Business succession planning: owners sometimes need to switch successors
Business succession planning can be personally tough on business owners. Owners sometimes need to switch successors. For many business owners, choosing a successor is the most difficult task related to business succession planning. Owners of family-owned businesses, who may have multiple children or other relatives to consider, particularly tend to struggle with this tough […]
Does your company have an EAP? If so, be mindful of compliance
Many businesses have established employee assistance programs (EAPs) to help their workforces deal with the mental health, substance abuse and financial challenges that have become so widely recognized in modern society. EAPs are voluntary and confidential work-based intervention programs designed to help employees and their dependents deal with issues that may be affecting their mental […]
Brand audits can help companies in a variety of ways
A strong brand can help boost revenue, while a weaker one may reduce sales opportunities and stifle growth. Like many business owners, you’ve probably spent considerable time and energy crafting your company’s brand. Doing so has likely involved coming up with a memorable business name and logo, communicating with customers in a distinctive manner, and, […]
IT strategy showdown: Enterprise architecture vs. Agile
Few, if any, companies can operate successfully today without the right information technology (IT) strategy. And as businesses grow, their IT needs and infrastructures become even more complex and costly. This push and pull of managing growth while grappling with tech has brought two broad approaches to IT strategy to the forefront: enterprise architecture and Agile. […]
Which leadership skills are essential to strategic planning?
To help ensure continued stability and profitability, businesses need to engage in some form of strategic planning. A recent survey by insurance giant Travelers drives home this point. In its 2024 CFO Study: A Travelers Special Report, the insurer surveyed 610 chief financial officers (CFOs) from companies with 500 or more employees in various industries. One […]
6 key elements of a business budget
Every business needs a budget, but not every budget looks the same. Some companies have intricately detailed ones, others rely on simple templates generated with off-the shelf software, and still others forego formal budgets in favor of a “fly by the seat of your pants” approach. (That last option isn’t recommended.) Because budgeting is such […]
