Systems Failures

By Sherry Lutz Herrington Every business needs systems as well as procedures.  The procedures are the “how-tos”:  the step-by-step guide on how to get anything done.  But the systems are the “what.”  They are the programs and apps you use to keep track of everything you are doing. There are many different systems and every…

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It’s Not About the Numbers

It’s Not About the Numbers

By Sherry Lutz Herrington It’s not about the numbers, it’s about the story the numbers tell. I say that all the time and I believe it. Of course, the numbers matter, but by themselves they don’t mean much. You have to put them into the context of what they mean to have them be useful. Tracking your…

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The Real CEO

The Real CEO

By Sherry Lutz Herrington Many small business owners consider themselves to be the CEO, affectionately known as the Chief Everything Officer (thank you USP Store for that hilarious tagline).  In reality, we often are the chief bottle washer and cook, as the saying goes.  We have no choice (especially when we first get started) but…

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Impacting the Bottom Line – Part II of II

Impacting the Bottom Line

By Sherry Lutz Herrington Now that we’ve examined how to find the “true bottom line,” let’s take a look at ways to improve it. “Impacting the Bottom Line There are two basic pieces to the Profit and Loss. These pieces are income and expenses (including cost of goods sold). Changes in either of these variables…

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The True Bottom Line – Part I of II

The True Bottom Line

By Sherry Lutz Herrington When you own your own business, you tend to be obsessed with the bottom line.  You actually need to be in order to know what’s happening and to drive the success of the business.   Unfortunately, most business owners don’t understand what the “true bottom line” means or how to figure it…

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Outsourcing and Delegating

Outsourcing and Delegating

Running a small business means wearing a lot of hats.

Do you remember the UPS Store commercial that says “if you’re CEO, you’re Chief Everything Officer”? I met a small business owner last week who has that title on her business card.

It’s so true and yet it’s a bit of a trap.

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