#dwightcromie

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Business Planning - What's Your Strategy?

Business Planning - What's Your Strategy?

Business Planning Meets Building Design We now WORK in a changing world!

“The Rates in Spain Fall Barely Below Subzero Plain”. They spoke of Spanish bank customers who “PAY the government for the privilege to lend it money”! On April 7, 2015, Nita Pichedvanichok, CCIM (Certified Commercial Investment Member for commercial realtors) told RIAOC (Realty Investors Association of California) that some Asian banks charge customers to keep the customer deposit, in lieu of paying the customer interest! For Southern California, as global funding resources look for ROI, business expansion may make sense. Given world-class businesses offering ROI, how do we use new funding with clear thinking? Today, business leaders address strategic planning to gain mastery and steer the business ahead. With thoughtful global strategy, we may use tools that may be a little fuzzy in our memories given our recent major economic bust. Many of these tools are actually tried and true. Many elements of comprehensive organizational planning have been proven over the centuries. Independent of history, capital investments, in either new buildings or major remodelings, provide new and long-lasting benefits. Generally, these benefits address issues of strategic leadership – productivity, economy, technology, and organizational benefit. The client organization's combined real estate, plant, and equipment is typically it’s a second most valued asset. Combining thoughtful business planning WITH building planning is necessary for proactive strategic leadership. Rarely, do we discuss the in-depth combination of these two concepts to support business strategy? Unless we work in a large company, we do not really have in-depth processes to provide qualitative and quantitative benefits for our capital investments. This starts with a complete analysis of strategy and tactics and continues to develop with an operational audit to examine how to meet business forecasts. These leadership issues directly impact today’s on-going, operational cost, and sales tactics. Many organizations may not have the internal skill to undertake the operational audit to then explore new strategies. An operational audit can address, but not necessarily be limited to issues such as: 1. Efficient personnel locations & configuration 2. Fundamental work process and floor plan changes with new automation 3. How just–in-time delivery changes floor space requirements 4. Provide greater market penetration and better work delivery with new locations 5. How new or leased sites may support specific expansion Insightful business planning combines business goals, facility use, and new technology with real estate. Using a comprehensive site and floor plan to illustrate all-access, location, process, furniture, equipment, storage, and personnel issues is illuminating. This leadership tool graphically and quantitatively describes new benefits. The idea of examining operational effectiveness using a floor plan may be new to some folks. One picture is worth a thousand words. The effective floor plan can illustrate how to save many dollars. After the floor plan is analyzed, then project plans and specifications outline leadership tools such as: A) New features to create market differentiation B) Requirements for building & equipment C) Resource schedule and construction sequencing D) Coordinating operations, revenue & cost reduction The company's new workspace with appropriate finishes, lighting, furniture & support systems is a personnel recruiting asset. Properly configured workspace to limit equipment noise improves the work setting to reduce personnel turnover and enhance performance. Effectively designed workspaces reduce environmental stress, possibilities of injury, and contribute to reduced operations costs. A good deal is obtained when the total benefits of new construction exceeds the cost. Each project is unique, and each local market has preferences. By intelligently matching local needs with professional standards, the capital investment is custom-fitted for optimal performance. … I hope this helps. Carl Sherrill: 951-286-1503 Business Planning / Construction Management / Architecture 43980 Mahlon Vail #1104 Temecula, CA … 92592 Carl Sherrill ([email protected]) as the owner's representative and construction manager, has delivered many capital investments in large corporate and Federal settings - nationwide. This includes, but is not limited to, restaurants, jewelry/toy stores / sporting goods, banking / financial facilities, nursing homes, a Federal lab / courthouses / offices, miscellaneous military, security, and production facilities, and shopping centers. 951-286-1503 Business Planning / Construction Management / Architecture 43980 Mahlon Vail #1104 Temecula, CA … 92592 Read the full article

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Aerospace Industry - Poised for Growth

