Thursday, January 8, 2009

Business Health Indicators

What kind of indicators would give you a quick feel of how your business is doing: past, now and in the future?

Key Performance Indicators (KPI) are financial and non-financial metrics used to help an organization define and measure progress toward organizational goals.

I have been reading some articles about it, but can't help wondering which KPI tools would be most helpful for home-based businesses or micro enterprises. Any comments?

Financing Grants & Funds

Have you read about the new initiatives on the Enhanced Financing Schemes announced by the government in support of local enterprises to survive the current financial tsunami?

Email me if you have queries. I can either answer outright or check out further.

Read more about Business Financing Enhancement Schemes at:
http://www.spring.gov.sg/Content/WebPage2.aspx?id=e448da03-96b5-4456-ab66-4e321dea1cd3

Work-life balance

To get ahead, a sixty-hour work week is common. What little time is left is often divided up among relationships, kids, and sleep. The increase in work hours means that less time will be spent with family, friends, and community as well as pursing activities that one enjoys and taking the time to grow personally and spiritually.

When people get worked beyond their capacity, companies pay the price - burn out. Management that implements stress-management programs on an organization-wide framework tend to retain talents over a longer time period besides sustainable productivity.


Government grant that support work-life balance:
Work-Life Works! (WoW!) Fund

Innovation

Simply working hard is not enough anymore in this knowledge based economy, made more worrisome by the current gloomy state of economy. Innovation mindsets could well be the essential surviving must-haves. How to be creative or inventive?

Try leveraging on the creative A.L.I. tool when you review your service or product. For example:

Advantages:
What are the advantages of your current product – conduct a survey or get your front line sales people to find out.

Limitations:
What are the limitations of your current product – get honest feedback or compile a list of the irate customers’ complaints.

Interesting If:
What if your product is re-branded or re-packaged, would our customers’ product interest be re-kindled?

Government grant that support innovations
TECS (Technology Enterprise Commercialization Scheme)
TIF (Technology Innovation Program)