Madison Area Business Consultants Blog

Congratulations to Lee Johnson on receiving the 2025 Walter Jankowski Award!

Tara Ingalls — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 20:09:51 GMT

For three years, Lee Johnsen led MABC’s Programming Team with exceptional dedication. Under his leadership, the team streamlined speaker outreach, built sustainable systems, and introduced innovative programs such as field trips and topic-specific mini-series. The reemergence of in-person events under the banner MABCLive! was also instrumental in getting our members back to meeting in person after a couple years of online only events. Lee’s grassroots leadership engaged members, while his behind-the-scenes work ensured flawless execution. Even as he neared retirement, Lee continued to give tirelessly, making him truly deserving of this award.

Congratulations Lee!

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Established by the MABC Board of Directors in 2022, the Walter Jankowski Award honors the legacy of longtime member Walter Jankowski, who we lost suddenly in 2021. Walter made his mark through process improvement, metrics, and organizational change—but what people remember most is the joy he brought to every room. He gave freely of his time, shared his knowledge without hesitation, and lifted others up through mentorship and kindness.

This annual award recognizes MABC members who carry that same spirit forward.

10 Clear Signs You May Need To Hire A Consultant To Help Your Business

John Russell — Sun, 04 Jan 2026 17:32:39 GMT

As a new business owner, it's wise to work with someone who has been in your shoes and possesses the experience to help you navigate any uncertainty you might face. Launching and running a successful business requires time, energy and seasoned insight. However, many budding entrepreneurs tend to shy away from spending money on a consultant.

If you're unsure whether it's worth investing in a business consultant, there are some clear indicators that might suggest you could benefit from one. Below, a panel of Young Entrepreneur Council members shared 10 signs you should hire a consultant for your business.

Young Entrepreneur Council members think these could be signs you need to bring on a business consultant.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS.

1. You Can’t Keep Up With Emerging Trends Or Tech

Emerging trends and new developments in technology can affect your industry faster than you can research and understand them. If you're trying to keep up with these new developments but you feel as though you're in over your head, it's a good idea to find a consultant who's knowledgeable in your industry and the latest developments related to it. This can prevent anxiety or FOMO from affecting your judgment when making business decisions, but it requires finding a trustworthy expert whom you can rely on for informed guidance. - Bryce Welker, Testing.org

2. You Need An Impartial Opinion

Sometimes you might have a difference of opinion with your team or partner on certain issues. At such times, it can be a wise decision to hire an expert who can offer you an impartial opinion on the matter. Being experts on strategies, business consultants can add perspectives that you and your team might have missed. They can help think things through, navigate internal politics and offer sensible solutions. - Josh Kohlbach, Wholesale Suite

3. You're Lacking Inspiration And Perspective

Consultants have exponential exposure to situations that you just can't get in the private industry world. We say here that one year at our company is like 10 on the other side of the table. So go to a consultant for fresh ideas, for inspiration, for change management or expectations. Hire a consultant to reassure you that your team has it right in their processes, or to improve on efficiency and technology. A consultant can help substantiate a gut feeling and make sure that you have data to back up your decisions when needed. Even the best consulting firms have consultants themselves, so think about them as strategic partnerships. - Marjorie Adams, Fourlane

4. You're Unable To Meet Your Goals

When you are not able to achieve the goals with your internal team, then it is time to hire a consultant. For two years, our sales strategy was stagnant and our revenues were not growing. We were implementing strategies based on our internal team's suggestions, and these strategies were not paying off. We decided to rope in an expert sales consultant, who provided us with great insights. It was a little bit more expensive than hiring an internal team, but it was worth it. - Piyush Jain, Simpalm

5. Your Business Isn’t Growing And You Don’t Know Why

If you think you’re doing well overall but the financials don’t show that, something is wrong and you might not know the answer. A consultant will likely be able to take a more objective look, find the issue and help you solve the problem. - Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance

6. You're Stalling On An Idea

We've needed a consultant when there was something that I was putting off for a long time and realized that it's because I didn't feel like we had the right expertise in-house to launch this new project/initiative. We frequently talk to clients who reached out to us because they have been "talking about doing content marketing" for a few years, but never actually put in the work because they knew it was going to take a lot of time, resources and expertise they didn't have. - Kelsey Raymond, Influence & Co.

7. You're Working Outside Your Expertise

Any business leader has their strengths and weaknesses. The best use of your time will always be to focus on your strengths. But as your business goes through its cycle and your needs change, the most impactful things to focus on may well be things that lie outside your own area of expertise. That’s a great time to think about bringing on a consultant. What can that person do better than you? What would they enjoy doing that you don’t? These questions can help you decide whether it’s time to hire outside help. - Cody Candee, Bounce

8. You Lack In-House Resources

It might be a good idea to hire a consultant for your company if you lack in-house resources. If you need human resources and marketing strategists but you don't have them within your company, it's wise to hire experts instead of relying on yourself or your team to figure it out. - Stephanie Wells, Formidable Forms

9. You Have Tunnel Vision

If you feel like you have tunnel vision from working on a problem for too long, then bringing in a consultant can be transformative for your business. Consultants are typically people who have expertise in an area. Many of them are experienced business leaders who've moved to the consulting business to share their experiences. Getting a fresh set of eyes to look over ongoing problems in your business can be just what you need. Ask yourself if there's a problem that simply isn't going away in your business. Maybe you have a high employee turnover rate or your customers just don't come back after their first interaction with you. A consultant can give you tailored advice and a fresh perspective you won't have from working too close to the problem for too long. - Syed Balkhi, WPBeginner

10. You're Working On A Time-Sensitive Project

You may want to consider hiring a consultant if you have a time-sensitive project in the pipeline. It's not easy to work on a brand new product design or marketing campaign if you're unsure where to start. A consultant can buy you some much-needed time and give you advice that can turn your first attempt into a success. I suggest looking for experts who have experience in your industry with plenty of references. You want to avoid "fake" gurus and only work with consultants with real-world experience. - John Brackett, Smash Balloon LLC

Customer Service by Seth Godin

John Russell — Sat, 03 Jan 2026 17:17:57 GMT

Customer Service

Written by Seth Godin

A b2b insurance agency spent two million dollars ripping out voice mail from their agency. Every call gets answered by a human every time. It paid for itself in four months. That’s a strategic investment, not a cost-cutting shortcut.

Comcast and the other cable companies led the way in treating customer service as nothing but an expense, one that they work overtime to decrease. And so now, it’s not unusual to spend an hour or two trying to get help from Adobe or Apple. Fedex now takes more than two minutes (up from 2 seconds) to connect a valuable customer to a human operator. Apple, the most valuable company in the world, has shifted its customer support promise to one of denial, delay and disrespect. Was that an intentional strategic act?

The thing about strategies is that you and your team can work to maximize them. If answering on two rings is good, then answering on one ring is better. If 10 helpful salespeople are profitable, then 20 very helpful salespeople are better.

The truth about strategy in a competitive environment: If you are doing what everyone else is doing, if you are inside the band of common, then it’s not an approach that will move you forward. The only way to use customer service as a growth strategy is to be outside the accepted norms.

What's The Best Way To Acquire New Customers?

John Russell — Fri, 02 Jan 2026 15:48:50 GMT

By John Russell

That's a loaded question. There are dozens of ways to attract and acquire new customers. Too many to mention. And by what criteria would you determine whether or not to pursue a specific company to do business with? Pre-qualifying a business to learn whether or not they would be a good fit for your product or service is an essential first step. As I work through this process again for the millionth time, I find it invigorating to apply the process and follow the process through to determine the actual outcome. If I prospect 25 potential customers, how many will I actually develop a long-term contract relationship with?

It's a numbers game. Once you've applied this process several times, a trend will emerge and you'll be able to use what you've learned to project the results of your next prospecting effort. Each step is critical to the next.

Let's establish a pre-qualifying set of criteria that we'll use to make sure the prospect is a good fit for the type of solutions you provide.

Can I work directly with the owner? In today's Monday Morning Memo, written by Roy H. Williams he highlights several other criteria to help him determine if he thinks the prospect will be a good fit. Here's additional questions to ask.

"Do I believe in the business owner? And do I like them enough to give them a place in my life?

Has their company been flat, or declining, for the past 3 years?Do I see a clear path to grow them a minimum of 4x in 4 years or less?

If we focus 80% of their ad budget on a single media, will that number of dollars allow us to reach enough people with enough repetition to see significant growth in the second half of the first year?"

In asking these questions he's stacking the odds of success in his favor. Potentially entering into a relationship that will most likely lead to success. Win-win for both parties.

Today we've touched on prospecting and qualifying potential customers to determine if they're a good fit and to ensure the chance of a win-win success is stated from the beginning.

More to follow next week.

You are invited and welcome at Madison Area Business Consultants

John Russell — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 13:12:58 GMT

Are you a consultant, coach, or solo entrepreneur looking to grow your business, connect with a vibrant community, and maybe even become a published author? Be like Wendy Herrmann

Let me introduce you to MABC - Madison Area Business Consultants.
Besides being an incredible organization filled with smart, collaborative professionals, MABC gives you real tools for real growth:

✅ A network of like-minded business owners
✅ Monthly programming that sharpens your skills
✅ High-quality referrals and visibility through our member directory
✅ Access to seasoned experts who get the challenges of entrepreneurship
✅ And this year… a chance to become a published author!

MABC is publishing its third volume of "What We Wish We Had Known", a collaborative book series where members share hard-earned wisdom and expert tips. Volumes 1 & 2 were both Amazon bestsellers in multiple categories!

Annual dues are $90 per person.
There is a one-time fee of $60 to support the MABC website.
Your own profile onmadisonconsultants.com
Access to all events and networking opportunities
The chance to co-author a book that showcases your voice and builds your authority. (All members as of August 1st may write a chapter for Vol 3)

This is your year to expand, elevate, and connect.
Check out MABC and consider joining us:https://lnkd.in/gjeCsYaJ
hashtag#MABC hashtag#BusinessConsulting hashtag#Entrepreneurship hashtag#Networking hashtag#MadisonWI hashtag#AuthorsWanted hashtag#SmallBusinessSupport hashtag#Consultants hashtag#ProfessionalGrowth hashtag#WeWishWeHadKnown

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Check out this TedX Talk by our very own Deborah Biddle

John Russell — Mon, 19 May 2025 16:40:05 GMT

It’s here! My TEDx Talk, The text message that changed my understanding of DEI, is officially live.

Check out Deborah's TEDx Talk here

This moment means more than I can fully explain. For years, I’ve spoken, trained, and coached leaders on how to build cultures of belonging. But one late-night message from my son—just a few simple words—completely changed how I understand inclusion.

In that moment, everything I thought I knew became personal.

This talk is the most vulnerable I’ve ever been on a stage. And it’s also the clearest I’ve ever been about what real inclusion actually looks like—beyond policies, beyond programs, beyond checkboxes.

If you’ve ever struggled to lead with heart, to include with intention, or to belong in a world that wasn’t built with you in mind… I hope this message speaks to you.

Watch my TEDx Talk here:https://zurl.co/cCNJl

I help organizations move beyond performative DEI by embedding it into leadership, strategy, and operations. My approach shifts DEI from being merely a checkbox to a strategic business advantage—driving innovation, engagement, and long-lasting impact.

As a DEI strategist, speaker, and executive coach, I work with leaders who are ready to transition from superficial initiatives to genuine, measurable change. I challenge outdated frameworks and help organizations reimagine DEI as a leadership-driven, cross-functional strategy that enhances decision-making, talent retention, and business performance.

I don’t just teach DEI—I help leaders integrate it into their leadership, hiring, and growth. Through executive coaching, organizational assessments, and leadership development, I equip companies with the tools to create inclusive cultures where employees thrive, trust is built, and impact is sustained.

In today’s politically charged climate, organizations that deprioritize or dilute DEI risk disengaged employees, misaligned leadership, and reputational damage. Conversely, those who commit to meaningful action create stronger teams, foster greater innovation, and establish a workplace where belonging enhances performance.

If you're prepared to advance from initiatives to infrastructure, let’s connect.
hashtag# TEDx hashtag #DEILeadership hashtag #Belonging

Congratulations to Stuart B. Fields on receiving the 2024 Walter Jankowski award!

John Russell — Mon, 20 Jan 2025 14:48:23 GMT

Congratulations to Stuart B. Fields on receiving the 2024 Walter Jankowski award!

Established in 2022, the award honors the legacy of former member Walter Jankowski who passed away suddenly in 2021. While he specialized in process improvement, metrics, and change management, Walter will be remembered for the gracious way he volunteered his time. And for the unforgettable joy he exhibited when sharing his knowledge and mentoring others.

An expert facilitator and business

coach guiding professionals on

their path toward abundant

success.

Stuart partners with business managers and teams around the world to to identify and delivery personalized learning solutions. These solutions expand their ability to transform setbacks into the stepping stones on their path toward achieving abundant success.

More specifically, these learning and training solutions help his clients:

Enlarge the vision of who they are and what they can achieve.
Look at situations from different perspectives to see possibilities not previously considered.
Narrow the possibilities to the most effective solutions.
Move forward along a path of continual development.
Build resiliency so they bounce back from setbacks and prosper.

Stuart has delivered a broad array of over 50 different educational programs to audiences ranging in size from 2 to 502. When companies partner with Stuart, they benefit from his:

Extensive toolbox of learning and training solutions

A lifelong learner, Stuart’s gathered and mastered leadership development exercises, trainings, assessments and processes for more than three decades. He often uses this extensive toolbox to adapt an experience or exercise in the moment to meet the needs of the person or group he’s guiding.

In addition to having a master's degree in adult learning and leadership, Stuart’s a certified:

DDI Leadership Program facilitator for target selection (behavioral-based interviewing) and more than 60 soft-skill leadership courses
Trainer in Jack Canfield's Methodology and the facilitation of individual and group transformation through the experiential teaching of Canfield's principles of success
Technical Trainer (CTT+) by the International Bureau for Standards in Training and Performance Improvement Board (IBSTPI)

Stuart's also been certified in Business Writing (Brainbench) and holds many proprietary certifications through Hewlett-Packard, Agilent Technologies and The Schwan Food Company.

Global perspective on the benefit of working with people of diverse cultural backgrounds

Living, working and training around the world shaped Stuart’s appreciation for diverse cultural backgrounds and the global perspective he provides. With an academic background in intercultural communication and management, Stuart spent 10 years working overseas in Europe and Asia-Pacific. And, he often partners with global learning and development consultancies to adapt and deliver training materials for U.S. based employees.