Aerospace Industry - Poised for Growth

Family-owned Laminated Shim Company specializes in unique part applications for the aerospace industry. The Corona-based business is recognized as the originator of the laminated metal shim, precision engineered and machined from layers of material as thin as a strand of hair. As part of a new series designed to showcase select Southern California-based manufacturers, Manufacturers Corner recently took its roving camera to the City of Corona for a quick tour of Laminated Shim Company. According to general manager, Jennifer Bowe, Laminated Shim is one of the few companies in the world that produces shims—also called spacers—out of “peelable” metals as thin as two-thousandths of an inch thick. The resulting laminated parts allow the customer to peel off layers of material for a precise fit depending on the tolerances of the application. The company specializes in parts for the aerospace industry with 95% of its clients representing that sector. Because of the unique demand of its clients, Laminated Shim produces parts from a variety of metals including stainless steel, aluminum, titanium, brass and kapton polymide polymer through processes which include CNC machining or, for short runs, waterjet cutting. The company also produces its own Wire EDM-made tools on-site and provides Billed on its website as the originators of the laminated shim, Laminated Shim Company is a family-owned organization founded in Connecticut in 1924. The company moved to its current location in Corona in the early 1980s and is ISO 9001 and AS9100 certified. It is currently experiencing measurable growth and now includes 4 businesses with a single shift of 70 employees.   Read the full article

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Global Manufacturing - Tips for Building a Global Manufacturing Business

Tips for Building a Global Manufacturing Business

There is a growing demand all over the world for American made products. Business owners who want to take advantage of this increase in demand can start the process by consulting a number of readily available resources to help them globalize their companies. As more and more American business owners consider expanding into the growing global marketplace, there are many things to consider. However, the work involved to globalize one's business may not be as daunting as you think. On a recent edition of California CEO's “Manufacturers Corner,” Chris Lynch, Co-founder of Irvine-based Community Vitalization Council at civic180.org addressed what has become a common misconception. “People think it's too complicated, and it really isn't that complicated. There are additional steps you have to think through, but there are also a tremendous amount of resources available that just aren't available if you're doing business exclusively domestically, everything from marketing assistance to finance to general strategies on how to move forward.” With demand for U.S. manufactured goods increasing steadily around the world, particularly in China and Europe, there has also been an increase in the number of American businesses looking to take advantage of the opportunity to satisfy that demand, but many small business owners often perceive the risk being greater than the reward. Others simply don't know how or where to start. That's why Lynch offers seven tips to help business owners transition their companies from a purely domestic businesses to competitive global businesses. The first three tips are summarized below. Tip 1: Define yourself as a global company This requires a change of mind-set on the part of all departments so that the company develops a new global mentality. It's this mentality that allows everyone from the CEO to product designers to marketing managers and logistics planners to begin to put strategies in place to manufacture and sell products to a variety of consumers in different international markets. Tip 2: Market development efforts should be globalized Some manufacturers may find it easy to begin international distribution to Canada and Mexico because of the long established trade ties each has with the United States. Nevertheless, business owners should consider the competition in those markets as well as how their products may best be used depending on whether the market is commercial customers or general consumers. Tip 3: Manufacturing and packaging processes should be acceptable outside the U.S. Those companies that are ISO certified often enjoy a competitive advantage over those companies that are not so certified. ISO certification means that companies have successfully met internationally recognized benchmarks for quality standards, which often clears the path for CE and other certifications which may be required for selling products in certain countries. Package design must take into consideration specific design preferences, international weight units and labeling requirements that foreign markets may mandate before a product can be made available for purchase. “Another area that becomes important in international (trade) is going to be in your intellectual property—your copyrights, your patents. When I was overseas at the U.S. Embassies, that was one area that we were constantly running into problems with,” says Lynch, a former U.S. State Department Foreign Service Officer. He recommends that business owners seek the expertise of a highly qualified legal team to address potential copyright and trademark issues before they become a problem. --Jeff Allen Read the full article

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California's Top CEOs - George Tillery, A- Z Bus

