Succeeding in business doesn’t happen by accident. It is hard work and perseverance that produce success. We often forget that it takes a LOT of effort to make a company successful. It also takes some luck and good timing. It’s been said that luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity (George Allen – NFL football coach). If that is true then luck is nothing more than hard work (strong effort and accurate preparation) while waiting for an opportunity to present itself.

You’ve probably also heard that if you fail to plan then you plan to fail. This cliché is actually pretty accurate when it comes to business. But why do so many business owners and managers hate preparation and planning? Maybe hate is too strong. Let’s try “avoid”. Well, planning usually involves a lot of detail work and many managers don’t like that kind of effort. But planning is not the secret referred to in the title of this article. Planning is a necessary part of running a business. You have to do it. It’s not negotiable. If you won’t do it then you put your business in the VERY HIGH RISK category. I’m assuming you are reading this article because you want to find a tool that will help you run your company better, make better decisions or improve some aspect regarding your company. What you read below will do just that but you have to take action or what you read cannot help you. That is where planning, perseverance and effort are needed as noted previously.

Are you ready? The great secret is: More...

Business Intelligence (BI) simply means using technologies, applications and practices to analyze business information. The purpose of BI is to foster better decision making.

Does all the jargon make your head spin? Don’t let it. Applying technologies that make sense for your business is a smart business decision.
As a business consultant in my former life, I saw many companies that didn’t know what they didn’t know. That is, you must have accurate and timely information to make good decisions. Otherwise, you are guessing. Often, things can “feel” right but turn out to be disasters. Don’t get me wrong. Your “gut feel” counts for a lot when running a business, but you must have much more than a “flying-by-the-seat-of-your-pants” plan to capitalize on opportunities and avoid making big mistakes.
So how do you use this BI without breaking the bank? Just as important, how do you find a tool or small business dashboard that isn’t overly complicated or functionally impossible to use – and that has the practical, operational solutions you want and need? Most small businesses do not have the IT staff or the business expertise in house to create or implement tools internally, and the costs of many third-party solutions are ridiculously high.More...