This global perspective Stuart provides brings a unique understanding of contrastive views to most situations. As a result, Stuart’s able to guide teams to explore possibilities in ways many others may not be able.

Personal Experience

Stuart shares personal stories of resiliency to provide the encouragement his clients need to keep moving forward during challenging time. Like many, he’s experienced several setbacks in life, and he knows first hand it’s possible to come out stronger on the other side of a challenging situation. By learning the skills to see possibilities instead of problems, Stuart was able to transform these obstacles into opportunities and reach greater levels of success. He's committed to helping others do the same in their lives.

Have questions?

Email info@stuartbfields.com

Call the office at +1 (608) 644-9999.

Understanding the Back End of the Digital Advertising World

John Russell — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 14:53:21 GMT

Every entrepreneur, solopreneur and business owner makes decisions about how best to advertise and market their company. The decision making gets more difficult the smaller you are. Funds for marketing and advertising are limited in most cases. Essentials are your visual assets like your logo, business card, letterhead, etc. Then add website design and development to the budget including hosting, SEO, SEM and various other marketing tactics including social media and you've got a good start. Consider additional spending on traditional advertising and digital ad campaigns. But before you spend any money on "digital" advertising, buyer beware. Chasing shiny objects on Meta and Alphabet can take you and your budget down a dark hole. I recently came across a good video produced by Johnny Molson that helps frame the relationship between traditional and digital advertising. You can click to see the video here on You Tube. In the video Johnny informs us about a new, free, e-book that just came out by Bob Hoffman. It verifies what I've always suspected. Digital advertising can be a risky investment with not a lot of oversight or real, factual reporting. Click through rates ranging around the 0.05-0.5 range don't impress me. And the actual performance of digital ads is much different than traditional methods. Buyer Beware. Download a FREE COPY of "Inside The Black Box" by Bob Hoffman here.

Increase Productivity the Mind-Body Way With Anne Asher, Founder, Posturally LLC

John Russell — Mon, 01 Jul 2024 13:03:07 GMT

Work on increasing your productivity through improved posture and comfortable computing. You'll learn refreshing mind-body posture techniques you can do at your desk and get a chance to ask your ergonomic and posture questions.

Anne Asher is a health coach, personal trainer, yoga instructor and workstation wellness consultant. As founder of Posturally, LLC, she has 25+ years experience helping people feel better physically and mentally.

For over a decade, Anne was also an award winning health journalist for a large website owned and operated by the New York Times Company. Her "beat" was spine and chronic pain management.

REGISTER TODAY FOR THIS FREE EVENT!

________________________________________________

What: MABC Live! Event | Increase Productivity the Mind-Body Way

Date: Thursday, July 18

Time: 8:00 am - 10:00 am

Location: Mercies Coffee, 1748 Eagan Rd, Madison, WI

Why Should Business Owners Hire A Consultant?

John Russell — Mon, 11 Mar 2024 14:17:57 GMT

Business owners may choose to hire a consultant for various reasons, depending on their specific needs and circumstances. Here are some of the most important reasons why business owners often seek the expertise of consultants:

Specialized Knowledge and Expertise:
- Consultants often bring specialized skills and knowledge to the table, which may not be readily available within the business. This expertise can help address specific challenges or capitalize on opportunities.
Objective Perspective:
- External consultants can offer an unbiased and objective viewpoint. They are not emotionally invested in the organization, allowing them to assess situations and make recommendations without being influenced by internal politics or personal relationships.
Cost Efficiency:
- Hiring a consultant can be more cost-effective than bringing on a full-time employee, especially for short-term projects or specialized tasks. This allows businesses to access expertise without the long-term commitment and overhead costs associated with permanent staff.
Efficiency and Time Savings:
- Consultants are often hired to complete projects within a specific timeframe. Their focused expertise can lead to quicker problem-solving and implementation, saving the business time and enabling it to adapt more rapidly to changing circumstances.
Strategic Planning:
- Consultants can assist in strategic planning by analyzing market trends, identifying growth opportunities, and helping businesses develop and implement effective strategies for long-term success.
Risk Mitigation:
- Consultants can help businesses navigate risks by providing insights and recommendations based on their experience. This proactive approach can prevent potential issues and enhance the company's ability to adapt to changes in the business environment.
Training and Development:
- Consultants can train existing staff or management in new skills and best practices. This knowledge transfer can contribute to the ongoing improvement of the organization even after the consultant's engagement has concluded.
Flexibility and Adaptability:
- Consultants often bring a diverse range of experiences from working with various clients and industries. This enables them to adapt quickly to different business environments, bringing fresh ideas and perspectives to the organization.
Project Management:
- Consultants are experienced in project management and can take the lead on specific initiatives. Their skills in planning, organizing, and executing projects can ensure that goals are achieved efficiently.
Market Insight:
- Consultants stay informed about industry trends, market conditions, and best practices. This knowledge allows them to provide businesses with valuable insights into their competitive landscape, customer behaviors, and emerging opportunities.

In summary, hiring a consultant can offer businesses a strategic advantage by providing specialized knowledge, an external perspective, cost-effective solutions, and the ability to address specific challenges or opportunities.

5 Things You Can Learn from an SEO Consultant

Candy Phelps — Mon, 11 Mar 2024 12:53:03 GMT

By Candy Phelps

People use Google, the most popular search engine, to perform 3.5 billion searches a day! Today, if your consulting business doesn’t have a website, it might as well not exist to the millions of people using search engines to find products and services.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of optimizing your website and creating content that ranks well on the Google search results pages. The higher you rank, the more traffic your website will get, and ultimately the more revenue you will drive.

There is no magic bullet to get the coveted top spots on Google (other than paid ads, of course). You have to earn it! The good news is, if you are willing to put in some work, you don’t need a big budget to see results.

Read these top 5 tips from an SEO consultant to learn more about search engines and the things you can do to improve your ranking on Google.

People Still Read

People constantly say to us, “No one reads anymore, so I don’t want my website to have a lot of text.”

While it’s true that video and audio content are growing in popularity (more on that later), certain types of long-form written content are still being read and ranking very well on search engines like Google.

Long-form content (typically 2,000 words or longer) on your website might include things like:

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
How-to articles
Case studies
Behind the scenes / process
Buyer’s guides
Sales landing pages
Lists and in-depth reviews (best of, top 10, etc.)
Storytelling and long-form journalism

Your goal when creating long-form, high-ranking content is to create a combination of high-quality, trustworthy, useful, interesting, and remarkable content. Keep in mind if the article is long, it should also likely include images, videos, graphics, tools, downloads or anything else that the user might find useful. In addition, you’ll want to format the content with headers, bullets and other elements that will make it easy to skim.

When you create a piece of great content, users will stay on your page to read the in-depth content, which is a great signal for Google that your content is high quality.

Words on Your Website Matter

When designing your website, and also any content you create later such as blog articles, services pages, etc. keep in mind that the actual words you use on the site matter.

Keyword research is the process of using a data aggregation tool to learn what people are searching on the Internet and how many people are searching for it.

By using a free tool such as Neil Patel’s Uber Suggest, you can test your assumptions about what you think users would type into Google to find a business like yours.

Once you know the correct keywords to use on the site, you’ll want to optimize each page for a different keyword phrase. Use those words in the page title, the body copy, in links and in the meta title and meta description of the page.

Video Content is High Value

There is no doubt that consumer preference for video is rising, especially among Millenials. Video content is quickly becoming one of the most high value types of content you can have on your website to help you rank for Google.

Videos engage multiple senses and convey emotion better than plain written copy or still photos. Because of that, videos are simply more engaging and can hold people’s attention longer.

Videos help your SEO by keeping people on your website for longer (also known as “dwell time”), which is a signal to Google that your website has good content.

In addition to video content on your website, YouTube has quickly become the second largest search engine in the world with over a global billion users. So even if you never post the video on your website, your business can still get found on YouTube.

Video content may take more effort and resources to produce, but your effort will most certainly pay off in the way of search engine optimization.

User Intent is Intuitive

Without doing a bunch of keyword research, it’s actually not difficult to try to guess what types of things people might type into Google, just by looking at your own user behavior when it comes to searching the Internet.

User intent is the concept behind understanding how people search on the Internet and why.

Think about the last time you went to buy a new laptop. Maybe you searched for “best laptops 2021.” The user intent of this query is pretty obvious. You are a potential buyer, but you’re not yet ready to buy. You’re still in the research phase. So Google’s top results are likely going to show you a review website that runs down the best laptops that came out in 2021. This is the type of content that will be most helpful to you at this phase in the buying process.

Once you have narrowed it down to a few laptops, you might search for “Inspiron 15 5000 Laptop reviews.” Then Google will likely show more in-depth reviews of this specific laptop from trustworthy sites (that’s where that long-form content will shine).

When you are ready to buy and you want to check prices, you might type in “buy Inspiron 15 5000 Laptop.” This is where the product page for the Inspiron laptop will likely be in the top results, as well as websites or marketplaces that sell that model such as Amazon or Best Buy.

When you do your keyword research for your own website, consider what the user intent is during each phase of the sales funnel or buying process, and create content that meets those needs.

SEO Takes Ongoing Work

The process of optimizing your website for Google or other search engines is not a one-time thing. There are many technical aspects to SEO that are performed when your website is created that happen only one time. However, to have truly good search engine optimization and ongoing benefits from SEO, it takes an ongoing commitment of time and/or money.

The amount of resources you will have to invest is dependent on how competitive your industry is on Google and how much effort those competitors are putting in. It’s a bit of an arms race. If you are ranking one day for a particular keyword, but then your competitor creates a better piece of content, you’ll lose your position. But then you also have the opportunity to improve your position with more optimization or new content.

In the end, Google will always award the website that has the best, most relevant content to what the user is looking for.

Candy Phelps is the founder of Bizzy Bizzy, an innovative branding and web design agency in Madison, Wisconsin. Candy is also the author of “Grow Your SEO: Search Engine Optimization Concepts Even Your Grandma Can Understand.”

Why Your Beliefs Are Correct

John Russell — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 17:50:32 GMT

Written by: Roy H. Williams - Founder of Wizard Academy

Why Your Beliefs Are Correct

You look at life from a unique point of view.

I do, too.

Each of us is trapped in our own perceptual reality.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

You and I may look at the same thing but see it differently. And that little girl over there, yes, that one, sees things differently than either of us. The woman standing next to that little girl has experienced things you and I will never experience, and her reactions to those things have changed her and formed the person she is today. She is trapped inside her own perceptual reality, just like you and me.

“Is there a way out of it?”

Out of what?

“Out of the perceptual reality in which each of us is trapped.”

When you modify your perception, you modify your reality.

“Explain.”

When you listen carefully to an honest person who doesn’t agree with your beliefs, you understand that they experience things differently than you do. And that is when your perceptual reality is modified, and your mind is expanded.

“What you are describing is relativism. I believe the facts are the facts, and the truth is the truth, regardless of what you choose to believe.”

But would you agree that things are often different than they appear to be?

“I’m not sure what you’re saying.”

Sometimes we trust facts that are not facts. And even when our facts are correct, the complete truth is usually far more complex than it appears to be on the surface.

“I reject that statement. Facts are facts, and the truth is never complex; it is always plain and simple. An honest person who doesn’t see the truth has simply been misinformed.”

I respectfully disagree.

“Then you have been misinformed.”

It was six men of Indostan, to learning much inclined,
who went to see the elephant (Though all of them were blind),
that each by observation, might satisfy his mind.

The first approached the elephant, and, happening to fall,
against his broad and sturdy side, at once began to bawl:
“God bless me! but the elephant, is nothing but a wall!”

The second feeling of the tusk, cried: “Ho! what have we here,
so round and smooth and sharp? To me tis mighty clear,
this wonder of an elephant, is very like a spear!”

The third approached the animal, and, happening to take,
the squirming trunk within his hands, “I see,” quoth he,
the elephant is very like a snake!”

The fourth reached out his eager hand, and felt about the knee:
“What most this wondrous beast is like, is mighty plain,” quoth he;
“Tis clear enough the elephant is very like a tree.”

The fifth, who chanced to touch the ear, Said; “E’en the blindest man
can tell what this resembles most; Deny the fact who can,
This marvel of an elephant, is very like a fan!”

The sixth no sooner had begun, about the beast to grope,
than, seizing on the swinging tail, that fell within his scope,
“I see,” quothe he, “the elephant is very like a rope!”

And so these men of Indostan, disputed loud and long,
each in his own opinion, exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right, and all were in the wrong!

So, oft in theologic wars, the disputants, I ween,
tread on in utter ignorance, of what each other mean,
and prate about the elephant, not one of them has seen!

“Okay, so what’s your point?”

Each of the six blind men saw a different elephant, but every one of those six elephants was far more complex than it appeared to be on the surface.

“But if the blind men had taken time to gather all the facts, they would have seen the truth of the entire elephant.”

That’s true.

“Well, that’s what I do. I gather all the facts, and then I see the truth.”

You are to be congratulated on that. You are a very special individual.

“Thank you.”

The rest of us suffer from availability bias and confirmation bias.

“What are those?”

Availability bias is the result of not having all the facts available to you. When you come to a conclusion based on the facts that are available – and you are unaware that other facts exist – your conclusion will suffer from availability bias. Think of it as a kind of blindness.

“Well, I’m certain I’m not suffering from availability bias. My sources of information are rock solid. Beyond dispute.”

I’m sure they are.

“What is the other one?

Confirmation bias.

“What’s that?”

Confirmation bias is the result of agreeing with information that confirms your belief, and discounting information that conflicts with your belief.

“I’m certain I’m not doing that. I use deductive reasoning.”

Excellent! Then you know that deductive reasoning requires you to seek out information that might disprove your belief, as you try with all your might to prove that your belief is wrong.

“Who does that?”

Scientists do that. At least the real ones do. Deductive reasoning is the basis of scientific method. The job of a true scientist is to work as hard as they can to disprove what they believe. And when they cannot disprove it – and no one else can disprove it – only then will it be tentatively accepted as reliable.

“But don’t normal people just use common sense?”

Yes. Inductive reasoning is when you look at all the facts that confirm your suspicion and then pronounce your suspicion as the truth.

