synergy has been successfully helping diverse businesses operate better, faster and cheaper than their competition throughout the Hudson Valley.  By “creating the shortest path to success”,  Ms. Croll has been able to facilitate improved workflow systems, allowing clients to save time, focus on revenue generating tasks, prioritize for maximum cash flow,  effectively delegate and, consequently,  increase profits.  To learn more visit www.crollproductivesynergy.com.

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bookkeeping · data management · faster cash flow · reducing errors · staff untilization

Before deciding on a system have a well thought out selecting process which includes: requirements, report output, budget, ease of use and testing.  This is vitally important for your database to be an instrumental tool in the organization’s success.  For information on selecting the right software program read my article “Using Technology to Streamline”. 

Once you have purchased the program procedures for entering information need to be developed.  I have seen clients waste over 50 hours a month on reworking data because there were no data entry procedures.  The lack of protocols resulted in the information being unusable.  If this happens, the database becomes the clothes hanging treadmill I mentioned earlier but far more expensive.  Below are 7 tips to help avoid your database from become the digital clothes hanger.

1. Get everyone who will be using the system trained on the product.  (This should be part of the budget at purchase)
2. When training use everyday business scenarios that apply to your infrastructure.
3. Have the end in mind – how do you need to enter the information to get it out in a format that you can act on.  This Is Your Foundation.
4. Determine how your information will be categorized when entered into the system.  This will become important when you want to retrieve it for reports, sales and marketing purposes.
5. Develop protocols for how your information is going to be entered down to “is Street the full word or St”.  This may sound like overkill but if the information is not uniform it becomes useless in reports, and features within your system.
6. Document the procedures for entering information with screen shots, bullet points and examples.  This is an easy way for someone who may not be familiar with the protocols to enter information without creating errors.
7. Always keep in mind how you will use the data and be aware of changes that may need to be taken into account and update the protocol as necessary.

A database should be flexible and able to meet your organizations changing needs over time.  Purchasing the software is only the beginning of utilizing your information to sustain and grow your business.  Keeping the information accurate, organized and uniform will give you a tool that can help your organization achieve its goals today and tomorrow.  For more data management articles visit www.ProductiveSynergy.biz today.

Croll Productive Synergy has been successfully helping diverse businesses operate better, faster and cheaper than their competition throughout the Hudson Valley.  By “creating the shortest path to success”,  Ms. Croll has been able to facilitate improved workflow systems, allowing clients to save time, focus on revenue generating tasks, prioritize for maximum cash flow,  effectively delegate and, consequently,  increase profits.  To learn more visit www.crollproductivesynergy.com.

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choosing a CRM · customer relationship management software · data entry procedures · data management

Certified Lean Office Specialist Cynthia Marsh-Croll

I was thinking of what would I like to do a little different this month for an article.  So I decided to do a video article.  Check out the video below to see 5 tips on how to use your CRM effectively.  Being that life is about being productive and balanced I taped this at home.

Join efficiency expert Cynthia Marsh-Croll of Croll Productive Synergy as she talks about the 5 ways your CRM can help you be more productive.  Click the link below to watch the educational video.  

5 Ways Your CRM Can Help You be More Productive

She covers areas such as

• data collection
• follow up
• continued contact
•  calendar 
• effectiveness

Most people only learn what they have to with most digital tools.  To really take advantage of your system watch the how to videos most CRMs supply in their help section or online.  You could have the solution and do not even know it.

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Automation · improved productivity · increased productivity · personal productivity

Cynthia Marsh-Croll, Certified Lean Office Productivity Specialist

As organizations have to reduce their administrative staff, using technology to automate and streamline their processes is becoming increasingly important.  However, if not done with care the result can be a very costly chaotic mess.  Here are some suggestions and factors to take into consideration if you are considering reengineering how you operate.

Technology is the last part of the puzzle.  Let me repeat that, technology is the last piece you examine.  You must fix your process first.  Look at what the demand of the customer is and have your process support that demand.  The goal of any process is to provide the customer with the product or service how and when they want it.  Thus creating a Value Stream.  A customer can be internal or external.  For more information on Value Stream Mapping read my article “We Need to Operate More Efficiently but How?”

Once you have eliminated all your bottlenecks and inefficient procedures now you can evaluate the tools you are currently using (or not using).  Before looking for a new system ask yourself the following questions:

• Can we use our current technology more effectively?
• Why are we not doing that already?
• Do we need additional training?
• Have our needs changed since we installed the current system?
• What are we tracking?
• Why are we tracking it?
• What reports do we need to run and why?
• What are our must have, need to have and like to have in a system?
• Can all our systems “talk” to each other?
• If not, is that causing problems?

