In a conversation with a builder today, I noticed huge similarities between the construction process and running a successful business.
This design/build contractor was stating that the best way to run a construction project was to take time to strategically outline the details and then execute the plan. He was explaining how costly and frustrating it can get when his customer makes big changes half way through the job. “Once the foundation is poured”, he said, “it can be very costly to change the design. Time spent planning will always pay off down the road”.
After a while we began to discuss his business and how he moves through his day. “I am constantly putting out fires and sometimes ask myself if I should be doing something else with my time, something more productive”
It hit me that the construction process is not unlike the business process itself.
Make a plan, then work the plan
When we think strategically about our business processes, we can be more effective, more efficient, and happier because we know the tasks that need to done. With a process in place our people then execute the system. Without the clarity of knowing what really works in our business, it’s not surprising that we wander day to day throwing stuff up on the walls of our business to see what sticks.
What specific activities generate new business? What percentage of business comes from the web/social media versus word of mouth referrals? Are you constantly changing course mid-stream? What is the most profitable part of your business? What’s the most productive use of your time and talents?
As the captain of the ship your people and your customers look to you for leadership and direction. Do you know how effective you are in the leadership role? Do you know what makes a good leader?
To successfully pour a foundation, for example, a specific process is followed. A plan is drawn up, general site work takes place, a survey is conducted and stakes positioned to mark the site. People and machinery are brought in to dig the hole, set the forms, pour the concrete, remove the forms, etc.
Do you have similar procedures in place for your business? How you market, answer the phone, take a customer through the sales process, and hold employees accountable?
Most of us come to business from the technical end. We are great carpenters, accountants, photographers, etc. The challenge is when we begin to grow and change our knowledge needs to change with it. Our job description changes from “carpenter” to leader. The activities and knowledge needed by a leader are completely different from that of a technician in the field.
In order to grow your business and have a sane life outside of work it’s necessary to have a solid strategic plan. A plan for your business, a strategic marketing plan, a road map for your people to follow and the desire to change.
The desire to change is the first and most important step. Often business owners don’t make a change until they are feeling the pain. The pain of 60 plus hour work weeks, strained relationships, dwindling check book balance.
Time to face reality.
What’s working in your business? What’s not? By taking time away from the day to day operations and getting a 30,000 ft. view of your business, you will find clarity and direction. Your people, health, relationships, and business depends on it.
What account should I assign this transaction to? This is a frequent question that most QuickBooks users ask themselves at one point or another.
Frequently you will run across a transaction that you just aren’t sure which account you should be posting it too. Often times you end up “just picking one”, and tell yourself that you’ll remember to ask your accountant about it the next time you talk to him/her – and quite promptly forget.
To alleviate this problem; and give your accountant a “heads up” on transactions that you are having trouble classifying – add a new Expense Account to your Chart of Accounts called See (Accountants Name). Every time you have a transaction that you aren’t quite sure what to do with:
- Write a pretty detailed description in the Memo Field of the transaction
- Assign it to the See (Accountant Name) account
- Open the QuickBooks To Do List (Company Menu -> To Do List), click the To Do button on the lower left -> Choose New
- In the Remind me on date drop-down, enter January 1 of the next calendar year
- Start out with something to the effect of “Notes for 2010 See (Accountant Name) Account
- Referencing the transaction type (check #, invoice #, vendor bill #) and Vendor Name, Customer Name, etc. add additional details.
- You can easily add more information by going back to the Company Menu->To Do List and double-click on the original entry.
- When the reminder pops up on January 1, open the To Do Item and Print it out and include it you’re your tax return information.
You will find that your accountant, once he or she get’s used to this, will be very grateful for your extra efforts in notifying him/her of items that you are unsure of what to do with.
Microsoft Office Click-to-Run is a new way to download and install Microsoft Office Starter 2010, Home and Student 2010, and Home and Business 2010; when you purchase these versions directly from Microsoft.
Office Click-to-Run products use a streaming technology (similar to watching a video on the web) to download and install the software to a “virtual” drive called “Q” (a section of the hard drive of your computer which is separate from the rest of your hard drive). Normally your software is installed in the “C” drive of your computer in the Program Files OR Program Files (x86) folder, however, this “Q” drive is not your typical drive – it has no space that you as a user can access directly and it cannot be access by using Windows Explorer or My Computer. In other words it is a drive or section of your hard drive that even though it exists it is not real because you cannot use it for anything other than the storage of the Office version mentioned above.
Microsoft Office Click-to-Run does not have the same functionality as a full retail version of Microsoft Office that is downloaded from the internet or installed from a CD/DVD.
If you are having problems with integrated Microsoft or QuickBooks applications that rely on Microsoft Office – check to make sure which Office version you are using – many integrated applications are not compatible with Office Click-to-Run.
