Thinking of Starting a Non-Profit? Learn How to Budget

Creating a budget for your non-profit organization might seem overwhelming, especially if you are new to non-profit management or have never gone through a budgeting process. Even though the idea may seem daunting, creating an annual budget for your non-profit is essential to maintaining control of the organization's finances. Every non-profit budgeting situation will be different, but there are some key aspects that you will need to include in your annual budgeting plan.

Organizing the Budget
Begin by figuring out what your fiscal year will be. You might follow the calendar, beginning your fiscal year on January 1. If your funding comes from the state or federal government, you might follow their calendars, which often start on July 1 or another date.

Setting a Budget
Your budget will include several different categories. One of these categories will be projected expenses. You will need to make realistic estimates of costs such as rent, utilities, professional services, office supplies, salaries and equipment. Another category is projected income. This is where your funding comes from. Include both concrete and variable funding sources, such as grants and fundraisers. If you will allocate particular funding sources to particular expenses, you may need to have sub-categories of your budget in order to keep close track of their interactions.

How to Stick With a Budget
Sticking with your non-profit's budget means keeping it up-to-date. You will need to enter expenses and income into the budget as you receive them. If your funding sources stipulated restrictions such as only using a particular funding line to pay for office supplies, make sure you stick with those budgetary requirements. As the fiscal year goes on, update your budget with actual expenses in place of your estimates. This allows you to adjust discretionary items or seek additional funding sources if your required expenses were higher than you anticipated.

Professional Budgeting Guidance
If making and following a budget stymies you, consider seeking out professional guidance. Many accountants offer workshops for non-profit managers at a low or no-cost. There are also local, state and national advocacy groups for non-profit organizations and small businesses that may offer training and educational programs for budgeting. Even a few hours with an experienced non-profit accountant can help you with critical budgeting aspects such as staying organized and making sure that you follow the tax codes in order to maintain your non-profit status.

How ADA Non-Compliant Businesses Could Face Consequences

The American With Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal law that was signed in 1990 to protect those with a disability whether it be from discrimination in seeking employment or while at work or the accessibility of buildings and structures. The ADA gives the thousands of people with disabilities the same opportunity as anyone else. If these regulations are not met, serious lawsuits may take place and even fines up to $150,000 after an initial fine of $75,000 for the first violation can take place.

Fines for ADA violations vary across the board depending on the scale of violation. Some violations are small, while others, such as those for large businesses, are presented on a large scale, with lawsuits and substantial monetary consequences.

How to Start a Business in Michigan

It's a new year and new goals are to be reached. Why not begin working on that business or startup that you've always dreamed about? Starting a business takes a lot of effort, but can bring you a lot of personal and financial rewards. Assuming that you have researched your business idea and have the necessary funding, here are the six steps, according to Michigan State University Extensions,  it takes to register your business in the state of Michigan:

Obtain a FEIN: 

Your Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) is a tax ID assigned to you and your specific business. It is required to open a checking account and to facilitate other financial transactions such as opening a credit account with a vendor.

Register the assumed business name with  the County Clerk:

If you're going to operate your business as a sole proprietor and you’re not using your complete legal name (first and last name) as your business name, you will need to register your business name as an “assumed name.” This used to be called DBA (doing business as); however, it in now referred to as assumed name.

Obtain a UIA Number:

You can get your Unemployment Insurance Account (UIA) online from the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. You must have this account prior to hiring employees; you’ll also need this number to file your quarterly tax reports. 

Obtain a Sales Tax License:

Some sales are not taxed; some sales are taxed. Regardless if you make taxable or nontaxable sales, it is best to have a sales tax license. It legitimizes your business. Also, this license allows you to make purchases for resale without paying sales tax to the vendor. Get your sales tax license from the Michigan Department of Treasury.

Register you business with the Michigan Department of Treasury:

Michigan requires business enterprises to register, allowing you to make your collected tax payments.

Obtain all necessary permits:

Some businesses need special permits or licenses. You can search what permits are required, and obtain the applications from Michigan Business One Stop. 