Using the answer to these questions create a list of precise prioritized requirements with copies of the screen shots of your current program so you can use that for evaluating and researching options.  Also interview the people who are using your systems they can give you a clear picture of what is not working. 

Before you schedule demos with potential suppliers, provide them with the requirements (and screen shots if applicable) to ensure you do not waste anyone’s time.  If they are a good salesman you should discover early on in the conversation if their product is a viable solution for your needs.  Again, you will get what you tell them you want.  Not having prioritized clear cut requirements will cost you thousands of dollars and numerous hours, not to mention a useless tool.

One very important consideration when examining technology – attempt to achieve a central data model as much as possible.

Having all your data in one “home” is vital to preventing all kinds of waste such as: double entry, errors, tedious manual report creation, same information in multiple places not sure which is correct, etc.  When you look at how your organization is sharing information between departments this is key.  Having software that shares information will help break down the silos and increase productivity.  Your data should only be entered once and then added to by all the other departments and areas that share or use that information.  Even if your software does not fully integrate (talk to each other) then you need to have a bridge to share information from one system to another.  Again, without reentering any information.  Every call a top notch customer service department?  They can almost tell you what color shirt you were wearing when you called last.  Any size business can achieve this same effectiveness at providing quality customer service and meet demand.

Technology is a fabulous way to do more with less if it is done right.  Make sure your organization has incorporated streamlined operations minus the changing of technology.  Then look at how you can automate and improve your best practices with your current or a better tool.  Not the other way around.  Lastly, patience when researching alternatives.  You are going to have to “live” with your decision for some time.  Give yourself the environment to make the right choice.

Croll Productive Synergy has been successfully helping diverse businesses operate better, faster and cheaper than their competition throughout the Hudson Valley.  By “creating the shortest path to success”,  Ms. Croll has been able to facilitate improved workflow systems, allowing clients to save time, focus on revenue generating tasks, prioritize for maximum cash flow,  effectively delegate and, consequently,  increase profits.  To learn more visit www.crollproductivesynergy.com.

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Automation · eliminating waste · reducing errors · Value Stream Mapping

As America moves to service based industries the raw materials needed to bring a service or product to market is information.  This is the “gold” in an office.  With today’s technology we are able to collect, measure and quantify our leads and customers.  The question then becomes what do we do with that information?

I work with many clients who struggle with this issue every day.  Below are examples of how inefficient information flow can impact your bottom line.

• Follow up falls through the cracks because contact and order information is stored on individual computers
• The departments necessary to process a customer order do not have access to a centralized database and rely on others to get the information
• Delayed billing because programs cannot share data
• Missed opportunities to increase market share and repeat business by not leveraging your current customer base
• Lost customers because of long lead times

Let’s talk about the centralized data model.  Ideally, you want a central data location that multiple people can access and update.  Your information flow should be automated when possible.  This reduces mistakes and eliminates reentry into multiple systems.  For those of us who have experienced data in multiple places it is a time wasting black hole. 

A centralized data model would look like a car tire rim.  Picture a central hub with lines reaching out to departments.  Each section would be sales, customer service, marketing, order fulfillment, accounting, etc.  These departments are then able to share information, update what they have done and move a prospect down the sales funnel or a customer order along. 

When you place an order online through Amazon they have your order history, payment information, demographics, and preferences.  What does Amazon do with this?  Get repeat business effectively.  They are working their data.  Any size business with the right digital tools can achieve these same results.  I have my workshop registration process completely automated until the attendee is assigned to a specific class in my database.  I am taking this one step further and in the process of automating the accounting piece too.  Once this is done I will need minimal administrative support.  This allows cash flow to be allocated for marketing and sales development.  That is where my capital should be invested.

Before you look at how you can leverage your technology you must be very clear on what you want your tools to accomplish.  This is vitally important when evaluating your options.  I have seen many organizations throw money at a problem with no positive results.  The same holds true for technology.  Determine the best practices for your operations and information flow, then find a tool to help you accomplish your goals.  Not the other way around.  I invite you to sign up for our free video education series to learn more on utilizing technology to grow your bottom line.

Croll Productive Synergy has been successfully helping diverse businesses create customized efficiency systems in the Hudson Valley.  By “creating the shortest path to success”,  Ms. Croll has been able to facilitate improved workflow systems, allowing clients to save time, focus on revenue generating tasks, prioritize for maximum cash flow,  effectively delegate and, consequently,  increase profits.  To learn more visit www.crollproductivesynergy.com.

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competitive edge · eliminating waste · faster cash flow · improved productivity · lean office · Project Management