“But wait. That would be confirmation bias, wouldn’t it?”

You are correct. And like I said earlier, you are to be congratulated; you are a very special person.

Roy H. Williams

7 Characteristics of a Successful Consultant by Tracey Horrocks of Source One Management Services LLC

John Russell — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 17:28:00 GMT

As college graduation season has come to an end, there are a ton of recent grads entering the job market unsure of their future career path. With variety in day-to-day responsibilities and projects, attractive salaries, and continuous learning, a career in consulting can certainly be appealing. But, what does it take? First, consider what the definition of a consultant is. According to Merriam Webster’s online dictionary a consultant is a person who gives professional advice or services to companies for a fee. Sounds like a fairly simple definition. However, taking this definition to look at job searches can make the simple definition a much more complicated task.

To start, there are multiple types of Consultancies, including, but not limited to, Management Consulting, IT Consulting, and Finance and Procurement Consulting. In addition to the numerous types of consulting, there is also the need to consider the size of the consulting firm to join. They range significantly from small niche firms of less than 50 people up to the Big 4 that employ thousands. Again, the choice here stems from what the applicant deems as the best fit for them. However, no matter what type of consulting area a person would like to enter or what firm they would want to work for, there are several key characteristics that every successful consultant should possess: Having self-confidence, be a good listener, be a team player, easily cultivate and gain client trust, exhibit humility, have good communication skills, and be able to showcase expert knowledge.

Have Self-Confidence When meeting with clients, be sure to not show or sound uncertain in the responses to their questions. Speak with authority. Specifically, when discussing client sensitive matters, present yourself as confidently as possible and avoid sounding unclear or unsure in your response.

Exhibit Humility Humility is not thinking you are better than other people. Do not be boastful or arrogant when working with stakeholders. Remember, the individuals you are working with may have been doing the job you are now tasked to remedy or improve. Always keep in mind the client is the star in this equation and your job as the consultant is to help the client shine.

Be a Good Listener Listening to what the client is stating their needs and problems are is the most helpful way to ensure you are going to be able to solve their problem as easily or quickly as possible. Do not assume you know everything about their challenges or business even after doing research or if you had tackled this same problem before. In addition to being a good listener, ask relevant, open-ended questions. This allows the client to realize you are listening to them and are understanding their current situation.

Be a Team Player Development of a collaborative relationship with peers and clients is imperative to being a great consultant. Working well with others not only strengthens your skills, but it also can allow for growth of your consultancy.

Have Good Communication Skills Communication skills are both oral and written. The ability to be a good speaker is just as important as having the ability to write clear, concise emails and presentations. Since consultants are often viewed as Subject Matter Experts, the ability to deliver a message either written or aloud is critical to being a successful consultant.

Be Able to Showcase Expert Knowledge Again the idea of a Subject Matter Expert (SME) arises. Your client has hired you (or your firm) because they expect you to have more expertise than their company’s internal teams or because they do not have the bandwidth of resources or time to solve the problems at hand. In all interactions with your client ensure to exhibit the knowledge you have for this particular area of expertise. Continuous education is also imperative to remain competitive and at the top of the game. You should always be reading articles, blogs, whitepapers, etc. and networking with other industry professionals to learn and maintain the knowledge that is expected from the client. Additionally, consultants should be able to take a solution from theory to realization and show their clients how to complete and maintain that solution in their environment.

Easily Cultivate and Gain Client Trust All these skills ultimately lead to this final characteristic of gaining your clients trust. Your engagement will not be successful if the client does not feel a sense of trust from you as the consultant. The ability to calm the concerns and show value for the money being paid by the client is imperative to the success of the engagement and the ability to earn future business from this client or by their recommendation to their network. If consulting is an area that you are interested in, keep in mind, no matter the discipline, it is a people driven business and having and developing key characteristics you can have a long, rewarding, successful career.

About the Author: Tracey Horrocks is a Project Manager at Source One Management Services, LLC with years of experience in procurement and strategic sourcing in an array of categories including Professional Services, Marketing, and Facilities Maintenance. In her role, Tracey serves as a pundit for developing RFPs and executing strategic sourcing strategies. Her detailed approach to supplier identification and vendor management helps clients achieve sustainable costs savings and operating efficiency.

Ideas To Develop Your Digital Strategy

John Russell — Mon, 19 Feb 2024 15:49:15 GMT

What are you trying to achieve for yourself, your company, your brand, product or service? Begin by developing a better understanding these 5 factors.

1. Presence: Measure of the brand’s social footprint

2. Influence: Branded message adoption

3. Perception: Emotional reaction to the brand

4. Virality: People organically participating in conversations

5. Resonance: Reaction to the overall conversation about the brand

Start by customizing your message and tailoring it to each distinct customer category.

1. What is the story telling my target customer?

2. Why does my target customer care about this story?

3. What sort of emotions does my story evoke?

4. How does my story connect to the emotional needs of my target customer?

5. How will that story incite action on behalf of my brand, product, and service?

Create a social media/digital marketing content outline. Develop your content delivery calendar. Be consistent. Measure and evaluate market response and feedback.

Continue to make necessary adjustments to align your content with your target audience feedback.

Tell your story. Tell your customers stories. Point out the problem and discuss how valued solutions can be delivered.

Small Business Video Tips

John Russell — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 16:47:39 GMT

Small Business Video Tips

In today's competitive digital landscape, more and more professionals are including video in their marketing strategy.

1.     Get right to the point. What is the purpose of your video?
2.     Viewership declines 10% for every ten seconds: One minute = 50% loss of viewership
3.     Determine the objective of the video
Why are people watching this?
What skill am I giving people access to that they didn’t have before?
4.     What is the How To skills breakdown objective?
5.     Make a public service announcement.
6.     Teach a single skill with crystal clarity.
7.     Break up your objective into 3-5 points. Most important details or facts about the subject your viewers need to know.
8.     Use related graphics to show what you mean visually.
9.   Relax. Have fun with the process.

If what you want to communicate takes longer than 1-3 minutes, create a series and post your videos over the course of several days. Encourage comments and work to create a dialogue with your audience whenever possible.

Five Keys to Make Sales Training Stick

John Russell — Mon, 05 Feb 2024 15:49:50 GMT

Five Keys to Make Sales Training Stick

Written by Jeff Seeley, CEO Carew International

Realizing and sustaining the benefits of sales training depend largely upon the perspective at the client organization. Many sales leaders see skills improvement as one big, momentous event – almost akin to a mass baptismal. They think that, if they take the whole sales team down to the local sales training event, they’ll all be reinvented (“saved,” if you will) from bad habits and talent deficiencies, and they’ll instantly emerge as a vastly improved organization prepared to slay the competition and gain the competitive advantage.

If only it was that easy!

In reality, changing selling skills for the better is a process, not an event. It takes a sustained effort – as well as commitment and engagement – from both the organization’s leadership and from every member of the sales team. I say this as a sales training leader who has worked with hundreds of business organizations to help sales teams learn, develop, and implement new selling skills.

I know sales professionals are often frustrated after their organization’s sales training event, and feel as though they have been dipped in the new sales philosophy and left on their own to make something of it. But there are things everyone can do to facilitate success. Here are five tips I recommend:

Sales leaders and professionals must all create an environment of accountability, with leaders setting clear agreement on implementation and salespeople being made accountable to frontline managers and each other with improvements, coaching examples, and metrics.
To master new selling skills, salespeople need one thing: practice! Mastery will never occur without practice – regardless of the ease or difficulty of the subject. In his book, Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell contends that it takes roughly 10,000 hours to become skilled enough to be considered an expert in any area. Salespeople should take every opportunity to use their new skills right away.
Everyone must “lead” the transformation. With the ratio of sales professionals to managers skyrocketing, peer development has become increasingly important. Sales professionals should not only use their new selling skills daily, but also model that behavior and coach colleagues at every opportunity. This helps the entire sales team visualize effective sales behaviors and the exceptional customer experience they are capable of providing.
Use selling skills as part of the sales process. New selling skills are knowledge; sales process is habit. Think of it this way: someone with heart disease learns about healthy eating. That’s knowledge. However, if the person doesn’t follow up with proper habits (eating the right foods, exercising, etc.), he or she won’t see results. Selling skills will have little to no impact if they’re not incorporated into your sales process and then used habitually. (That includes everyone in the sales organization, including field sales, inside sales, sales operations, and managers.)
Sales leaders should build recognition and rewards into the new sales training initiative. Ask key senior sales professionals to look for opportunities to publicly recognize salespeople for using their new skills – and highlight their successful results. In addition, peer recognition can be a powerful motivator. Sales managers should encourage salespeople to share their successes; this can be easily done in regular sales meetings or conference calls, or in an email to the entire sales team. These acts will spread awareness of how the program is gaining traction and having positive effects throughout the organization.

Breaking old habits may be the most difficult part of a sales-training transformation. It takes patience, practice, reinforcement, and recognition to reprogram our thinking and change our behavior.

Learning new selling skills represents a courageous, personal transformation, and everyone can take pride in that self-improvement. Remember, the ultimate payoff will show up in higher commissions, improved customer satisfaction, and a competitive advantage for the company.

How Core Values Can Drive Your Business

Tara Ingalls — Tue, 30 Jan 2024 18:41:24 GMT

By Amanda Kevin, Founder of ExpeditionHR

As business owners and leaders, we typically find ourselves caught up in the day-to-day execution and “doing” of our work, and forget the reason why we’re here. The reason why we chose to create our own business in the first place, and why we continue to press forward.

I’m here today to encourage you to hop off the hamster wheel, and turn inward. Reflect on the beliefs you hold true, and the difficult decisions that you had to make to get where you are. When we take time to do this, and solidify our core values, we bring purpose back into our every day work, our decision making and the vision for our business.

Decision-Making Framework

When faced with a decision, challenge or opportunity, your core values can serve as a decision-making framework, providing a basis for choice and action. For this example we’ll say that your core values are authenticity, integrity and kindness.

For example sake, let’s say that you were approached with an opportunity to partner with another business on a long-term project. This type of endeavor is somewhat out of your wheelhouse, but you’re intrigued by the idea and opportunity it could create for you and your business. Ask yourself…

Will this partnership uphold you and your business in an authentic way?
Can you complete the project with integrity?
Will the partnership be managed in a pleasant, kind way?

Are you able to confidently say yes to these questions? If the answer is undoubtedly yes - then this partnership is likely a good move. Should you find yourself answering no to any of these questions, or your gut is tapping you on the shoulder to say something is off here, it should be a signal for you, a red flag, that something isn’t quite right. Maybe it’s not a good option for you at this time, or you just need to gather additional context to make a better, more informed decision.

Your Why

Every solopreneur started their business for a reason. You, yes you, are here for a reason. Maybe it was to support your family in a different way, escape your big corporate job or to pursue a passion. Regardless of what triggered the action, it all started with your why.

To identify your why, ask yourself:

What prompted me to start this business?
Why is the work that I’m doing important? Why does it matter?
Who is the community that I serve and why did I choose them? Why should they want me?

Maybe your why has since changed from when you first started - that’s okay! Your why, will help communicate the personality and character of your business, in turn, creating a unique brand identity and core values that are completely yours.

Future Alignment

You may forever operate as a solopreneur, or you may eventually expand out and hire an employee(s) to help support operations. Having established core values can help attract individuals who share similar values and beliefs as you. It’s really important early on to find employees that are like-minded, bought into your vision and can contribute to creating that cohesive work environment.

PS - this too can be true for finding your ideal clients!

The Exercise

Utilize some of the concepts in this blog to get your core value gears turning! I’ll even help get you started with a few tips and tricks.

● The first step is easy. Take a minute (or two) to pause. Once you’ve found some clarity, lean inward…

●      Reflect.

○      Discover your why
○      Reflect on past personal experiences - those times when you felt truly fulfilled and happy
○      Explore your beliefs - right vs wrong, fairness and justice
○      Imagine your ideal future - what impact do you want on the world?
○      Seek feedback - Ask friends, family and colleagues about the values they see in you.

● Implement them into your everyday business and decision making framework.

● Revisit and refine.

If you are a visual, hands-on learner, try creating a vision board. Start with a blank sheet of 8.5 x 11 paper and fill it with clippings and photos of all the things you envision for your business. It can help bring your vision to life!

Core values truly are multifaceted. We know the benefits of cultivating them, and as you begin to have more awareness of them in your everyday life, I am certain that new uses will be discovered.

-----

Amanda Kevin is the Founder of ExpeditionHR. Leveraging her 10+ years of experience building HR functions for several high growth startups, her passion is in creating a fulfilling and meaningful employee experience. Through alleviating compliance stressors, creating policy that upholds workplace culture, and creating a work environment that professionals will be drawn to, ExpeditionHR will guide small business owners towards fulfilling their wildest dreams.

Setting Goals For The New Year

John Russell — Tue, 30 Jan 2024 17:10:31 GMT

Setting Goals For The New Year
Where do you start? With yourself!

Things Leaders Do

1. Take Personal Responsibility

Build teams and place others first. It’s not about you.

2. Simplify Constantly
Clearly explain the top three things you’re working on.

3.     Understand Breadth, Depth and Context
How do you fit and respond?

4.     The importance of alignment and time management
Set priorities, measure outcomes and communicate to others.

5.     Leaders learn constantly and also have time to teach
Teach others of your value and ability. Share what you’ve learned.

6.     Stay true to your own style

Become self-aware. Every morning ask, what three things could I have done better yesterday?#@#_WA_-_CURSOR_-_POINT_#@#7.

7. Manage by setting boundaries with freedom in the middle
Commitment, passion, trust and teamwork are boundaries. Protect them.

8. Stay disciplined and detailed
Personally intervene on things that are important to you, your customers, your team and your company.

9. Leave a few things unsaid
Sometimes being an active listener is more effective than a personal position.
What’s best for the team?

10. Like people.
You have chosen to be here. Understand others, be fair and put your best effort forward.

“The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don’t define them, learn about them or even seriously consider them as believable or achievable. Winners can tell you where they are going, what they plan to do along the way, and who will be sharing the adventure with them.”

Denis Waitley

Whatever It Takes!

You alone are responsible for the quality of your work and the quality of your life.
Give yourself the freedom to grow and expand. Say YES to your own potential.
Dream big and use the power of your imagination.
Without action, your dream, your goal or plan has little meaning in the world.

Writing Your Goals

Clearly describe the results (goals) of what you want that you can control and write them down.

