08/06/2010 by Geoff.

I read with interest Rachel Bridge’s article “How to stay aloft after the Summer” in the Sunday Times 23-5-10. It describes the issues faced by a business whose product or service is seasonal and how to overcome them.

It struck me that some of the message could be applied to any business. For example “What to do during the lull”:

• Keep all surplus cash generated in the peak months to pay overheads, vat and tax during quiet times.
• Try to find complementary business that will keep staff employed during quiet periods.
• Analyse your sales figures carefully to work out exactly when you peak seasons (times) occur. We recommend adding a planning step in here.
• Use quieter times to catch up on administration and planning for the next season.

Worth thinking about how these can be applied and benefit your business!

Geoff

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08/06/2010 by Geoff.

People are always going on about change and we at EMS fully support the view that an organisation continually needs to change if it is to improve its performance. This reminds me that if your not improving your business then its probably deteriorating.

There have been many books written about how easy it is to change. In reality these books are trying to encourage us to recognise the need for change and how to cause it. The latest of these books is “Our Iceberg Is Melting” by John Kotter (ISBN 978-0-230-01420-6) in-which a simple eight stage process is described:

1. Create a sense of urgency.
2. Pull together the guiding team.
3. Develop the change vision and strategy.
4. Communicate for understanding and buy-in.
5. Empower others to act.
6. Produce short term wins.
7. Don’t let up.
8. Create a new culture

Enjoy the books example.

Geoff

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