Cut to the Core

Companies Turn to Collaborative Outsourcing Agreements to Increase Success

If you are looking for ways to realize cost savings, to perform tasks more effectively or efficiently, or to create the opportunity for your employees to focus on organizational core competencies, you may want to consider outsourcing.

 

The practice of business outsourcing—the use of an individual or an organization to perform a function, process or service on your behalf—began about 50 years ago in the manufacturing industry as a means to reduce costs and, therefore, to improve profit margins. The trend toward outsourcing has continued and has expanded to include entire business processes such as human resources and customer support services.

 

Read the March 2009 issue of  Marketing Mindset (Download KA_Ezine_MAR_09) and the recommended white paper in order to explore the right outsourcing strategy for your organization. Read the full white paper - Click here.

Does Goal Setting Deliver the Value Promised?

Goal setting has long been the number one recommendation for increasing both personal and professional performance and productivity. Proponents of this belief advise that goals should be both specific and challenging. Experts prescribe that goals be SMART: Specified, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic and Time bound.

 Recently with the speed of change in the market place, I am questioning how to best define my goals to ensure that actions taken are truly in the best short-term and long-term interest of Kore, its colleagues and clients.

Some of the problems I am facing with traditional goal setting techniques:

*Narrow focus on goals can lead to losing a broader perspective

*Specific goals can create ethical conflicts

*Adding value to the process can be difficult with time bound goals

How are you addressing the challenges of goal setting?

At Kore Access, we selectively goal set in order to balance deadlines and budgets with creativity and value. To read more about how to incorporate SMART goal setting to customized marketing campaigns, read Our Seven Kore Steps to Project Completion.

 We invite you to join Kore Access in a SMART writing project. Remember, Kore Access has a cooperative and flexible process that invites client input and collaboration. Our energetic and punctual work habits deliver a quality project on time and on budget.

To set up your initial, complimentary consultation and to get a customized quote, contact us today!

How Credible Are You and Your Organization?

Are you and your organization viewed as credible by your stakeholders? Do the people who contribute to your personal and organizational success display confidence in you and your organization? Find out by reviewing your organization’s credibility status with “The Perception, Evaluation and Development of Your Credibility Checklist,” an easy-to-use checklist from Kore Access. To get started on your review and evaluation, Download KA Checklist_credibility

*To learn more about communicating the characteristics that build, earn and maintain credibility in the marketplace, read “Establishing Credibility: The 3 C’s to Pursue,” a Kore Access marketing resources article. For the full article, Download Establishing Credibility

Employee Engagement Is a Critical Factor in Business Success

As you review last year’s records and make plans to improve your organizational productivity and finances, you should look to the enhancement of employee engagement. Engagement is no longer an abstract management concept. Recent studies, as well as numerous company success stories, have proven that employee engagement has a significant impact on the overall success of every organization, especially a service organization.

 

Surveys consistently reveal that employee engagement—the strong emotional connection an employee has with his or her organization, a connection that leads to a willingness to exert extra effort at work—can have a profound effect on employee retention, productivity, and the overall financial success of a company. In contrast, those employees who are actively disengaged tend to be among the most vocal and influential leaders in the organization. Such influence can be detrimental to employee morale since the discontent of such employees can create turnover in a group or team that was not previously dissatisfied. Additionally, conclusive research points to employee engagement as a driver in the achievement of profitability and long-term market success. The necessity to face such financial truths has spurred organizations to find ways to enhance the engagement of their employees.

 

 Both researchers and practitioners agree that increasing engagement is an important priority for management. Four critical areas can be monitored and managed to ensure more successful employee engagement: 1) communication, 2) leadership, 3) training & development and 4) recruitment & hiring.

 

The 2009 February issue of Marketing Mindset highlights some of the industry recommended solutions for achieving improvements in each of these four critical areas. Download KA_Ezine_FEB_09_Engagement

How to Write a Business Plan

William Sahlman, professor at Harvard Business School, wrote How to Write a Great Business Plan, an article focusing on the role a business plan has in the decisions entrepreneurs make to balance the risk and rewards of ownership. Since its publication in 1996 it has become one of the most downloaded articles. A decade later, Sahlman was interviewed and asked to share how he would update the article if given the opportunity today.

Professor Salhman acknowledges today’s challenging economic environment, but asserts, “I don't think the world has changed materially. Successful ventures still have competent people pursuing sensible opportunities, using resources that help, in a favorable context. Yes, the context is very challenging today. But challenges create opportunities.”

He states that should he rewrite the article today he would emphasize:

*the importance of controlling your destiny by being conservative about access to capital

*the idea that entrepreneurship is critical around the world and solutions are likely to come from the talented private sector and social entrepreneurs

*the notion that the people leading the enterprise is still more important than the numbers

*the exact form of communication for the business plan (i.e. video, Web pages, slide presentation, software generated business plan) matters less than having all the required ingredients (or a road map for getting them)

*the value of the idea being so compelling that entrepreneurs can get early money from their customers

To read the full interview click here.

“I think of ventures as roller coasters, not rocket ships.”

William Sahlman

Challenges and Opportunities for America’s 27 Million Small Businesses Examined

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)’s annual small business research report is now available. A review of the economic conditions, risks and opportunities faced by small businesses in 2007 is highlighted in this 366 page report.

Insights and trends are explored in the key areas of small business financing, employee training and development, federal procurement practices, international trade opportunities and business creation activities. Updates on taxes and various regulations and policies are also presented along with appendices and tables which provide supporting data and pertinent statistics.

An area of positive growth and opportunity this past year was the global marketplace. Exports continue to rise and to contribute to the bottom line of small businesses. In 2006, entrepreneurial firms sold $263 billion in goods overseas, up 68.7 percent from 1996. Three major  trends are given credit for the sustained growth of exports 1) the decline in the value of the U.S. dollar, 2) the positive perception of quality in American products and services and 3) the innovation created by research and development conducted by U.S. firms.

For insights that can assist you in business planning and in developing marketing strategies, read the full report, The Small Business Economy: 2008. Visit the SBA Web Site or click here.