A - Z Bus Provides Stable Future for Employees

George converted to an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) in 2000, as a means to transfer ownership and responsibility of his successful bus sales business. The ESOP plan engages his employees, spread his risk and minimizes the firm’s dependence on him. Headquartered in Colton, the 40-year-old firm sells and distributes fire trucks, emission control devices, and buses in California, Arizona, and Hawaii. Employee-owned companies are statistically more profitable, compared to similar public or privately-owned companies, and employee-owners have a higher level of care for the company. George has seen the A-Z ESOP provide employee stability because the employees are now owners and engaged in making sure that our customers are satisfied. Additionally, many employees helped build the business, so the ESOP program provides retirement security. Seeking Guidance Most business Founders transition from being specialists to generalists, as the company grows. The development of an ESOP program must include research and counsel from experts. “In my experience, the benefit of paying for expertise and outside help has far outweighed the investment of time and money. ESOP transactions are complicated and require specialists to plan, document and guide the process.” Operational Benefits Company owners must think about what it takes to sustain and grow a business. Costs need to be controlled, margins need to be maintained or increased, and customers need to be satisfied. It is best practice to have frontline employees focused on taking care of the customer while caring for the company, and an ESOP increases this motivation. Company values reinforce that when they are taking care of customer needs, they are serving God, and that can be very rewarding. Challenges do exist in providing an ESOP program to employees. “Educating front-line staff, that may live from paycheck to paycheck; that there is no cost to them, and that they will ultimately benefit greatly-took time.” “I believe people want to do a good job and leave at the end of the day feeling good about themselves and the work they do.” George’s opinion has been validated by independent studies, which show that it’s not their pay as much as their sense of responsibility for their role; appreciation for what they do; freedom to do their work in the way it makes sense for them and the company, that motivates employees. A-Z now has many employees with six-figure share values, which will be a substantial supplement to their retirement. For those who have been employed since the beginning of the ESOP, their shares are the largest element of their retirement plan, many exceeding the value of their home. Financial Benefits Properly structured, an ESOP allows the selling shareholder to transfer ownership of the company to the employees, and replace that value with publicly traded stocks or bonds on a tax-deferred basis. You can then gift the replacement property to a charity, take the tax deduction of the gift, and not incur a taxable gain. Instead of giving away assets on death, you can do your giving while living and know where they will be used. Financial Challenges ESOP may not be a good option for small business that is marginally profitable, or when an owner wants a quick exit. Additionally, be aware that the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) compliance requirements are stringent, somewhat expensive, and will be ongoing. The planning process takes time, but eventually a big win for all stakeholders and shareholders. Succession Planning Planning for an owner’s departure is a big responsibility, and “we owe it to our investors and employees to relinquish our egos and pass the baton to the next leadership team.” One of the most difficult challenges George faced eleven years ago, was backing away from daily operations and letting a new president run the company. “He did not want me looking over his shoulder, and I did not want him making decisions without me. By God’s grace, we were able to work through this, and it was a win-win all the way around,” he said. Company Growth Probably one of the biggest challenges for a company founder is to overcome the thinking that we are indispensable or the only person who can run the company properly. George believes that owners are not indispensable and that they need to plan for their departures in a meaningful way that permits the organization to thrive in their absence. “If we don’t plan forward we are being irresponsible to ourselves, the company and the employees.” Hiring consultants can help make this process go smoothly. George’s exit plan, including the ESOP, was a three-step process that took years, but essential to the long-term success of A-Z Bus Sales. Step one: Separating his identity from his career (He noted this seems to be a challenge for many men. “As men we tend to internalize our identity to be “who we are is what we do.”) Step two: Separating his self-worth from his net worth (The entrepreneurial spirit) Step three: Understanding A-Z was an asset he managed, but belongs to God. (It was his to manage, care for, and transfers to the next generation of owners) Final Thoughts “It may be difficult for some owners to give up company control because we are ultimately responsible for commitments to banks, vendors and others who have a stake in the business. I believe giving up that control, however, is consistent with God’s plan for the business.”   Read the full article

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Investment Success - Strategies for Achieving Higher Returns with Less Risk