Define why these results are important to you. Be certain of your desire to achieve these goals and focus on the solution rather than the problem.

List the likely obstacles that you will have to overcome to achieve the results and identify where you can get help. Reach out for help today!

List the realistic capabilities, strategies and knowledge you will need to achieve these results.

Write a specific, measurable action plan, defining each step to achieve the results. Express your goals in terms of specific events and actions.

Create accountability by specifying a timeline to achieve your goals.

Progress = Milestones

How you spend your time everyday matters.

Persevere

Stay positive

Pay attention to details and prepare your action plan.

Build your own network of advocates, your personal promoter network.

“Like all of us, you are spending the minutes, hours, and days of your life in the pursuit of something and your are buying it with your very life. Have you inspected the package? Are you chasing what you really want?”

“Pursue your goals with ferocity and singularity of purpose. When you choose a goal to pursue, do you ask, “Is this a mountain I’m willing to die on?” - Roy H. Williams

Take Action Today!
Write down your goals, put the steps necessary to reach your goal in your planner and set a date by which you will have made progress towards achieving those goals.

Why I Have No Goals
“Goal,” in my experience, is a favorite word of people who talk and dream and dream and talk. And then they get together to “network” with other talkers. There’s always a lot of noise in these meetings but it’s unlikely than anything of consequence is going to happen. People who chatter about goals are rarely willing to die on that mountain.

I have no goals. But I do have plans.

A plan puts you in motion toward a destination. The destination you choose is irrelevant.
It is (1.) motion, (2.) determination and (3.) commitment that separate destination-reaching explorers from goal-setting chipmunks.

“Am I willing to die on this mountain?”

“Intent.” That’s the word. Plans have intent. Goals do not.

A goal without a plan is wishful thinking.
A plan without action is self-delusion.

1. What are you trying to make happen?
2. How will you measure success?

3. What’s the first thing you need to do to get started?

How to Use Goals to Create a High-Performance Sales Culture

Goals must meet four criteria:

1) The goal must be simple enough to be clearly understood.
Overly complicated or ambiguous goals are doomed from the get-go. If your team members can’t understand what the goal is, they’ll never latch on to it.

Don’t confuse simplicity with easily accomplished. . Sir Edmund Hillary’s goal was to be the first to reach the summit of Mount Everest – simple and clear, but certainly not easy to accomplish.

2) The goal must be (just) achievable.
If goals are too easy, they’re not very useful. On the other hand, if goals are seen as impossible, your team will only end up discouraged and frustrated. Remember that goals are not one-size-fits-all. What is achievable for one person or team may be out of reach for another. While reaching the summit of Everest is certainly achievable with the right preparation, determination, skill, and support (658 people summited last year), it is not an achievable goal for the vast majority of the population.

3) The goal must be meaningful.
People look to leaders for a vision and to help them become part of something bigger than they could achieve alone. If you cannot tie your goal to anything meaningful, you won’t inspire the necessary enthusiasm among your team to struggle to achieve it. To have a fair chance at conquering Everest, where 1 in 10 people loses his or her life, the endeavor must make profound sense to you and your family physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

4) The goal must be worth fighting for.
Goals require work and discipline. When the chips are down and the road ahead still looks long, people must be able to revisit their intention to achieve the goal and say, “This will be worth it. I will do what it takes to prevail.”

Some organizations have not gotten the memo about goals, and they wonder why their teams are underperforming. More often than not, we find in these types of organizations that leaders are setting goals that are unclear, meaningless, impossible to achieve, too easy to achieve, or not seen as worth the effort in the eyes of their people.

The next time you set a goal for your team, make sure it’s simple, achievable, meaningful, and worth fighting for. When you are crystal clear about where your organization is headed and how you’re going to get there, you can see amazing results from the top of the world.

Compassion and the Individual

John Russell — Mon, 22 Jan 2024 15:54:54 GMT

Madison Area Business Consultants welcomes people from all walks of life.

We pride ourselves on being a diverse, equitable and inclusive organization.

Here's a different perspective from the leader of Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism.

Compassion and the Individual

Tenzin Gyatso; The Fourteenth Dalai Lama

The purpose of life

ONE GREAT QUESTION underlies our experience, whether we think about it consciously or not: What is the purpose of life? I have considered this question and would like to share my thoughts in the hope that they may be of direct, practical benefit to those who read them.

I believe that the purpose of life is to be happy. From the moment of birth, every human being wants happiness and does not want suffering. Neither social conditioning nor education nor ideology affect this. From the very core of our being, we simply desire contentment. I don’t know whether the universe, with its countless galaxies, stars and planets, has a deeper meaning or not, but at the very least, it is clear that we humans who live on this earth face the task of making a happy life for ourselves. Therefore, it is important to discover what will bring about the greatest degree of happiness.

How to achieve happiness

For a start, it is possible to divide every kind of happiness and suffering into two main categories: mental and physical. Of the two, it is the mind that exerts the greatest influence on most of us. Unless we are either gravely ill or deprived of basic necessities, our physical condition plays a secondary role in life. If the body is content, we virtually ignore it. The mind, however, registers every event, no matter how small. Hence we should devote our most serious efforts to bringing about mental peace.

From my own limited experience I have found that the greatest degree of inner tranquility comes from the development of love and compassion.

The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater our own sense of well-being becomes. Cultivating a close, warm-hearted feeling for others automatically puts the mind at ease. This helps remove whatever fears or insecurities we may have and gives us the strength to cope with any obstacles we encounter. It is the ultimate source of success in life.

As long as we live in this world we are bound to encounter problems. If, at such times, we lose hope and become discouraged, we diminish our ability to face difficulties. If, on the other hand, we remember that it is not just ourselves but every one who has to undergo suffering, this more realistic perspective will increase our determination and capacity to overcome troubles. Indeed, with this attitude, each new obstacle can be seen as yet another valuable opportunity to improve our mind!

Thus we can strive gradually to become more compassionate, that is we can develop both genuine sympathy for others’ suffering and the will to help remove their pain. As a result, our own serenity and inner strength will increase.

Our need for love

Ultimately, the reason why love and compassion bring the greatest happiness is simply that our nature cherishes them above all else. The need for love lies at the very foundation of human existence. It results from the profound interdependence we all share with one another. However capable and skillful an individual may be, left alone, he or she will not survive. However vigorous and independent one may feel during the most prosperous periods of life, when one is sick or very young or very old, one must depend on the support of others.

Independence, of course, is a fundamental law of nature. Not only higher forms of life but also many of the smallest insects are social beings who, without any religion, law or education, survive by mutual cooperation based on an innate recognition of their interconnectedness. The most subtle level of material phenomena is also governed by interdependence. All phenomena from the planet we inhabit to the oceans, clouds, forests and flowers that surround us, arise in dependence upon subtle patterns of energy. Without their proper interaction, they dissolve and decay.

It is because our own human existence is so dependent on the help of others that our need for love lies at the very foundation of our existence. Therefore we need a genuine sense of responsibility and a sincere concern for the welfare of others.

We have to consider what we human beings really are. We are not like machine-made objects. If we are merely mechanical entities, then machines themselves could alleviate all of our sufferings and fulfill our needs.

However, since we are not solely material creatures, it is a mistake to place all our hopes for happiness on external development alone. Instead, we should consider our origins and nature to discover what we require.

Leaving aside the complex question of the creation and evolution of our universe, we can at least agree that each of us is the product of our own parents. In general, our conception took place not just in the context of sexual desire but from our parents’ decision to have a child. Such decisions are founded on responsibility and altruism — the parents’ compassionate commitment to care of their child until it is able to take care of itself. Thus, from the very moment of our conception, our parents’ love is directly in our creation.

Moreover, we are completely dependent upon our mothers’ care from the earliest stages of our growth. According to some scientists, a pregnant woman’s mental state, be it calm or agitated, has a direct physical effect on her unborn child.

The expression of love is also very important at the time of birth. Since the very first thing we do is suck milk from our mothers’ breast, we naturally feel close to her, and she must feel love for us in order to feed us properly; if she feels anger or resentment her milk may not flow freely.

Then there is the critical period of brain development from the time of birth up to at least the age of three or four, during which time loving physical contact is the single most important factor for the normal growth of the child. If the child is not held, hugged, cuddled, or loved, its development will be impaired and its brain will not mature properly.

Since a child cannot survive without the care of others, love is its most important nourishment. The happiness of childhood, the allaying of the child’s many fears and the healthy development of its self-confidence all depend directly upon love.

Nowadays, many children grow up in unhappy homes. If they do not receive proper affection, in later life they will rarely love their parents and, not infrequently, will find it hard to love others. This is very sad.

As children grow older and enter school, their need for support must be met by their teachers. If a teacher not only imparts academic education but also assumes responsibility for preparing students for life, his or her pupils will feel trust and respect and what has been taught will leave an indelible impression on their minds. On the other hand, subjects taught by a teacher who does not show true concern for his or her students’ overall well-being will be regarded as temporary and not retained for long.

Similarly, if one is sick and being treated in hospital by a doctor who evinces a warm human feeling, one feels at ease and the doctors’ desire to give the best possible care is itself curative, irrespective of the degree of his or her technical skill. On the other hand, if one’s doctor lacks human feeling and displays an unfriendly expression, impatience or casual disregard, one will feel anxious, even if he or she is the most highly qualified doctor and the disease has been correctly diagnosed and the right medication prescribed. Inevitably, patients’ feelings make a difference to the quality and completeness of their recovery.

Even when we engage in ordinary conversation in everyday life, if someone speaks with human feeling we enjoy listening, and respond accordingly; the whole conversation becomes interesting, however unimportant the topic may be. On the other hand, if a person speaks coldly or harshly, we feel uneasy and wish for a quick end to the interaction. From the least to the most important event, the affection and respect of others are vital for our happiness.

Recently I met a group of scientists in America who said that the rate of mental illness in their country was quite high-around twelve percent of the population. It became clear during our discussion that the main cause of depression was not a lack of material necessities but a deprivation of the affection of the others.

So, as you can see from everything I have written so far, one thing seems clear to me: whether or not we are consciously aware of it, from the day we are born, the need for human affection is in our very blood. Even if the affection comes from an animal or someone we would normally consider an enemy, both children and adults will naturally gravitate towards it.

I believe that no one is born free from the need for love. And this demonstrates that, although some modern schools of thought seek to do so, human beings cannot be defined as solely physical. No material object, however beautiful or valuable, can make us feel loved, because our deeper identity and true character lie in the subjective nature of the mind.

Developing compassion

Some of my friends have told me that, while love and compassion are marvelous and good, they are not really very relevant. Our world, they say, is not a place where such beliefs have much influence or power. They claim that anger and hatred are so much a part of human nature that humanity will always be dominated by them. I do not agree.

We humans have existed in our present form for about a hundred-thousand years. I believe that if during this time the human mind had been primarily controlled by anger and hatred, our overall population would have decreased. But today, despite all our wars, we find that the human population is greater than ever. This clearly indicates to me that love and compassion predominate in the world. And this is why unpleasant events are “news”; compassionate activities are so much part of daily life that they are taken for granted and, therefore, largely ignored.

So far I have been discussing mainly the mental benefits of compassion, but it contributes to good physical health as well, According to my personal experience, mental stability and physical well-being are directly related. Without question, anger and agitation make us more susceptible to illness. On the other hand, if the mind is tranquil and occupied with positive thoughts, the body will not easily fall prey to disease.

But of course it is also true that we all have an innate self-centeredness that inhibits our love for others. So, since we desire the true happiness that is brought about by only a calm mind, and since such peace of mind is brought about by only a compassionate attitude, how can we develop this? Obviously, it is not enough for us simply to think about how nice compassion is! We need to make a concerted effort to develop it; we must use all the events of our daily life to transform our thoughts and behavior.

First of all, we must be clear about what we mean by compassion. Many forms of compassionate feeling are mixed with desire and attachment. For instance, the love parents feel of their child is often strongly associated with their own emotional needs, so it is not fully compassionate. Again, in marriage, the love between husband and wife - particularly at the beginning, when each partner still may not know the other’s deeper character very well - depends more on attachment than genuine love. Our desire can be so strong that the person to whom we are attached appears to be good, when in fact he or she is very negative. In addition, we have a tendency to exaggerate small positive qualities. Thus when one partner’s attitude changes, the other partner is often disappointed and his or her attitude changes too. This is an indication that love has been motivated more by personal need than by genuine care for the other individual.

True compassion is not just an emotional response but a firm commitment founded on reason. Therefore, a truly compassionate attitude towards others does not change even if they behave negatively.

Of course, developing this kind of compassion is not at all easy! As a start, let us consider the following facts:

Whether people are beautiful and friendly or unattractive and disruptive, ultimately they are human beings, just like oneself. Like oneself, they want happiness and do not want suffering. Furthermore, their right to overcome suffering and be happy is equal to one’s own. Now, when you recognize that all beings are equal in both their desire for happiness and their right to obtain it, you automatically feel empathy and closeness for them. Through accustoming your mind to this sense of universal altruism, you develop a feeling of responsibility for others: the wish to help them actively overcome their problems. Nor is this wish selective; it applies equally to all. As long as they are human beings experiencing pleasure and pain just as you do, there is no logical basis to discriminate between them or to alter your concern for them if they behave negatively.

Let me emphasize that it is within your power, given patience and time, to develop this kind of compassion. Of course, our self-centeredness, our distinctive attachment to the feeling of an independent, self-existent “I”, works fundamentally to inhibit our compassion. Indeed, true compassion can be experienced only when this type of self- grasping is eliminated. But this does not mean that we cannot start and make progress now.

How can we start?

We should begin by removing the greatest hindrances to compassion: anger and hatred. As we all know, these are extremely powerful emotions and they can overwhelm our entire mind. Nevertheless, they can be controlled. If, however, they are not, these negative emotions will plague us - with no extra effort on their part! - and impede our quest for the happiness of a loving mind.

So as a start, it is useful to investigate whether or not anger is of value. Sometimes, when we are discouraged by a difficult situation, anger does seem helpful, appearing to bring with it more energy, confidence and determination.

Here, though, we must examine our mental state carefully. While itis true that anger brings extra energy, if we explore the nature of this energy, we discover that it is blind: we cannot be sure whether its result will be positive or negative. This is because anger eclipses the best part of our brain: its rationality. So the energy of anger is almost always unreliable. It can cause an immense amount of destructive, unfortunate behavior. Moreover, if anger increases to the extreme, one becomes like a mad person, acting in ways that are as damaging to oneself as they are to others.

