Servicing SMEs Throughout Atlantic Canada
The CSB (U.S. CHEMICAL SAFETY BOARD) is an independent federal agency investigating chemical accidents to protect workers, the public and the environment. On April 13th. 2016 the CSB sent an e-mail to all subscribers with the following title: The U.S. Chemical Safety Board’s investigation into the Macondo (Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig Explosion in the Gulf…
The shift in thinking required for organizations to become Lean or continuous improvement focused will probably take longer than you wish. Improvement efforts can lose momentum and sometimes aren’t sustained. The patience and resilience of an organization’s leadership can have a huge influence on the performance results or gap. The gap, real or perceived, that…
So often, employees are promoted because they are really good at what they do as individual contributors. The employee is efficient at what they do, they have a solid understanding of their role and often exceed expectations, they are a good team player and are looking for new tasks to challenge their thinking… The list…
Accounts receivable is your cash in someone else’s pocket and inventory is cash on a shelf. Cash collected is preferable to any interest bearing bank loan. The only sane method of consistently collecting money is to have someone consistently take on the “role of collector” and rigorously work the files. The benefit of aggressive collecting…
There are some things you can do throughout the year to be better prepared for your accountant when the time comes to prepare your year end file. This can save that long list of items to deal with at what always seems to be the worst time. Here is a good place to start. Create…
In underperforming operations, managers know there are issues but they are too busy putting out fires to focus on fixing the problems. Band aid solutions are put into place while the root cause of the initial problem hasn’t been addressed. Firefighting is no way to run an effective organization. The best place to start addressing…
A number of years ago Fram Filter (oil & air filters for our engines) had a great advertisement, “You can pay me now or you can pay me later”. You can buy a $7.50 Fram filter and change your oil now or pay for a $3,000 motor job down the road. The choice is yours…
Business owner/operators are often overwhelmed by the daily challenge of fierce competition, a difficult economic environment and having enough resources to weather soft periods. “Show me the money” Leaders often ponder, “How do I get my business to a better place”. If invited, specialized outside eyes would ask a series of questions to identify, analyze…
If you asked 20 people what great leadership looks like, you would probably get 20 different answers. Leaders need to be held accountable just as do employees. With the commencement of a New Year, it is a good time to ask yourself some relevant questions to ensure you are aspiring to be the leader you…
Leaders often say that “people are their most valuable asset” but it is really about hiring the right people with the right fit that allows a company to experience long-term sustainability. The importance of fit is key to the recruitment process. When you select people who are going to find the role, the organization, their…