After you've completed these steps you are officially in business in the state of  Michigan! For more help on where to go from here or if you have further questions visit the Michigan Business One Stop website. 

About the Author: Sandra is a guest contributor from Corporate Office Interiors, offering office furniture solutions and help for all your office needs. 

 

 

College Graduates Taking New Cities by Storm

Key metropolitan areas are attracting young college graduates at increased rates in the past couple years, including more cities than just the usual, New York, Washington and San Francisco. While these cities are still attracting graduates from all across the country, other cities have become popular as well. Denver, San Diego, Nashville, Salt Lake City and Portland, Oregon are all on the radar for graduates. 

Office Etiquette: Decorating for the Holidays

The holiday season is a time filled with cheer and decorations, but making sure that every holiday is equally represented in an office can sometimes be overlooked. Some offices choose to not allow any decorations, eliminating the possibility of these issues, while others like to add a bit of holiday spirit into their work place. Whichever a company chooses, it is important that all holidays are represented equally, whether not at all or in equal amounts.

Cities With The Most New Construction In The U.S.

Image courtesy of carolinaservicesinc.com

New commercial construction projects have been popping up in metro areas around the U.S. the past two years at a rate not seen for several years. In 2013 McGraw Hill Construction put together their list of cities with the most money spent on new construction through May of last year (to my knowledge their  haven't been any newer updates to these numbers).

The overall numbers in their study were interesting. In 2012 new construction was up ten percent and at the time of their research they projected another 12 percent increase in 2013. Obviously, if you're looking at Metro projects you're looking at expenditures climbing into the billions. However, it's interesting to compare some other numbers to the fastest areas of new construction growth. Let's look at the top five in their list.

1. New York. Not surprisingly, New York came in first place as far and away the largest city in the country. From 2010 to 2012 population in New York jumped up slightly from 8.19 million to 8.34 million, but with annual new construction starts of over $20.5 billion it's clear that even in years of modest population growth, the need for newer, bigger and better things are taking place in New York City.

2. Dallas. Amazingly, Wikipedia has the most recent population at only 1.2 million, even though the city had new construction starts of over $11.1 billion in 2012 and increased that in 2013. The scope of projects for a city much smaller than New York is truly something.

3. Houston. Texas is definitely the site for new construction as Houston follows hot on Dallas's heals. In 2012 they had identical new construction starts of $11.1 billion. In the past year, Houston's population (already at 2.12 million) grew by 83,000. The thriving oil economy, healthy birth rate and a steady stream of immigrants helps fuel this growth.

4. Washington D.C. Far less populace than the top three in this list, Washington's government driven economy and historical buildings like the recent renovation to the IMF Headquarters continue to fuel healthy growth upwards of $10 billion annually.

5. Atlanta. Another crown jewel of the south, Atlanta's new construction starts grew by roughly 80% (projected) in 2013. That's astonishing growth for a city that had seen a drop in population of more than 100,000 from 2009 to 2010 and a sign of the city's resurgence.

Construction: A Dangerous Career

Truck drivers swerve through mountain passes during a blizzard. In skin melting heat, forest fire fighters run into Mother Nature’s blazing rage. Fishermen ward off ice chunks and massive waves to bring in a cage of crab. Police officers suit up in body armor before an armed raid. These are the dangerous jobs that hard working men and women in the United States face every day on the job. But what people don’t realize is that one of the most dangerous careers to be in is construction.

Elder Care Referral Services: Know What They Know!

Oftentimes, elder care referral services will advertise in hospital waiting rooms, online, television, and even on the side of vans. I know this having done some CNA training at several near my home years ago.

So what is an elder care referral service? When someone is about to be discharged from a hospital, or when they are no longer able to live independently (or at the same level of care to which they were accustomed), these services are supposed to provide an informed choice to seniors.