It is possible, however, to develop an equally forceful but far more controlled energy with which to handle difficult situations.

This controlled energy comes not only from a compassionate attitude, but also from reason and patience. These are the most powerful antidotes to anger. Unfortunately, many people misjudge these qualities as signs of weakness. I believe the opposite to be true: that they are the true signs of inner strength. Compassion is by nature gentle, peaceful and soft, but it is very powerful. It is those who easily lose their patience who are insecure and unstable. Thus, to me, the arousal of anger is a direct sign of weakness.

So, when a problem first arises, try to remain humble and maintain a sincere attitude and be concerned that the outcome is fair. Of course, others may try to take advantage of you, and if your remaining detached only encourages unjust aggression, adopt a strong stand, This, however, should be done with compassion, and if it is necessary to express your views and take strong countermeasures, do so without anger or ill-intent.

You should realize that even though your opponents appear to be harming you, in the end, their destructive activity will damage only themselves. In order to check your own selfish impulse to retaliate, you should recall your desire to practice compassion and assume responsibility for helping prevent the other person from suffering the consequences of his or her acts.

Thus, because the measures you employ have been calmly chosen, they will be more effective, more accurate and more forceful. Retaliation based on the blind energy of anger seldom hits the target.

Friends and enemies

I must emphasize again that merely thinking that compassion and reason and patience are good will not be enough to develop them. We must wait for difficulties to arise and then attempt to practice them.

And who creates such opportunities? Not our friends, of course, but our enemies. They are the ones who give us the most trouble, So if we truly wish to learn, we should consider enemies to be our best teacher!

For a person who cherishes compassion and love, the practice of tolerance is essential, and for that, an enemy is indispensable. So we should feel grateful to our enemies, for it is they who can best help us develop a tranquil mind! Also, itis often the case in both personal and public life, that with a change in circumstances, enemies become friends.

So anger and hatred are always harmful, and unless we train our minds and work to reduce their negative force, they will continue to disturb us and disrupt our attempts to develop a calm mind. Anger and hatred are our real enemies. These are the forces we most need to confront and defeat, not the temporary “enemies” who appear intermittently throughout life.

Of course, it is natural and right that we all want friends. I often joke that if you really want to be selfish, you should be very altruistic! You should take good care of others, be concerned for their welfare, help them, serve them, make more friends, make more smiles, The result? When you yourself need help, you find plenty of helpers! If, on the other hand, you neglect the happiness of others, in the long term you will be the loser. And is friendship produced through quarrels and anger, jealousy and intense competitiveness? I do not think so. Only affection brings us genuine close friends.

In today’s materialistic society, if you have money and power, you seem to have many friends. But they are not friends of yours; they are the friends of your money and power. When you lose your wealth and influence, you will find it very difficult to track these people down.

The trouble is that when things in the world go well for us, we become confident that we can manage by ourselves and feel we do not need friends, but as our status and health decline, we quickly realize how wrong we were. That is the moment when we learn who is really helpful and who is completely useless. So to prepare for that moment, to make genuine friends who will help us when the need arises, we ourselves must cultivate altruism!

Though sometimes people laugh when I say it, I myself always want more friends. I love smiles. Because of this I have the problem of knowing how to make more friends and how to get more smiles, in particular, genuine smiles. For there are many kinds of smile, such as sarcastic, artificial or diplomatic smiles. Many smiles produce no feeling of satisfaction, and sometimes they can even create suspicion or fear, can’t they? But a genuine smile really gives us a feeling of freshness and is, I believe, unique to human beings. If these are the smiles we want, then we ourselves must create the reasons for them to appear.

Compassion and the world

In conclusion, I would like briefly to expand my thoughts beyond the topic of this short piece and make a wider point: individual happiness can contribute in a profound and effective way to the overall improvement of our entire human community.

Because we all share an identical need for love, it is possible to feel that anybody we meet, in whatever circumstances, is a brother or sister. No matter how new the face or how different the dress and behavior, there is no significant division between us and other people. It is foolish to dwell on external differences, because our basic natures are the same.

Ultimately, humanity is one and this small planet is our only home, If we are to protect this home of ours, each of us needs to experience a vivid sense of universal altruism. It is only this feeling that can remove the self-centered motives that cause people to deceive and misuse one another.

If you have a sincere and open heart, you naturally feel self- worth and confidence, and there is no need to be fearful of others.

I believe that at every level of society - familial, tribal, national and international - the key to a happier and more successful world is the growth of compassion. We do not need to become religious, nor do we need to believe in an ideology. All that is necessary is for each of us to develop our good human qualities.

I try to treat whoever I meet as an old friend. This gives me a genuine feeling of happiness. It is the practice of compassion.

Improve Your Success With A Pre-Meeting Agenda

John Russell — Wed, 17 Jan 2024 16:05:18 GMT

There are many strategic moves you can make to improve, advance and develop your career and customer base. One often overlooked strategy is to always use Pre-Meeting Agendas for your personal and business meetings.

Russell Wilson, long time NFL quarterback has been quoted as saying, "the separation is in the preparation". The difference between winning and losing is in how you prepare.

Pre-meeting planning can take many forms. It often includes qualifying questions that help frame the opportunity for you to solve your prospects or clients problems. What can I do to prepare? What should I read to learn more? What research should I do in advance? What questions should I ask?

What can you learn about your prospect or client before you meet to show them that you're invested in their success?

What's the goal of the meeting? How will you know that the meeting was successful? How will you measure the outcome?

Type up the meeting agenda. Write a short list of 3 questions that you want to ask before the meeting, related to the agenda. Then send out the agenda and the 3 questions to the other people involved in the meeting. You can say, "in preparation for this meeting I've done some homework and I'd like to share with you three things I hope we can discuss." Then suggest that all the other people attending the meeting review the agenda and questions and come prepared to discuss. Then ask them what questions they have that they would like to learn more about. Add those to the agenda to be sure everyone is included and engaged before the meeting. Then finalize the agenda and questions before the meeting and send them out to all involved. State what you perceive the desired outcome might be. Then when everyone meets all people arrive being on the same page. Focused on the primary reason for the meeting and all working together to achieve the desired outcome.

A Decade of Website Design Excellence: Tingalls Honored for 10th Consecutive Year by InBusiness Magazine

John Russell — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 14:14:50 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: 1/9/2024

Tingalls Graphic Design, a leader in creative graphic design and digital solutions, proudly announces its 10th consecutive year of recognition by InBusiness Magazine’s Executive Choice Award for website development services. This achievement celebrates the company’s unwavering dedication to superior digital solutions serving the diverse and dynamic businesses of Madison.

Now in its 24th year, Tingalls has established itself as a small yet mighty design firm, successfully launching over 50 websites in 2023 alone. This includes a beautiful new online presence for Badger Prairie Needs Network (www.bpnn.org), a vital non-profit tackling food insecurity in Dane County. For Dane Dental (www.danedental.com), a business known for its welcoming approach to dental care, Tingalls developed a website that perfectly showcases its extensive in-house services. And lastly, the firm’s collaboration with Top Pop Fundraising (www.toppop-fundraising.com) resulted in a whimsical and engaging website, reflecting their innovative approach to fundraising. These projects exemplify the versatility of Tingalls’ creative design team and their commitment to capturing the unique brand and mission of each client.

“At Tingalls, our design process is engaging, stress-free, and fun,” said Tara Ingalls, owner. “This award also affirms that our designs are not just visually stunning but also SEO-savvy, ensuring they’re as effective as they are visually appealing.”

“Tara and her team provided our company with outstanding work in creating our new website www.teamstercenter.com. Our website stands as a testament to Tingalls Graphic Design’s skills and commitment to delivering high-quality design solutions. The site showcases a seamless integration of functionality and aesthetics, providing an intuitive user experience while maintaining a visually captivating appeal. Throughout the design process my staff and I were very impressed by the level of expertise, creativity, and professionalism demonstrated by the Tingalls team; especially when it came to communication and collaboration. Their dedication to understanding our needs and exceeding our expectations was evident at every stage of the project,” noted Andy Johnson, Fund Administrator for Teamster Center Services Fund.

As Tingalls celebrates this significant milestone, the team extends heartfelt gratitude to the Madison business community for their continued support and trust.

Learn more at www.tingalls.com.

Is Now the Time for an Independent Professional Perspective?

John Russell — Tue, 02 Jan 2024 16:36:58 GMT

As we look ahead towards 2024, most business owners take a quick look back to take into account all the accomplishments and achievements that you, your company and your customers achieved over the past year.

We also look ahead to the new year to think and plan about what goals, opportunities and achievements lie directly before us.

If you’ve never worked with an independent, professional before to get a non-biased perspective related to helping you achieve your goals this could be the time.

Madison Area Business Consultants brings over 60 experienced professionals to you to help you achieve your goals and overcome any obstacles that might be in the way.

We have experts from every discipline in business. Click here to start your journey towards getting some professional consultation from experts that matter the most. https://madisonconsultants.com/sys/website/?pageId=18162

Congratulations to Tara Ingalls for being chosen as the 2023 Walter Jankowski Making a Difference Award winner

John Russell — Mon, 18 Dec 2023 14:57:33 GMT

Tara Ingalls embodies the spirit of the Walter Jankowski Award through her active engagement within MABC. Her unwavering willingness to contribute, whether it's lending her talents, time, or resources, has significantly impacted our organization. Tara's dedication shines brightly, from spearheading updates to our website to participating in authoring within Vol 1 and Vol 2 of We Wish We Had Known, to her enthusiastic hosting of our book launches. Congratulations once again to Tara and heartfelt gratitude to all nominees for their invaluable contributions to MABC

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Established by the MABC Board of Directors in 2022, the award honors the legacy of former member Walter Jankowski who passed away suddenly in 2021. While he specialized in process improvement, metrics, and change management, Walter will be remembered for the gracious way he volunteered his time. And for the unforgettable joy he exhibited when sharing his knowledge and mentoring others.

Divide and Conquer to Improve Proofreading

Tara Ingalls — Fri, 10 Nov 2023 20:18:27 GMT

By: Ann Massie Nelson

When you’re a journalism student, no one tells you that you will spend a good part of your life in the mundane job of proofreading. Yet, few steps are as important in producing quality work as proofreading.

I won’t regale you with tales of my own experience – and there were some doozies – but I will share some tips I learned to improve my proofreading skills.

1. Look at the component parts of the text. There’s a natural inclination to start at the beginning and read to the end. Wrong. Check all the headlines, then the subheads. Are they spelled correctly? Are they consistent in style and font? Check the formatting. Are the paragraphs all flush left or indented? Is the same font used throughout? What about the page numbers? Are they in order? Do they match a table of contents, when applicable? Are initial caps used consistently throughout?

2. Scan the text and photo captions for names and titles. Verify all with a reliable source. Nothing disappoints people more than seeing their name misspelled or their title incorrect.

3. Check all numbers and dates against the original source. Are dates consistent in their format? (Bonus tip: Use days of the week and dates for extra confidence, e.g., Monday, Dec. 25, 2023.)

4. Look for what’s missing. Are there photo captions and credits? Does the text refer to a graph or other image? Are hyperlinks working? Do all articles have an end mark, where appropriate?

5. Read the text last. Not sure about the spelling of a word? Look it up. Spell check won’t catch everything. Is the grammar correct? Is punctuation use consistent throughout? I use the Associated Press Stylebook, used by most newspapers, to guide me. (Don’t get me started on the Oxford comma.) What about homophones, words that sound the same but are spelled differently? How often have you seen your instead of you’re? It’s in place of its?

6. Reread from the beginning to the end. Once you’re sure the components are correct, you can read for comprehension. I often let a document “rest” for a few hours or overnight before making a second or third pass with fresh eyes.

7. Ask someone else to proofread your work. Set up a reciprocity agreement with someone you trust will approach proofreading with the same attention to detail.

8. Use a grammar checker, such as Grammarly. A blog about grammar checkers appears here. Like spell check, a grammar checker is a tool, not a replacement for sharp eyes.

9. Create a proofreading checklist. I developed my own checklist, which has evolved over the years. Your checklist will differ depending on the types of communications you’re proofreading. If you want a copy of my checklist, please email me at ann@lifemessagesmedia.com.

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Ann Massie Nelson is a writer, editor, interviewer, video producer and occasional proofreader. She is a co-founder of Life Messages Media, LLC, www.lifemessagesmedia.com.

How to Eat an Elephant: Making Your Publishing Dreams a Reality, One Bite at a Time

Tara Ingalls — Mon, 02 Oct 2023 22:56:47 GMT

By Mary Helen Conroy

So, you've got this big dream of writing and publishing a book, but it feels as daunting as eating an elephant, right? Well, fear not! Getting your thoughts and ideas out of your head and into the world is entirely doable, and it starts with taking small, manageable steps.

Think of your dream book as that enormous elephant. Trying to devour it in one gulp is overwhelming. Instead, break it down into bite-sized pieces. Start with an outline, then tackle one chapter at a time. Before you know it, you'll have devoured that elephant-sized project, and your book will be a reality.

Getting your thoughts on paper is a powerful act. Remember, books are not just ink on paper; they're ripples of ideas you send out into the universe. Your words have the potential to make a real difference in someone's life. Whether it's a novel that transports readers to a different world or a self-help guide that helps people overcome obstacles, your book can be a source of inspiration, knowledge, or comfort.

So, how do you start? Begin by setting aside dedicated time each day to write, even if it's just 15 minutes. Those small, consistent efforts add up over time. Write about what you're passionate about, what excites you, and what you believe will resonate with readers.

Don't worry about perfection in the early stages; it's more important to get your ideas down on paper. You can always revise and polish it later. Find a writing routine that works for you, whether it's early in the morning, late at night, or during your lunch break. Consistency is key.

Once you've written your book, the publishing process can seem like another daunting elephant. But again, break it down into manageable steps. Research publishing options, whether it's traditional publishing or self-publishing, and seek guidance from fellow authors or professionals in the industry. If you want help, just let me know.

Remember, every book starts as a collection of thoughts and ideas in someone's head. By taking small, deliberate steps and persevering through the process, you can turn those thoughts into a book that makes a real difference in the world. So, grab your fork and knife (or, in this case, your pen and paper) and start eating that elephant, one delicious bite at a time. Your dreams are worth it!

