4 Week Intensive Course Starting Tuesday 22nd May 2023 at 5.00pm

The Business of Running a Business

Take your first step today by arranging for a chat in confidence and without obligation

Summary

Every business whether they are a multi-national, or your local professional services firm can be broken down into two distinct areas. Firstly, the knowledge, experience or products they sell and secondly, the skills they need to run a business. I call these skills The Business of being in Business. Large organisations have the luxury of employing full time experts to manage this side of the business. Smaller organisations are never taught these skills and must learn them as they go. This results in time wasted trying to learn and then executing tasks that could be done by someone better if only the budget was available. The truth is there is a better way to use your time but perhaps you are too close to the coalface to see it.

Would you like to know more? Let’s have a chat in confidence and without obligation. Email me at alec@alecwdrew.com or call me on +353 87 271 1955

What this 4 week course will help you achieve

Module 1

1. Where are you going, where are you now, what resources do you have, what do you need, put a plan in place, monitor your journey
2. The basics of a Strategic Plan and how to make yours relevant to you
3. Vision, mission and values
4. The importance of experts, how to get value
5. 2-year plan and longer-term goals
6. Exit strategy

Documents supplied – Where are you now assessment, Strategic Plan checklist

Module 2

1. What do you do, for whom and and why it is important to be clear about your offering
2. How to create your unique message that resonates with all audiences and is consistent
3. What is a brand, a logo, collateral and what you may need to consider
4. Working with designers and similar professionals and how to extract value

Documents supplied – What do you do exercise, Collateral Audit, Design Brief

Module 3

1. Company structure – where does everyone fit within your business
2. Understand the people working for you, their roles
3. SWOT analysis
4. Identifying your assets and managing them

Documents supplied – SWOT Analysis, Asset document, sample Organisation Chart

Module 4

1. The value of processes
2. Enquiry process
3. Customer journey
4. Project journey
5. Closing process
6. How processes integrate

Documents supplied – sample processes that you can adapt to suit your business

Module 5

1. The importance of a good Accountant
2. Simple cash flow
3. Identifying costs
4. Management Information Systems
5. Getting the right price/fees
6. Managing debt
7. Finance options

Documents supplied – sample Cash Flow spreadsheet

Module 6

1. Engaging with recruitment and HR professionals
2. Things to consider around employment
3. The importance of creating the right culture
4. Recruitment options
5. Retention of employees
6. HR – the basics

Documents supplied – sample Training Plan

Module 7

1. How to engage with potential customers/clients
2. Proposals that succeed
3. What does a marketing plan look like
4. CRM
5. Competitor analysis

Documents supplied – Discovery process template, proposal template

Module 8

1. Discover your hidden assets
2. The true art of networking that builds into a long-term resource
3. The importance of suppliers
4. Your competitors are not your enemies, the importance of collaboration

Documents supplied – Circle of Influence chart