Investment Success - Strategies for Achieving Higher Returns with Less Risk

Many of us work very hard for the things we care about. You like many investors may be looking for more effective ways to save enough money to buy a new home, pay for your children’s college education, or perhaps have a little more comfortable lifestyle, and hopefully someday eventually retire. For many, saving and investing can be challenging, requiring disciplined commitment and delayed gratification. So avoiding making a big financial mistake and reducing the risk of losing your hard earned money is very important. Some of you may be fearful after having experienced two of the worst market meltdowns in the last 15 years, the 2000-2003 dot.com bubble meltdown and the most recent 2008-2009 great recession. The goal of this presentation is to share a compilation of investment wisdom from some of the greatest investment gurus and academic research to help you more effectively achieve your financial goals with less risk to your financial nest egg. The purpose of this presentation will attempt to help you minimize the odds of suffering irreversible losses, maximize your chances of achieving sustainable gains, and help you control self-defeating behavior that keeps you from reaching your full potential . Strategies for Achieving Higher Returns With Less Risk reviews the titanic risks that that can befall unsuspecting investors. It also covers how to control the investor’s chief problem and their worst enemy – themselves, along with proven strategies that can collectively increase the odds of long term investment success. In addition, Strategies for Achieving Higher Returns With Less Risk will expand your investment knowledge and reveal a comprehensive program of strategies that will provide greater investment returns with less risk. Strategies for Achieving Higher Returns With Less Risk explores “why” the most consistent and persistent investment returns across a variety of market environments are best achieved by combining multiple uncorrelated diversification and trading strategies (each designed to profit from a logical, distinct "return driver") into a truly diversified investment portfolio. Finally, you’ll learn that a truly diversified portfolio will provide you with greater returns and less risk than a portfolio diversified only across conventional asset classes and how the predictability of future performance can be increased by expanding the number of diverse return drivers employed in a portfolio strategy. The benefits of Strategies for Achieving Higher Returns With Less Risk are real and provide serious tangible results. By learning how to include additional return drivers, you will be able to shift from gambling your portfolio on only one of them to becoming an "investor" by diversifying across many of them. Remember as said by Warren Buffett, the most successful investor of all time, “Investing Rule #1 – Don’t lose money. Rule #2 – Don’t forget rule #1.” Strategies for achieving higher returns with less risk can help you increase your odds for investment success and avoid losing your hard earned money. Brian Conners is a Certified Financial Planner and Investment Advisor Representative with NPB Financial Group, LLC. In Irvine ,CA, member FINRA, MSRB and SIPC. Brian can be reached at 949-271-6433 or via email at bconners@npbfg,.com. Take advantage of a free half hour complimentary conversation to see how you can improve your chances for financial success and minimize financial loss. Read the full article

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Emotional Ethics - How to Deal with Toxic People

Emotional Ethics - How to Deal with Toxic People

We are often faced with the challenge of having to deal--or at minimum cope--with people whose contentious thoughts and attitudes can have a negative impact on our daily lives. On a recent episode of “Break It Down Brown,” host Ja Marr Brown visited with Christy Parker, a highly trained expert, speaker, author and consultant who specializes in dealing with toxic people. Ms. Parker is also the founder of Emotional Ethics, a company that focuses on positive change management. Parker explains that toxic people are the individuals in our personal and professional lives who may have an adverse effect in our pursuit of success, happiness and well-being. During the program, Parker breaks down how to recognize and effectively deal with toxic individuals. When Brown asks Parker what made her want to study how to spot and deal with toxic people, she starts by saying that she was not raised in an environment of toxic people. However, her experience in the professional world was very different. Parker says, “I felt like I was being manipulated, could not be myself and could not speak up anymore.” This led to a feeling of depression and really not knowing how to deal with her own feelings, not to mention the individuals who were stirring those feeling within her. As a result, she developed a passion for studying how to effectively deal with toxic people. During the course of the discussion, Parker gives a general overview of what toxic people do. She says, “they have tools to get what they want, and will put themselves in environments where they get what they want and surround themselves with people who give them what they want.” One way people can effectively identity toxic people, according to Parker, is to trust your intuition. She says many people don’t trust their intuition because of lies they have been told in the past. She says that she helps people deal with this during her coaching sessions by validating them and helping them to trust their intuition. Parker addresses the effects of toxic people on a person’s health by saying that negative hormones are stimulated during one’s interaction with offending individuals, and if one is consistently around a toxic person, it can make them ill or exacerbate an illness they already have. Throughout the program, Parker provides tips and information on how to spot and deal with the toxic people in our lives. Those interested in learning more about Christy Parker, may visit her website at emotionalethics.com To be a guest on the “Break It Down Brown” show, or to view additional “Break It Down” episodes, you may visit jamarrbrown.com or call [phone] Read the full article

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Emotional Ethics - How to Deal with Toxic People