I love making dreams come true. Let’s talk about your elephant. Contact me today at maryhelenconroy@gmail.com

About the Author:

Mary Helen Conroy is your go-to source for inspiration, reinvention, and literary adventures! As an accomplished three-book author, she's got the storytelling chops to inspire you. But that's not all – Mary Helen's own journey of reinvention has been spotlighted in the Huffington Post, Wisconsin Public Radio, and on various podcasts. She's earned the nickname "Midwife for Midlife" for her exceptional knack for guiding people through transformative life shifts. When the pandemic rolled in, Mary Helen pivoted her focus to help folks bring their book dreams to life. Since 2020, she's coached and published an impressive 17 authors. With her company, "Life's a Daring Adventure," Mary Helen's on a mission to remind everyone that age is just a number – there are endless adventures waiting, and you're far from done!

Feel free to check out my LinkedIn Page for Further Information: LinkedIn - Mary Helen Conroy

Website: www.lifesadaringadventure.com

Speaking Opportunity for MABC Members

Catherine Barrance — Tue, 12 Sep 2023 21:15:26 GMT

Speaking Opportunity for MABC Members

MABC member, Stuart Fields, was recently contacted by the International Dairy Deli Bakery Association (IDDBA) and was asked to share potential speaking opportunities for their organization.

The IDDBA membership includes more than 1500 companies ranging from small independents to the world’s largest corporation, and one of their activities is to bring expertise to their members from experts in the industry through webinars.

They are looking for possible Webinar presenters to give educational/business presentations (30-45 minutes) on a topic relevant to the industry; attendees to the webinars include c-suite to line-level managers. The According to the formal request:

“Presentations should be educational in nature and should be brand agnostic. We are not looking for a sales presentation; however, you would note your affiliation at the beginning of the presentation to establish your expertise and you would provide your contact information at the end so that the audience knows how to seek out your services. The live webinars are free to the public and there is no financial exchange involved, but you get the opportunity to connect with the audience. We can share the registrants’ contact information with you as well.”

If an MABC member is interested in collaborating with the IDDBA on a Webinar topic, please contact Stuart Fields, and he will share contact information and any additional background on the request.

Be an Author on MABC's Blog!

Tara Ingalls — Mon, 11 Sep 2023 21:22:04 GMT

By Tara Ingalls, Owner Tingalls Graphic Design

Becoming a guest author in our blog has three main benefits since only members can post articles:

1. Expanded Reach and Exposure for MABC: Guest blogging allows you to tap into a new and potentially larger audience. When you contribute content to the MABC website, you expose your work to their established readership.

2. Building Authority and Credibility: Publishing guest posts can enhance your reputation as an authority within your field. When you share valuable insights, expertise, and well-researched content, you position yourself as a knowledgeable and credible source.

3. SEO Benefits and Backlinks: Lastly, articles will make a positive impact your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts. When you include relevant links back to your own blog within your guest posts, you create valuable backlinks. Backlinks from reputable websites signal to search engines that your content is credible and worth ranking higher in search results.

Below is a collection of resources and tips to help guide you as you write your article.

Brainstorming Topics/Titles

Below are tools to help brainstorm topics for your blog articles:

https://answerthepublic.com/ - Get Instant, raw search insights, direct from the minds of your customers

Google.com - In the search field, begin typing your industry's keywords and see what Google fills in as suggestions
* TIP: once you get search results, look for the "People Often Ask" section of search results for FAQs

5 Great Blog Topics You Can Use Today (Tingalls blog article)

Popular Blog Article Formats

• How-tos: "How to Boost Your Productivity in 5 Simple Steps."
• Listicles: "10 Tips for Healthy Eating" or "7 Ways to Improve Your Writing Skills."
• Questions: "Are You Making These Common Marketing Mistakes?"
• Problem-Solution: "Struggling with Insomnia? Try These 5 Natural Remedies."
• Comparisons: "WordPress vs. Squarespace: Which Website Platform is Right for You?"
• Personal Stories: "How I Overcame My Fear of Public Speaking and Became a Confident Presenter."
• Behind-the-Scenes: "A Day in the Life of a Digital Nomad: Working and Traveling.

Imagery/Photos

My opinion is that original, non-stock photos are best but if you need to use stock, you can find free images at Unsplash.com or paid stock images at istockphoto.com. Before uploading images with your article, be sure you rename the files from their stock name, i.e. "IMG_08383.jpg" to something more keyword-rich like "tingalls-graphic-design-website-tips.jpg"

Structuring Your Copy

To ensure your blog is SEO-friendly and ranks well in search results, it's important to structure it effectively. As far as length, some content marketing experts suggest that 1500-2000 words are the ideal length of a blog post. However, many companies and brands stick to shorter blog length guidelines (500-750 words) to honor a specific element of their marketing strategy.

Below are the essential sections to include in your website blog:

1. Compelling & Keyword-Rich Title - Craft an attention-grabbing title for your blog posts that contain relevant keywords. Compelling "problem-solving" headlines not only improve readability but also help search engines understand the content hierarchy. Remember, the headline you write should summarize the content of the article and resonate with your target audience.

2. High-Quality Content - Create well-researched, original, and valuable content that addresses your audience's needs. Focus on a specific topic and provide comprehensive information. Subheadings should be used to help to break-up long sections of copy and can also allow for quick skimming by the reader. Incorporate relevant keywords naturally into your content. Research keywords using tools like Google Keyword Planner to identify terms with high search volume and low competition.

3. Add a Clear Call to Action - In the conclusion, add a clear and relevant calls to action that guides readers on the next steps. Whether it's signing up for a newsletter, downloading a resource, or leaving a comment.

4. Author's Bio - Since this is a blog article for our MABC website, include a short paragraph about you as the author with a headshot and relavent links to your website and/or social media accounts.

By structuring your website blog with these sections in mind, you'll not only create a user-friendly experience but also enhance our organization's SEO efforts.

Email me (Tara) your blog and imagery and I'll get it scheduled to post on our website!

Elon Musk on Success - Commitment Leads to Passion

John Russell — Wed, 07 Jun 2023 13:59:48 GMT

https://youtu.be/zlDmYkeQpVQ Elon Musk On Success

There are many pathways to success. Making a commitment to yourself, your career and your customers requires dedication and commitment. What are you committed to? At what level?

Gap Selling with Bob McDonald of Midwest Sales Consultants and How to Get the Appointment with John Russell of The Business Source LLC

John Russell — Thu, 12 Aug 2021 18:58:39 GMT

Click Here To Watch the Video Presentation
Madison Area Business Consultants is proud to present How to Get the Appointment with John Russell of The Business Source LLC and Gap Selling presented by Bob McDonald of Midwest Sales Consultants. If you are needing help to increase your sales here's a great one hour program to help you gain momentum towards increased sales success.

Walter Jankowski - Better Dash Faster - So You Want To Be A Consultant

John Russell — Thu, 29 Jul 2021 19:55:02 GMT

Enjoy Walters great talent and passion for helping others succeed in business.

Why Consultants Should Network With Other Consultants (Especially Those In MABC)

Thu, 03 Jun 2021 17:36:58 GMT

I’m a big believer in the power of networking. I could tell you hundreds of stories about how it’s helped me and how my being an avid networker has helped others. You never know “who knows who” and how we can help each other.

While I was a full time CFO for an entrepreneurial tech company I started taking on side projects. I enjoyed doing that kind of work and when I helped the owner of the tech company sell it last year, I decided I wanted to do it full time. I became a “fractional CFO” – helping companies who needed a CFO’s skills and experience but not on a full-time basis. I had become a “consultant”.

I continued to network and I quickly realized that my doing so with other consultants brought additional benefits especially with those I had gotten to know well like those in the Madison Area Business Consultants group (MABC). In addition to the benefits of traditional networking, our skills can be helpful to other consultants when our clients or contacts turn to us for advice beyond what we normally help them with. For example, one of my clients might ask me if I know someone who specializes in online marketing – and I have a few to recommend from MABC. Or someone might ask me if I know a business coach – again I know a few. Someone might ask you if you know a fractional CFO and you do. Being able to suggest someone you trust and can recommend is “win win”.

I have found MABC to be a great group made up of authentic, smart and helpful people. I’ve tried to get to know as many of you as I can. I look forward to getting to know you better and to being able to recommend you to clients and other people I know who ask me “Do you know someone who……?”

What Working Capital Is and Why You Should Manage It

Mon, 23 Nov 2020 20:50:24 GMT

Working Capital is the excess of current assets (including cash, accounts receivable, and inventory) over current liabilities (including accounts payable and accrued expenses).

Net Working Capital = Current Assets - Current Liabilities

It is a measure of both liquidity and operational efficiency. Ideally, you want to maintain your net working capital (NWC) so you have enough to invest and grow your business. However, too much net working capital can indicate you are not reinvesting cash, not collecting accounts receivable (A/R) efficiently, or over investing in inventory. An important point to note: Inventory is generally thought of as pertaining to businesses that sell products, not services. However, I have always told service providers to think of work completed but not billed as their inventory. A billable hour worked but not invoiced is essentially the same as a widget purchased but not sold. It is an asset that needs to be converted to cash.

Dollars tied up in accounts receivable and inventory are dollars not currently earning a return for your company. Keeping inventory at the optimal level will free up those dollars for investment elsewhere. Likewise, dollars you are entitled to but have not received represent an interest free loan to the party you have extended the payment terms to. The flip side of managing accounts receivable is managing your accounts payable (A/P). These are other firms' extensions of credit to you for the length the payment terms. These represent expenses you have incurred but have not yet outlaid the cash for. Ideally, you will pay these at the end of the payment term period because you want to delay the outlay of cash as long as possible. One possible exception to this is if the vendor offers a discount on early payment (ex. 2/10, net 30). Ordinarily, you should take the discount, especially if you have enough cash on hand and adequate buffer in your cash flow forecast. If you will have to borrow to take advantage of the discount, you will have to calculate the costs of not taking the discount (see equation 1 below) and compare that to the cost of the sources of financing you would utilize.

See original article for equation

Effectively managing your collections, inventory, and payments to outside vendors are essential for good working capital management. Specific working capital needs will vary from industry to industry. Different industries have significantly different payments terms (to both suppliers and customers), inventory values, inventory turn rates, etc. There are various metrics you can use to evaluate your firm compared to other players in your industry. Some of these include:

Current Ratio - a measure of liquidity. Current Ratio = Current Assets/Current Liabilities
Cash conversion cycle (CCC)- the number of days it takes to convert a dollar spent on inventory into a dollar inflow from sales, Calculating this number requires you to know your Days Sales Outstanding (a measure of A/R collection efficiency), Days Inventory Outstanding (a measure of inventory management efficiency), and Days Payable Outstanding (a measure of A/P management).
Working Capital Turnover - measures the effectiveness in using working capital to generate sales. Working Capital Turnover = Net Sales / Net Working Capital
Return on capital employed (ROCE) - while not strictly a working capital ratio, it provides a measure of efficiency of generating income from total capital. ROCE = Earnings Before Interest & Taxes / (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)

Finally, a lesser known fact about working capital management is that it often has substantial ramifications on the sale of a business. Commonly buyers of businesses include a NWC target in their agreement, normally based on the 12-month average of the NWC prior to sale (the target amount). This is because the sale price is often based on a multiple of Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization (EBITDA). Thus, all items included in the EBITDA number need to be accounted for. A/R appears in EBITDA as revenue, and A/P shows up as expenses. The working capital needed to generate the selling EBITDA has to be maintained for the price to be fair. Normally the terms of the sale require an adjustment to the purchase price if the working capital varies from the 12-month average. If the NWC at the close of the sale is above the target amount, the seller's closing proceeds are increased by the difference. Conversely, if the NWC is below the target amount at sale, the seller's proceeds are reduced by the difference. Owners considering an outside sale have an additional incentive to manage their working capital, and they should begin managing it at least 18 months prior to going to market to find a buyer. Managing working capital effectively ensures owners (sellers) will have a true representation of the NWC required to run the firm when the buyer calculates the 12-month average, and they will have a strong negotiating position to argue it should be lower if an anomaly has driven it higher in the past few months.

Overall, the goal of net working capital management is to maximize the efficiency of your operations. Effective management of working capital will improve profitability and growth, while ensuring your ability to cover your obligations.

If you’d like to learn more about these topics, please visit Augelli Consulting for multiple other free resources related to value creation and business exit planning.

About the Author:

Jon Augelli is a licensed Professional Engineer, Certified Management Accountant, Certified in Strategy and Competitive Analysis, Certified Financial Modeling and Valuation Analyst, and the founder of Augelli Consulting, LLC. He has a passion for helping business owners achieve their dreams by growing their businesses and preserving their legacy. He does this by offering Fractional CFO and Exit Planning Services to small to mid-sized business owners across Southern Wisconsin. He has advised companies in a variety of fields including engineering, legal, healthcare, fitness, and e-commerce, and has navigated multiple business ownership transitions. For questions regarding topics discussed or CFO & Exit Planning services contact him at: jaugelli@augelliconsulting.com or 608-352-3332

Key Business Value Drivers

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 15:00:00 GMT

What drives value in a business?

Often times when professionals talk about business value, or what a business sold for they talk about it in terms of EBITDA multiples. EBITDA means Earnings Before Interest Taxes Depreciation and Amortization. The EBITDA multiples businesses sell for are usually stated in a range, and the range typically varies by industry. It might be, just as an example, that businesses within your industry sell for 5x EBITDA to 7x EBITDA. The question is, what causes some to sell for 5x EBITDA and another one to sell for 7x EBITDA? There are a number of factors at play, but we will talk about some of the major factors here.

A lot of the items we will discuss concern the perceived risk associated with the business’s future performance. Anyone who has operated a business knows that it is an inherently risky venture. Therefore, anything you can do in your business to reduce the risk to a potential buyer will help to increase the value to that buyer. Another key concept to consider as you think about and begin to prepare your business for exit is the level of autonomy your business has. Basically ask yourself, “can my business operate well without my involvement?” I always tell people that I talk to about preparing their business of exit that, “Nobody wants to buy your job. They can always find a job. They don’t want to buy one.” If your business requires constant attention from you, the owner, or else it will fall apart, that will not be as valuable as a business than can run smoothly with little to no involvement from you. These two key concepts are at the root of almost all the concepts we will explore here. Keep an eye out for them as we cover the specific value drivers and think about how each of the specific drivers connect back to these two overarching ideas.

