Time for an Overhaul? Making the Most of a Challenging Economy
by Jim Hershey
What are the opportunities presented to you by the current downward trend in the economy?  Yes, you read that word correctly: opportunities.  Many of our clients are facing incredible obstacles to maintaining sales, much less increasing margins or taking market share from their competitors. However, there has never been a better time to take a few steps back from your business and "sharpen the axe" by reviewing your processes and the results you are seeing. 

Recognize that if business is slow, you have something now that you didn't have when times were good.  You now have time. How you use the time during slow periods in your business will determine whether you surge forward or play "catchup" when your business rebounds.  

Lee Resources International offers an array of services and tools to help you make the most of your business. This week, we are going to focus on our primary consulting process: The Lee Resources International Business Audit.

The Lee Resources International (LRI) Business Audit begins with in-depth dialog between our consultants and the business owner or management.  We gain the insight needed to identify key issues, determine the best approach, and craft solutions to critical problems.

In many cases, LRI will provide behavioral assessments to mission critical personnel such as managers, salespeople and front line employees.  These assessments provide a good idea of the behavioral makeup of key players and help indentify team building opportunities.

We schedule time on-site to observe the business processes and employees in action.  This time also involves in-depth personnel interviews designed to filter through local politics and other self-serving information to gain a factual perspective from these firsthand sources.  We have found through years of successful consulting that those who work in the business every day frequently provide the most valuable insight.

Part of our consulting includes an analysis of key financials and other reports.   After studying these reports and analyzing the key metrics, we are able to help provide practical, effective recommendations.  Before leaving the site, we often hold meetings with key management personnel to engage in any final discussion and to share some of the ideas and insights gained this far.

We then begin preparation of the Business Audit Report.  We document our observations and insights in a way that enables your business to achieve optimal results.  Our reports include specific recommendations to address key problems and provide implementation strategies that protect your business and your bottom line.  The Business Audit Report provides a road map for you and your business.

Some of the areas we help businesses improve include:

1. Profit Improvement – Protecting the bottom line.
2. Asset Management – Improving inventory, accounts receivable and capital asset programs.  May include location management and strategy changes.
3. Team Building – Putting the right people in the right places in your business.  We help you build stronger, more productive teams.
4. Culture Development – Helping you create and build your company’s culture around agreed-to core values.
5. Sales Program Development – Develop ways to improve sales and strengthen your sales and prospecting programs.  Often includes ideas to improve gross margin and establish programs to develop future salespeople.
6. Leadership/Management – Organizations often need help attracting and developing key managers and team leaders.  We will help you create programs to develop your people.  A culture of personal and professional development will allow you to hire locally and promote from within.  If necessary, we can help you recruit talent from the outside.
7. Customer Service Improvement – Creating an experience for your customer that is worth talking about.  Our external perspective can help you optimize your processes to meet and exceed your customers’ expectations.
8. Performance Standards and Accountability – People are not always clear on how they are held accountable, and in some cases they aren’t being held accountable at all.  We provide ways to implement standards of performance and accountability.

We take a hard look at every critical part of your business to make sure we respond to your challenges with the right tactics.  Regardless of the areas we address, our goal is to help you make measurable gains in productivity and profitability, and to create the right work environment for you and your people.

Call us at 1-800-277-7888 for a complimentary initial consultation to help determine if we could be the right solution for you and your business.  To reach Bob Erwin, use extension 1.  For Jim Hershey, use extension, 4.  We’re a phone call away, and we are ready to make a difference for you, your business and people.

"Our most valuable possessions are those which can be shared without lessening: those which, when shared, multiply. Our least valuable possessions are those which when divided are diminished."

~ William Danforth in I Dare You!

I Dare You! is a timeless guide for a Balanced Life. This book, suitable for all ages and walks of life, will encourage you to DARE to reach your full capacity...and then expand it!

This book is an excellent sales training resource to supplement your ongoing training program!

Service Spotlight:
Lee Resources International offers a comprehensive Business Audit service.  The Business Audit is designed to help you make a thorough evaluation of what is working and what can be improved in your business.  See this week's Main Article for more information on our Business Audit service.

About Lee Resources:
Lee Resources International is a diversified consulting and training firm with service and product offerings aimed at improving the bottom line and effectiveness of our clients' businesses.

Call us at 1-800-277-7888 to discuss your business with one of our consultants!

Click here to visit our website and learn more about what we offer.