Sageworks Blog

Apr14

Benchmark your business & win the horse race Libby Bierman [email] Analyst

Apr 14, 2013 17:35

Maybe it’s an inherent competitiveness or just the pursuit of improvement, but it’s commonplace for people to seek out benchmarks they can use to assess their relative position or performance. It interests people to know how they compare to their peers. Benchmarks have a place in business, too, and can be an invaluable instrument to help business owners succeed. Compare running a business to running in a horse race. [More]

Jan 18, 2013 08:23

Want to achieve higher growth and returns on investment from your commercial lending operations? Results from the 2012 Crowe Financial Institutions Compensation Survey suggest that one important tool for doing so may be better use of incentive compensation. [More]

Jan 09, 2013 16:34

In a recent post featured by Accounting Today, Sarah Johnson, Chief Growth Strategist with Inovautus Consulting, discusses the benefits of sharing clients to secure you firms future success. Should your firm take on this process? [More]

Dec 19, 2012 08:58

Building a strategic plan to properly handle communication throughout your institution during a merger is critical, says Lauren O’Connell, President of O’Connell Consulting Group. In this post, O’Connell discusses some things to keep in mind when creating your plan. [More]

Jul 31, 2012 08:15

Financial consultants John Owens and David Harrop of BCI LLC describe five additional components of a solid strategic plan for banks. These focus on taking charge of the organization’s future and building action plans. [More]

Jul20

When being "hands on" pays off Mary Ellen Biery [email] Research Specialist

Jul 20, 2012 14:29

If your product is featured by Oprah Winfrey, you can pretty much say you’ve made it. But as most entrepreneurs know, the road to success is often a winding one. In the case of handbag designer Danielle Nicole DiFerdinando, the road frequently takes her to Hong Kong, Paris and all over the world. The extensive travel is part of her hands-on approach throughout the manufacturing process – something she’s found to be critical to her growing success. [More]

Jul 19, 2012 09:24

If you're looking to raise less than $1 million, a private placement will allow you to raise capital for your business without losing a disproportionate amount of equity to a venture capitalist. Sageworks CEO Brian Hamilton discusses the basic steps of an underutilized, early stage fund-raising technique that will infuse capital into your business without diluting your equity. [More]

Jul 16, 2012 10:02

Why do banks need a strategic plan? There are numerous reasons, but the best one is that banks that plan well and execute their plans are better organizations. In part I of this guest post, financial services consultants John Owens and David Harrop begin to describe 10 key components of a strategic plan. [More]

Jun 28, 2012 12:48

A round-up of quick reads on reactions to the Supreme Court’s health care ruling and what it means for businesses. Includes comments from the Journal of Accountancy, the National Federation of Independent Business, the Small Business Majority and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. [More]

May24

What should you cover in a financial checkup? Libby Bierman [email] Analyst

May 24, 2012 15:34

After working with accountants for years, a best practice that we have seen is for accountants to meet with business clients for an annual, 30-minute checkup. This meeting shouldn't require more than half an hour and isn't mean to be exhaustive. Instead it opens the door for more consistent communication and gives your client an executive summary. [More]