Also, keep in mind that the value drivers we are discussing today are general guidelines. They aren’t necessarily achievable in all situations. However, just because you can’t achieve one, doesn’t mean you can’t still take steps to show a potential buyer that you’ve reduced risk in that area, which may still make your business more attractive to them.

Markets & Customers

We will begin our discussion reviewing a few items related to markets and customers and thinking about different aspects here that can increase the value of your business to a buyer. First, consider your customer base. How diversified is it?

Do most of your sales come from one or two key customers? If so, this increases risk from a buyer’s perspective because they would see the transfer of ownership as a potential risk to losing one of those key customers which would directly impact the revenues and thus the bottom line. Conversely, if you have a well-diversified customer base where most of your sales come from a large number of different customers, and none of them account for any more than 10% of the business, this is less risky from a buyer perspective.

Another good customer metric that buyers like to look at is, how high is your customer retention rate? Do you have a lot of repeat business? This indicates to a buyer that they will not have to spend as much effort generating new business because there will likely be quite a bit of old or repeat business coming in the door still when they take over. It also indicates that you likely have a high brand recognition and good reputation with your previous customers and within the communities you serve. This is another value driver: high brand recognition & good reputation.

Now let’s take a look at your competitive advantage. Obviously, a business with a clear, sustainable competitive advantage would be more valuable than a business that has no real competitive advantage or a poorly defined one. One thing you can do to help sustain your competitive advantage is to protect your intellectual property through the use of trademarks, copyrights, or patents. You should try to do this for key processes, procedures, or innovations that your company has developed over the years. This obviously will help keep other competitors out of your market and help you further define your reputation and brand. It also helps to create a barrier to entry for other competitors in your market space.

In the same vein, having barriers to entry that keep potential competitors out of your market or operating in a specialized niche market also increases your business value. It means there is less risk of other people coming in and stealing market share or customers away from you.

Operations

As we mentioned earlier, nobody wants to buy a messy, disorganized business from you. They do not want to buy a job. They want to buy a well run company. Knowing this, what can we do to increase value? Well, the first thing you can do is make sure that you are documenting your internal operational processes. They should be well written, thorough, and easily available. This not only helps you to train your current staff, but it also enables you to scale up more quickly. These documented procedures include having sound internal policies for HR (along with all appropriate documentation), sales and marketing processes, accounting processes, and any other processes that are critical to delivering your product or service to your customers.

You should also keep a record of past budgets or any other performance management tools that you’ve had in the past, and keep a record of actual performance compared to those targets. Companies that can show the ability to set a target and achieve it along with a strong, positive growth in key metrics over time, will be worth more than companies that do not have such strong, positive trends.

You’ll also want to make sure that your office and/or physical plant are in good, clean, orderly condition and that you are using reasonably current and effective technology. No one wants to buy an old decrepit building with machines that need to be replaced or should have been replaced years ago. They will quickly see that as a large cash investment that needs to take place now and should have been covered by the previous owner. They will likely reduce their price accordingly and thus a business like that will not be as valuable as a company that has all new state-of-the-art equipment and technology and new office buildings.

Another item to consider is your supplier diversification. Having a few, concentrated suppliers that give you all the supplies needed to run your business can increase risk. So if you do have supplier concentration, either for a strategic reason or for other reasons, look to see if you can diversify or try to reduce risk if you can – for example consider signing a long-term contract with them if you have not already.

Documentation

There are several items you will want to have documentation for when you begin preparing your business for sale. The first thing that would be beneficial to have is documentation of high customer satisfaction. This can be done through customer reviews, testimonials, feedback and review forms, etc. These server to show that reputation and brand you have established that will likely lead to strong repeat business moving forward. This is very valuable to a potential buyer.

Also, and in-line with some of the items we discussed in the operations section, you’ll want to have a written business plan or strategic plan that spells out the direction of the business over the next three to five years. This is valuable to a buyer because it shows that not only do you have a plan to grow the business but also, that you will likely achieve that plan because of your documented history of achieving your budgets and growth goals.

You should also make sure you have your financial statements from past years readily available. You’ll want to make sure these are accurate. They should have already been reviewed internally for accuracy and ideally, audited especially when you are within the last few years of your intended selling date. You want to make sure there are no surprises on your financial statements or in your accounts before you start doing due diligence with the buyer. Any error uncovered here buy a potential buyer will make them nervous about what else might be misstated or misrepresented.

Ensure that all of your corporate records are up-to-date and filed in an orderly manner that can be readily accessed. This includes the meeting minutes, reports from Board of Directors meetings, etc.

You’ll also want to review your customer contracts to ensure they are transferrable. This must be done so that the contracts don’t have to be resigned or renegotiated when the new owners take control. Look over these contracts with your business attorney to make sure this is covered. Likewise, you’ll want to review and/or sign written agreements with your key vendors, suppliers, leasers, or other strategic partners. Make sure that these agreements are also transferrable to the new ownership. This is all done to reduce the risk to the potential new owners so they don’t have to renegotiate all these agreements.

People

You want to make sure that you have employee non-compete and non-solicitation agreements in place so your key people don’t leave and set up a competing firm as soon as you sell your business. This again reduces risk to the buyer during the transition. Also look at implementing retention based compensation plans to help ensure that they will stick around after you have sold the business. Make sure that the compensation plans don’t pay out when the business is sold, since this actually increases the likelihood of your top employees leaving since they just got a large payout at the sale of the business. Design them to pay out well after your sale to encourage key staff to stick around to assist with the transition.

Another value driver is to keep documentation of employee reviews and show a history of employee development. This demonstrates a history of reinvesting in your people and indicates the company is dedicated to growing its employees, which likely means they will stick around since you’ve created a good work environment. A great work environment is also essential to attracting future talent to the organization.

This next one is a big one and is one of the hardest items to address in this list for most owners to address. You must ensure you, the owner, is not essential to the success of the business. A lot of business owners love doing the work so much that they are reluctant to relinquish their duties to the next generation of management and employees. They tend to hold on to the tasks that they’ve always done. For example, maybe they’ve always been the primary salesperson but they are reluctant to transition those key client relationships, or maybe they have historically performed the final review and sign-off on the work performed and are reluctant to transfer that responsibility. If you are going to try to sell your business remember what I keep saying, “nobody wants to buy your job”. You need to make sure you have a strong successor management team in place and that they have been trained on the key processes and procedures, and have been brought in to those key relationships, both with customers and with vendors, so those relationships stay intact through your transition.

In the same vein, you want to make sure you have clearly defined organizational leadership, and have current, written job descriptions for all positions within the organization.

These steps help to document how things are done, which is what lead to your success in the first place, and makes sure that it will continue after your exit.

Conclusion

This is just a short list of some of the key value drivers that you’ll want to start working on now if you plan to sell your business in the near future. Now, some of these changes can take quite a few years to address. Getting key metrics to trend in the right direction or show growth in customers over the last 3 years obviously takes time. Also consider that trying to get the right management team in place can take several years as well. That's assuming you find the right leaders on the first try. If you realize through the training and development process that some of your hand-picked leaders end up not being right for the job you envisioned them for, it can set you back at square one. Even for seemly smaller changes, they can take time. Anyone who has tried to implement any change in a business knows it never goes as quickly or smoothly as you hoped. There always seem to be unforeseen bumps along the way. Plus, you still have to run the business while you are doing all of this work on the business. Thus, the earlier you can get started on this the better.

If you’d like to learn more about these topics, please check out Augelli Consulting for multiple other free resources related to Exit Planning and value creation.

About the Author:

Jon Augelli is a licensed Professional Engineer, Certified Management Accountant, Certified Financial Modeling and Valuation Analyst, and the founder of Augelli Consulting, LLC. He has a passion for helping business owners achieve their dreams by growing their businesses and preserving their legacy. He does this by offering Fractional CFO and Exit Planning Services to small to mid-sized business owners across Southern Wisconsin. He has advised companies in a variety of fields including engineering, legal, healthcare, fitness, and e-commerce, and has navigated multiple business ownership transitions. For questions regarding topics discussed or CFO & Exit Planning services contact him at: jaugelli@augelliconsulting.com or 608-352-3332

Weekly Cash Forecasting

Wed, 04 Nov 2020 14:00:00 GMT

Richard Branson famously said, “Never take your eyes off the cash flow because it is the life blood of business”. This is great advice from an accomplished entrepreneur. Unfortunately, many business owners do heed it. Many companies do not regularly forecast cash flows. While it may not seem important if everything is going well, there are a multitude of benefits from this simple exercise that can help your company regardless of your overall business health. Not only does it give owners a better understanding of their company’s liquidity over the short to medium term, but it has a host of other benefits as well. These include reduced costs, increased efficiencies, better coordination within the organization, and several others.

Why Create a Weekly Forecast

Many owners are skeptical of creating cash flow forecasts. They think, “We aren’t in trouble and don’t foresee any issues”. Well, did you foresee Covid-19? Did you know exactly when the 2008 financial crisis was going to happen? There is always uncertainty in the future. If you wait until you are in a distressed situation to create a cash flow forecast, it may already be too late for you to affect it. Furthermore, your forecast will likely be hastily thrown together, and will not include any of the wisdom or insights into your business gained from long history of forecasting, comparing, and revising your cash flow estimates. No matter how much liquidity you have now, there are always limits on liquidity. It is wise to know these limits and keep an eye on them.

Many owners also think, “We can’t afford it” or “We do not have the time, staff or resources to put a cash flow forecast together”. The truth is you cannot afford not to forecast. The understanding gained from forecasting your cash flows does not just help prevent a liquidity crunch, it can lead to greater integration across the business, lower costs, and more effective deployment of capital.

Lastly, a lot of owners ask why they have to do it weekly? Why not monthly? Monthly forecasts are fine for looking for overall trends in cash position but the sampling rate is too low. Monthly forecasts will not catch drops in cash mid-month, which is especially important if you know you have a significant expense due mid-month (ex. Payroll). A more granular, or higher frequency, forecast will capture this kind of fluctuation. Daily forecasts would be great, but revising forecasts daily is just too onerous. Weekly forecasts achieve the right balance.

What are the Benefits of a Weekly Forecast

As I mentioned before, the main reason is to gain a deeper understanding of your company’s liquidity over the short to medium term. A cash flow forecast will give you an early warning of an impending cash crunch and allow you time to react. However, an increased understanding of your liquidity is not the only benefit of weekly cash flow forecasting. There are a number of others.

It instills a “Cash Flow” is reality mindset

Accrual accounting and GAAP can conceal the actual changes in the cash balance of a business (as I discussed in my Financial Statement Fundamentals post). This is especially true for seasonal businesses, business with large, deferred revenues, or business using various revenue recognition methods that do not align with cash inflows. Focusing on the actual cash flows can uncover near-term issues quickly and allow you time to react. Furthermore, focusing strictly on the cash flow forces discipline.

It enhances your understanding of the cash required for growth

Growth often constrains cash flow because you are required to outlay cash to increase your inventory before you can sell it and collect cash. It is possible to grow yourself into bankruptcy. Regular forecasting helps you to understand, anticipate, and plan for these cash constraints, and obtain adequate financing when required.

It enhances Your Understanding of your External Business Relationships

Focusing on cash inflows and outflows forces you to examine when you actually receive cash from customers and when payments are actually due to suppliers. This helps you identify which customers always pay on time, or even early, and which ones usually need a little reminder.

NOTE: When you reach out to them to remind them of their upcoming payment, or to check in on why you have not received it yet, take advantage of the call as an opportunity to generate more business (assuming you want to keep doing business with them). This obviously depends on your relationship with your customer (or contact there) and your industry. I have successfully used this technique in the past in the construction industry when speaking to project managers.

On the supplier side, one advantage of forecasting is that it requires you to review the payment terms of your suppliers. In general, you don’t want to pay suppliers earlier than you have to. If they do not expect payment for 30 days and don’t offer discounts for paying early, then just pay them at 30 days. On the flip side, some suppliers may offer discounts for early payment. If your forecast shows you’ll have enough cash, you should normally take the discount. In our earlier article on managing working capital I cover the costs of not taking a discount – you’d be surprised. As you review your suppliers, also consider which (if any) you have a good enough relationship to maybe stretch the payment terms in a pinch.

It enhances your understanding of your internal business relationships

Accurate forecasting requires communication between departments and individuals across the organization. If you want accurate estimates, you must talk to accounts payable, accounts receivable, purchasing, sales, HR, etc. and incorporate their insights into your model. Repeating this practice each week allows you to understand their operating patterns and cycles and can give you insights into your business.

It improves your use of cash

More accurate forecasting and management of your cash position means less frequent borrowing, which reduces your interest expense. Knowing how much cash you need on hand to cover expenses allows for better use of excess cash. Instead of sitting in a bank account earning no interest, you can put the excess cash to work. This can include further investment in growth opportunities, debt reduction, increased distributions to owners, etc.

How to Create a Weekly Forecast

Now that we’ve seen that weekly cash flow forecasting is essential for all businesses, how do you go about creating one?

First you need to decide how far out your forecast will extend. You must project far enough out to give yourself time to react to issues your forecast uncovers. However, the further out your forecast extends, the more effort it takes to update each week, and the more speculative your numbers become. Try to strike a balance. Within one month most firms can use their actual accounts receivable and accounts payable aging reports to create their forecast. However, past one-month, most companies must rely on estimated future sales and expenses, which are less accurate. Again, this varies between companies and industries. 13 weeks in advance (the number of weeks in one quarter) is the industry standard.

Next, you’ll want to create a spreadsheet. Across the top create columns for the weeks you want to include in your forecast. I also recommend including the last four to six weeks of actual historical numbers for reference. Along the left-hand side, create two sections, one for cash receipts and one for cash disbursements. See the example below.

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Then fill in the table. Remember that you need to record when cash actually hits your bank account for cash receipts and when the cash actually leaves your bank account for cash disbursements.

NOTE: One common point of confusion, when you pay an expense with your company credit card, the cash has not left your company yet. It leaves your company when you pay your credit card off. Make sure to account for this nuance in your forecast.

