Monday, April 6, 2009

Take Your Time When Planning For Crisis

I read a blog today by Kevin Eikenberry that spoke about the need for companies to be wary of the negative effects that working too fast can have on their business (http://www.kevineikenberry.com/blogs/2009/04/speed-kills-five-situations-where.asp). Some of his lessons stated that "Speed kills problem solving," "Speed kills planning," and "Speed kills dialogue." This insight of how businesses rushing through things is often counterproductive reminded me of my March 27 post on planning for a crisis.

Crisis management needs to be well thought out. It takes more than one sitting to assess the different scenarios in which something can go wrong and to develop a plan to address them. When a crisis happens, it is true that companies need to respond quickly. However, a quick response unaccompanied by a well thought out plan runs the high risk of not effectively addressing the problem.

June Bisel
Partner, BBGG Advertising and Public Relations
BusinessCardContacts.com

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posted by June Bisel at 11:10 AM 0 Comments

Thursday, April 2, 2009

A Strategic Plan for Surviving this Economic Crisis

The good news is, the stock market has been doing well the past couple of days. But the reality of the situation in our recent economy is that we have no idea what tomorrow will bring. And if your business is like most, you need to take a serious look at your strategic plan for the next year and make some serious adjustments.

While decrease in earnings can cause panic for some, and will most certainly be a challenge for most, the shift in our economy can present opportunities that may actually end up making our businesses more profitable in the long run. 

Lets face it, change is not easy. And most of us do not make change happen unless we are really forced to. But sometimes change is a necessary evil. Sometimes the processes we have adopted over the years cease to be effective. Or, the slowing of business may necessitate layoffs. Job descriptions may need to be adjusted in order to adapt.

With technology constantly changing, there may be equipment available today that was not available a couple of years ago, equipment that may be able to increase productivity and cut costs at the same time.

Maybe it is time for your business to set aside a day for a planning retreat and start to take a serious look at the way you are doing things. I bet there is not one of us who cannot find ways to seriously cut costs and become more efficient and more profitable.

June Bisel
Partner, BBG&G Advertising and Public Relations
BusinessCardContacts.com

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posted by June Bisel at 3:40 PM 0 Comments