Emotional Ethics We are often faced with the challenge of having to deal--or at minimum cope--with people whose contentious thoughts and attitudes can have a negative impact on our daily lives. On a recent episode of “Break It Down Brown,” host Ja Marr Brown visited with Christy Parker, a highly trained expert, speaker, author and consultant who specializes in dealing with toxic people. If you'd like more information about this article or organization, click here. Ms. Parker is also the founder of Emotional Ethics, a company that focuses on positive change management. Parker explains that toxic people are the individuals in our personal and professional lives who may have an adverse effect in our pursuit of success, happiness and well-being. During the program, Parker breaks down how to recognize and effectively deal with toxic individuals. When Brown asks Parker what made her want to study how to spot and deal with toxic people, she starts by saying that she was not raised in an environment of toxic people. However, her experience in the professional world was very different. Parker says, “I felt like I was being manipulated, could not be myself and could not speak up anymore.” This led to a feeling of depression and really not knowing how to deal with her own feelings, not to mention the individuals who were stirring those feeling within her. As a result, she developed a passion for studying how to effectively deal with toxic people. During the course of the discussion, Parker gives a general overview of what toxic people do. She says, “they have tools to get what they want, and will put themselves in environments where they get what they want and surround themselves with people who give them what they want.” One way people can effectively identity toxic people, according to Parker, is to trust your intuition. She says many people don’t trust their intuition because of lies they have been told in the past. She says that she helps people deal with this during her coaching sessions by validating them and helping them to trust their intuition. Parker addresses the effects of toxic people on a person’s health by saying that negative hormones are stimulated during one’s interaction with offending individuals, and if one is consistently around a toxic person, it can make them ill or exacerbate an illness they already have. Throughout the program, Parker provides tips and information on how to spot and deal with the toxic people in our lives. Those interested in learning more about Christy Parker, may visit her website at emotionalethics.com To be a guest on the “Break It Down Brown” show, or to view additional “Break It Down” episodes, you may visit jamarrbrown.com or call [phone] ADDITIONAL VIDEO WEBSITES http://californiaceo.net/ http://www.otnnetwork.org/ http://manufacturerscorner.com/ http://californiaceo.net/ceh/ http://eb5investmentreport.com/ http://eimag.org/ https://www.youtube.com/user/SoCalCEO2 https://www.youtube.com/user/AltekMediaGroup Read the full article

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Investment Success - Strategies for Achieving Higher Returns with Less Risk

Investment Success - Strategies for Achieving Higher Returns with Less Risk

Many of us work very hard for the things we care about. You like many investors may be looking for more effective ways to save enough money to buy a new home, pay for your children’s college education, or perhaps have a little more comfortable lifestyle, and hopefully someday eventually retire. For many, saving and investing can be challenging, requiring disciplined commitment and delayed gratification. So avoiding making a big financial mistake and reducing the risk of losing your hard earned money is very important. Some of you may be fearful after having experienced two of the worst market meltdowns in the last 15 years, the 2000-2003 dot.com bubble meltdown and the most recent 2008-2009 great recession. The goal of this presentation is to share a compilation of investment wisdom from some of the greatest investment gurus and academic research to help you more effectively achieve your financial goals with less risk to your financial nest egg. The purpose of this presentation will attempt to help you minimize the odds of suffering irreversible losses, maximize your chances of achieving sustainable gains, and help you control self-defeating behavior that keeps you from reaching your full potential . Strategies for Achieving Higher Returns With Less Risk reviews the titanic risks that that can befall unsuspecting investors. It also covers how to control the investor’s chief problem and their worst enemy – themselves, along with proven strategies that can collectively increase the odds of long term investment success. In addition, Strategies for Achieving Higher Returns With Less Risk will expand your investment knowledge and reveal a comprehensive program of strategies that will provide greater investment returns with less risk. Strategies for Achieving Higher Returns With Less Risk explores “why” the most consistent and persistent investment returns across a variety of market environments are best achieved by combining multiple uncorrelated diversification and trading strategies (each designed to profit from a logical, distinct "return driver") into a truly diversified investment portfolio. Finally, you’ll learn that a truly diversified portfolio will provide you with greater returns and less risk than a portfolio diversified only across conventional asset classes and how the predictability of future performance can be increased by expanding the number of diverse return drivers employed in a portfolio strategy. The benefits of Strategies for Achieving Higher Returns With Less Risk are real and provide serious tangible results. By learning how to include additional return drivers, you will be able to shift from gambling your portfolio on only one of them to becoming an "investor" by diversifying across many of them. Remember as said by Warren Buffett, the most successful investor of all time, “Investing Rule #1 – Don’t lose money. Rule #2 – Don’t forget rule #1.” Strategies for achieving higher returns with less risk can help you increase your odds for investment success and avoid losing your hard earned money. Brian Conners is a Certified Financial Planner and Investment Advisor Representative with NPB Financial Group, LLC. In Irvine ,CA, member FINRA, MSRB and SIPC. Brian can be reached at 949-271-6433 or via email at bconners@npbfg,.com. Take advantage of a free half hour complimentary conversation to see how you can improve your chances for financial success and minimize financial loss. Read the full article