When completing this exercise, remember, it is a cash flow forecast so do not include non-cash items in your estimates. You have to break the accrual and GAAP reporting mindset. Don’t think about revenue, think about cash receipts, especially if you are in a business that takes payment upfront and recognizes revenue over several months, or if you use various revenue recognition over time methods. Don’t think about Cost of Goods sold, think about the purchase of inventory. Leave out depreciation, monthly journal entries reducing prepaid expenses (ex. Prepaid insurance with monthly entries made), goodwill impairment, etc. We are just focusing on cash. Cash moving in, and cash moving out.

When you are finished, subtract the cash outflows from the cash inflows. The result is your change in cash for the week. Finally, add two additional lines at the bottom of the excel file: one for beginning cash balance, and one for ending cash balance which is simply the beginning balance plus the forecasted change in cash.

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If you are showing a deficit consider ways to increase cash receipts, delay or decrease cash disbursements, or figure out how to gain access to additional funds.

NOTE: Quick point about treasury management. If you need additional funds in one account, always draw from the least expensive funding option. If you need cash in your business checking account and have to draw money from a business savings accounts paying 0.25% interest and a money market account paying 0.40%, take the money from the 0.25% interest account since you are foregoing less interest income. If you must choose between a line of credit that charges 5.25% and drawing from a savings account that pays 0.25% interest, draw money from the savings account.

Tips & Tricks

Like anything else, cash flow forecasting takes practice. Your accuracy should increase as you continue week after week and become more familiar with the nuances of your firm. To help get you started, here are some tips and tricks I’ve found useful:

Sort your expenses from largest to smallest. According to the 80/20 rule, roughly 80% of your cash outflows probably come from 20% of your payables (or vendors). These are the large items you will want to spend the most effort trying to accurately estimate because they can throw your whole estimate off if you get their timing wrong. In almost every company this includes payroll as one of the top items. Many companies also have inventory purchases up here. By the time you have listed these top 20% of vendors it is usually ok to group the smaller remaining outflows into a few line items and spread them across the forecast. It isn’t really worth spending as much time trying to pinpoint when you have to pay a $100 expense as it is for a $100,000 expense. You can always make it more detailed in the future if you need to.
- Some companies also find it helpful to sort by critical and non-critical vendors or to do this instead of sorting by largest to smallest. I find the critical vendors are often the same as the vendors in the top 20%. I usually recommend sorting by size and then indicating the critical vendors if you wish to either by color coding, or some other method.
- Depending on your customer diversification and sales structure, it might also be helpful to breakdown your cash inflows in a similar manner. Determining exactly when you will receive payment for invoices can be challenging. Be realistic with your forecasts. Don’t just assume every customer will pay within your payment terms.
Create a feedback mechanism so you can learn from your mistakes. Save a copy of your forecasts, and then compare it to the actual results when you update your forecasts. Note differences between the two, dig into things for clarification if needed, and write down notes. Often you will realize patterns, such as certain customers always pay late or payroll taxes are higher in the beginning of the year before the wage caps are reached. You may also identify costs you forgot to account for (ex. Property taxes paid once per year) and you will gain a better understanding of how things like holidays affect the timing of expenses. Maintain this practice even after you feel like you have a solid handle on things. In business, as in life, change is the only constant.
- It can be helpful to create a calendar to go with your notes so you don’t forget those once-per-year or once-per-quarter expenses.
Develop a network of people in other departments you check in with for information that could affect the forecast and make a habit of doing so weekly. Not only will this improve your forecasts, you’ll be surprised by the other benefits of this increased, interdepartmental communication.
Update your forecast to incorporate management’s response to it. If you are forecasting a cash crunch and management decides to delay some expenses or draw on the line of credit, update your forecast accordingly. This may result in two versions, the initial, and the one incorporating management’s response. Save the second version for future comparison and forecasting.
Follow through on the response to the forecast. If management decides to delay some expenses, make sure to tell that to whoever normally makes those purchases. Otherwise they will carry on with business as usual.
Be sure to account for all the locations you have cash. If you have multiple bank accounts, or a PayPal and/or a Stripe account with a balance, include those in your cash balances.
Garbage in, Garbage out. (G.I.G.O.) I’ve said it in every post I have related to financial modeling and analysis. If your information is junk, your forecasts will be too. Make sure you have accurate accounting records which include all revenues, expenses, and relevant transactions.

Over the last few years, there has been an increased effort to use A.I. and automation to help reduce the burden of weekly forecasting. While I am all in favor of leveraging technology to reduce workload, I am always a little leery of any automated forecasting programs. In my experience they analyze previous data looking for patterns to generate a forecast for the future. This is fine for identifying trends, and it can shed some light on patterns or cycles in your business. However, it is a poor substitute for your foresight and does not replace a forecast based on input from various departments across your business. You should not drive a car by looking only in the rearview mirror, nor should you create a forecast by looking only at historical information. Always review automated forecasts and incorporate your knowledge and experience into them.

Lastly, the most important tip I have is this: just start. That is the most important piece of advice. Even if it is just with a simple 30-day forecast. As you continue to build the habit, you can add more details, and extend your forecast. But the most important step is to just start.

Conclusion

Growing your business without careful cash management can create cash flow shortages, and in severe cases, bankrupt your company. Conversely, intelligent management of cash gives you an edge for daily operations, handling crises, and growing your business to new heights. Cash flow forecasting is essential to sound cash management. It can give you new insights into your business, give you more time to react to crises, and can lead to more efficiencies and reduced costs. Once you’ve gotten into the habit of weekly forecasting and see the benefits for yourself, you wonder why you didn’t start sooner.

About the Author:

Jon Augelli is a licensed Professional Engineer, Certified Management Accountant, Certified Financial Modeling and Valuation Analyst, and is the founder of Augelli Consulting, LLC. He has a passion for helping business owners achieve their dreams by growing their businesses and preserving their legacy. He does this by offering Fractional CFO and Exit Planning Services to small to mid-sized business owners across Southern Wisconsin. He has advised companies in a variety of fields including engineering, legal, healthcare, fitness, and e-commerce, and has navigated multiple business ownership transitions. For questions regarding topics discussed or CFO & Exit Planning services contact him at: jaugelli@augelliconsulting.com or 608-352-3332

Business Website Costs: How to Handle Them for Tax Purposes

Rachel Rasmussen — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 19:47:39 GMT

GUEST BLOG POST: We know a lot about small business here at Rescue Desk, but there are some topics that we quickly defer to an expert. Since we work with a ton of number-loving businesses, we have lots of folks to turn to when accounting questions pop up. Thanks to our long-time friend Kari Apel — CEO and President of Apel Associates, Inc — for sharing her wisdom and penning this post on how to handle business Website costs when it comes to tax time.

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The business use of websites is widespread. But surprisingly, the IRS hasn’t yet issued formal guidance on when Internet website costs can be deducted.

Fortunately, established rules that generally apply to the deductibility of business costs, and IRS guidance that applies to software costs, provide business taxpayers launching a website with some guidance as to the proper treatment of the costs.

Hardware or software?

Let’s start with the hardware you may need to operate a website. The costs involved fall under the standard rules for depreciable equipment. Specifically, once these assets are up and running, you can deduct 100% of the cost in the first year they’re placed in service (before 2023). This favorable treatment is allowed under the 100% first-year bonus depreciation break.

In later years, you can probably deduct 100% of these costs in the year the assets are placed in service under the Section 179 first-year depreciation deduction privilege. However, Sec. 179 deductions are subject to several limitations.

For tax years beginning in 2020, the maximum Sec. 179 deduction is $1.04 million, subject to a phaseout rule. Under the rule, the deduction is phased out if more than a specified amount of qualified property is placed in service during the year. The threshold amount for 2020 is $2.59 million.

There’s also a taxable income limit. Under it, your Sec. 179 deduction can’t exceed your business taxable income. In other words, Sec. 179 deductions can’t create or increase an overall tax loss. However, any Sec. 179 deduction amount that you can’t immediately deduct is carried forward and can be deducted in later years (to the extent permitted by the applicable limits).

Similar rules apply to purchased off-the-shelf software. However, software license fees are treated differently from purchased software costs for tax purposes. Payments for leased or licensed software used for your website are currently deductible as ordinary and necessary business expenses.

Was the software developed internally?

An alternative position is that your software development costs represent currently deductible research and development costs under the tax code. To qualify for this treatment, the costs must be paid or incurred by December 31, 2022.

A more conservative approach would be to capitalize the costs of internally developed software. Then you would depreciate them over 36 months.

If your website is primarily for advertising, you can also currently deduct internal website software development costs as ordinary and necessary business expenses.

Are you paying a third party?

Some companies hire third parties to set up and run their websites. In general, payments to third parties are currently deductible as ordinary and necessary business expenses.

What about before business begins?

Start-up expenses can include website development costs. Up to $5,000 of otherwise deductible expenses that are incurred before your business commences can generally be deducted in the year business commences. However, if your start-up expenses exceed $50,000, the $5,000 current deduction limit starts to be chipped away. Above this amount, you must capitalize some, or all, of your start-up expenses and amortize them over 60 months, starting with the month that business commences.

Need Help?

An experienced accountant can determine the appropriate treatment of website costs for federal income tax purposes. Rely on an expert to help you navigate the proper deductions and expenses at tax time.

The Math Doesn't Lie. You Can't Afford NOT to Grow Your Team

Rachel Rasmussen — Thu, 17 Sep 2020 15:11:42 GMT

I talk about the value of time quite a bit with colleagues and clients. We talk about what’s eating away the hours, the benefits of delegating, how it works to have a “virtual” team, and the goals we are all trying to achieve.

Then we talk numbers.

I have this handy little chart I’ve used for years. It’s admittedly very elementary, but it’s effective at showing where you’re leaving money on the table by not getting the support you need. This is especially easy to determine if we’re working with billable-hour business models.

Let’s say your billable time is worth $100 an hour (which I’m only using to keep the math simple … I can practically guarantee your billable time is worth a lot more) and you spend 4 hours a week on non-revenue-generating tasks. You’re basically giving up potentially $400 a week in billable hours… or $20,800 a year!

$100/hour
x 4 hours/week
$400 per week

Otherwise looked at like:

$400 per week
x 52 weeks/year
$20,800/year

You’ll never bill for those hours because, unfortunately, nobody will ever pay you for those tasks.

Now…

Say you outsourced some of those tasks to a service provider who specializes in business support – a bookkeeper, a virtual assistant, a copywriter, a Website expert, a virtual receptionist, etc. You pay that specialist $50 an hour to tackle those 4 hours of non-revenue-generating tasks every week (or roughly 16 hours every month).

At the end of the month, they will send you an invoice for $800.

$50/hour fee
X 4 hours/week
X 4 weeks/month
$800/month

If your time is worth $100 an hour, and you just gained back potentially 16 hours of billable time in a month, you’ve just earned a minimum of $800 in potential revenue after paying for some much-needed support.

$1600 in potential revenue
– $800 fee for services
$800 in potential revenue

That $800 per month … or almost $10,000 a year …. will remain out of reach until you have support because you’ll continue doing it yourself. Nobody will ever pay you for that time or those tasks.

As I mentioned, I used these numbers to keep the math easy. Now do the math using what your billable time is really worth. $150/hour? $200/hour? $400/hour?

If your typical billable hour is $150/hour, for example, and you hire an expert for the same $50 an hour to do those 4 hours worth of work, you potentially opened up more than $20,000 in annual revenue.

Now consider the work you do that’s arguably worth even MORE than your typical billable hour … strategic planning, business development, product or service innovation, etc.

The bottom line is the cost of your support team remains the same, but your potential revenue increases significantly.

Business owners need to spend their time growing their business, generating revenue, strategizing, innovating, and exceeding customers’ expectations. They don’t need to spend time managing marketing touch points, or updating their Websites, or researching vendors, or maintaining their social media, or reconciling their books, or answering their phones, or any number of other process-driven, systems-based tasks.

Invest in growing your team and stop bumping your head against the ceiling of capacity.

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Rachel Rasmussen is the owner of Rescue Desk Virtual Assistant Services. Since 2008, and she and her team have been an "executive assistant for hire," helping overworked business owners make their to-do lists more manageable. Read more of Rachel's musings on business, life as an entrepreneur, and making the most of all of it on the firm's blog.

Making the (Strong!) Case for Partnering with a Consultant

Rachel Rasmussen — Mon, 14 Sep 2020 15:05:35 GMT

As business owners, we’re often up against challenges we aren’t sure how to figure out. So, what do we do?

We find an expert and ask.

Many of us have partnered with experienced consultants, business coaches and executive advisors, and it’s often one of the best investments we can make in our companies ... and ourselves.

Without the expert guidance of an experienced business consultant or coach, we might never build our perfectly-suited teams. We may struggle to learn truly effective finance-based decision making. We might never be pushed to make meaningful stretch goals. It might take us longer than we’d like to understand how to pull ourselves out of the day-to-day operations when our long-term strategy needs some attention.

It’s like the old adage: “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.” It’s the same premise working with an expert business consultant. Nobody doubts that you can teach yourself how to reach the next level of success. But, if someone has already “been there, done that” and has the training and expertise to teach others, wouldn’t it be more efficient and cost-effective to simply ask them?

Finding a consultant, coach or advisor is easy. Finding the right coach takes some effort. You need to know what you don’t know, you need to be open to feedback and guidance, and you need to have the self-awareness to understand where the gaps are in your learning.

Do you need tactical guidance in a very specific area? Do you need to evolve your role to match your succession plans? Do you need a sounding board and someone to challenge you to think bigger and ask better questions? Do you need help evaluating growth strategies that balance growing customer demand without diluting service? Do you need someone who can expertly advise both you AND your leadership team?

Making the right investment in the right consultant can pay back exponentially in time, resources, revenue, and most importantly, knowledge. It’s difficult to go wrong in partnering with an advisor who can help you push your organization to the next level.

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Madison Area Business Consultants, Inc. is a professional association of business consultants located in and around Madison, Wisconsin. Our members specialize in providing an objective point of view to help you and your organization spot and analyze problems you might not be able to see or recognize.

Kat Lan Tat Services Article

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 20:15:02 GMT

Here's a great LinkedIn article by Trey Fischer of KatLanTat Services. Click the link below for more information.

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/tim-fischer-1877447_contactcenter-contactcenters-contactcentersolutions-activity-6696806540713713664-Nioy

Focus Matrix

(Past member) — Mon, 27 Jul 2020 15:01:14 GMT

Check out this great Focus Matrix handout from Tina Hallis Ph.D!