Does Microsoft Office Click-to-Run have the same functionality as a “full” retail version Microsoft Office that is downloaded from the internet or installed from a CD/DVD?
Microsoft Office Click-to-Run does not have the same functionality as a full retail version of Microsoft Office that is downloaded from the internet or installed from a CD/DVD.
If I installed the Click-to-Run version can I “switch” to the “full” retail version? If so how much does it cost?
There is no additional cost involved if you switch to the “full” retail version of the Office Product that you purchased – only additional work on your part – and the Product Key is exactly the same.
You simply need to Uninstall the Click-to-Run version (through Control Panel -> Add/Remove Programs OR Programs & Features), go to Microsoft, log in to your account, and download the full “retail” version. (See more complete instructions below.)
Obtaining & Installing the “full” retail version of Microsoft Office.
The license is the same. You do not need a new Product Key. If you have any questions, contact Microsoft Support via this url – http://support.microsoft.com/ContactUs/default.aspx.
- Save all work, and then close all programs.
- In Control Panel, open Programs and Features to see a list of installed programs.
- Click Microsoft Office Click-To-Run 2010, and then click Uninstall.
- To remove Microsoft Office Click-to-Run, click Yes.
- Login to your Microsoft Account at https://login.live.com/login.srf?id=270967&rver=6.0.5276.0&wreply=https%3a%2f%2fwww20.buyoffice.microsoft.com%2fusa%2fordersummary.aspx%3fCTT%3d5%26origin%3dHA101850538&ct=1282329027&rpsnv=11&wp=MBI&wa=wsignin1.0&lc=1033
- Click My account.
- Click Download, and then click Advanced options.
- Follow the instructions.
- To install the full Microsoft Office edition, run SingleImage.exe.
- When prompted, type your Product Key to continue.
To determine if you have a full retail version of the Microsoft products listed above – start Microsoft Word -> from the File menu -> choose Help and look at the information in the right pane (column), a full retail version would display Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010 (per the screen shot below).
Right click on the image to enlarge.
Important Note: Certified Payroll Solution and Construction Application for Payment Solution are NOT Compatible with Microsoft Office Click-to-Run 2010 because it does not have the same functionality as the full retail version.
While some may think that is a “bunch of crap” because they can open a Word or Excel document without any issue; please understand that when YOU open a Word or Excel document it is far different than another program opening that same document. The Click-to-Run version doesn’t have the ability to understand that another software program wants it to open a specific Word or Excel file.
We spent many days troubleshooting with a customer who was running our Certified Payroll Program on Windows 7 with Office Click-to-Run. We ended up putting in a support request with Microsoft and a Microsoft Tech Support person logged into our customers computer; he diagnosed the problem as they had installed the Click-to-Run version. Once that was uninstalled and the “full retail” version was downloaded and installed everything was fine.
This is something that has plagued me for years – should I leave my computer running all the time or not.
It is also a topic that has caused much debate.
Leave your PC running 24/7
Some people say that it’s better to leave your PC running around the clock than to shut it off at night and then boot it up in the morning. The reasoning behind this side of the story, is that if you never shut down your computer you will save wear and tear on it components and, therefore, extend the life of your machine.
Shut if off and boot it up in the morning
Others say that if you care at all about energy consumption (electricity is expensive after all) and how big of a carbon footprint you are leaving – turn off your computer at night. It takes less energy to boot your computer in the morning than to leave it running overnight. Plus there is the fact that many operating systems, Windows included, perform various important housekeeping tasks during shutdown and startup — another very good reason for turning the system off at night.
Personally, I’ve always been the type to shut off my computer at night when I go home (obviously I pay the electric bill plus we have a total of 6 computers in our office) and then power it up in the morning. Sure it takes a few minutes for my computer to boot up and load everything, but what the heck – I check voice mail while I’m waiting. Not having instant access to email as soon as I sit down in my chair is not going to hurt me in any way – while the increased electric bill could certainly put a bigger dent into our checking account!
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Today I was going through a bunch of old PC World magazines and found an article written by Robert Strohmeyer about this very subject. Robert stated in his article that he had interviewed some of the top techies at HP, Seagate, and other major companies, and that nobody seemed to know how this rumor was born. But they all agreed on one thing “leaving your PC running 24/7 was NOT a good thing” and that “the claim of leaving your computer running overnight was good for it – was totally bogus.”
An HP Techie, Ken Bosley, who has spent years researching hard-drive reliability says that “you shouldn’t waste energy to extend the life of a computer by even a very small amount” and discounts the notion that “shutting down and starting up a computer puts undue stress on the components, noting that most systems are retired because of obsolescence, not because of hardware failure.”
Where do you stand on this issue? Do you shut your computer off at night or always leave it running…….and why?