Based on the information they receive from your loved one or your family, they make recommendations as to facilities that are able to care for your loved one. There are two problems. First, often the referral service hasn’t done their research on the facilities. Second, often they’re basing their recommendations based on incomplete information.

There are several types of facilities that may be able to accomodate your loved one. The facility type often varies based on the level of care your loved one requires.

For example, Nursing Homes are usually able to care for varying levels of dependent individuals. Some simply have some trouble getting around or need a little assitance with washing. Some are completely dependent on others for all of their activities of daily living (ADLs). Adult Family Homes provide a more close-knit care system, with fewer beds and more caregivers per person. However, they lack the large infrastructure and resources of a nursing home. Independent Living Facilities offer activities and meals, but largely let your loved one remain independent in a condominium or apartment style setting.

Most referral services are by no means charitable. They operate to garner a profit. The way they make their profit is generally by receiving the first month’s rent that you pay the facility. This means that the less they spend on research of the facility, the more money they are able to make. So its important to know which questions to ask.

• Has anyone from the referral service visited the facility?
• What staff are available to your loved one at the facility?
• Is there an nurse or doctor onsite or readily available?
• Are they able to meet the needs of your loved one?
• What does the facility have in place to prevent pressure ulcers?
• What training do the caregivers at the facility have?
• What does the facility do about medications?
• Has the facility been cited by DSHS?
• Have their been any lawsuits against the facility?
• Have their been any actions against licensed staff?
• What forms of payment do they accept?
• What are the refund policies?

A lot of these things may seem like they require a lot of time and effort. However, a quick visit and a couple of questions to the facility’s owner can turn up most of the information. Most DSHS websites offer quick and easy public disclosure requests (or even online checks) into licensing and actions against a provider’s license.


The facility should be collecting information from your or your loved one in order to make the right recommendation. A lot of facilities will claim to have “care advisors”, but are solely making their recommendation based on ability to pay and geographic location. However, that is only the tip of the iceberg. In order to properly care for your loved one, they need to know what activities they can and can’t do. Can they brush their teeth, are they incontinent, do they have the potential for skin breakdown and require a higher level of care to prevent pressure ulcers. If the facility cannot meet the care needs of your loved one, they should not recommend that facility.

The referral process does not end there. Once options are given, the family should go check out the facility. Talk to the caregivers, talk to other residents.

Finally, once you choose a facility, visit early and visit often. Stagger the times and days you visit, so you can get an idea of the care that is actually being offered at the facility. If you are not comfortable with the care, move.

It may seem like a lot of work, but taking the time to ensure a proper referral will help to make sure your loved one isn’t exposed to abuse or neglect.

5 Tips To Reduce Your Auto Insurance Premium

Anyone who owns a car understands the pain of paying for auto insurance. If you are a safe driver, you will never be able to use something that you pay hundreds of dollars a year to use. Fortunately, there are several ways to reduce the amount that you pay each year for car insurance.

1) Improve Your Credit Score Research has shown that drivers who are not responsible with their money are often not responsible behind the wheel. In addition, drivers who have bad credit have a financial incentive to file fraudulent or shady claims in the hopes of getting a quick paycheck. If you have a questionable credit score, start taking steps to improve it as soon as possible.

2) Reduce The Amount Of Coverage You Have Your car insurance premium will drop if you reduce the amount and types of coverage that you have. For instance, you may not need collision or comprehensive insurance on a car that is more than a few years old or that you are no longer making payments on. By reducing your bodily injury coverage levels, you can see a significant savings each year.

3) Increase Your Deductible A deductible is the amount of money that you have to pay before your insurance policy kicks in. If you have a low deductible, you will have a higher premium. By increasing your deductible, you are taking on more of the risk if you get into an accident. Therefore, your premium will drop as a result. Policyholders should know that there is a separate deductible for damage to glass and damage to the body of your car. Typically, increasing the deductible for body damage lowers your premium more than increasing the deductible for glass damage.

4) Add Security Features To Your Car Adding security features to your car makes it less likely that someone will damage or steal your car. This reduces the risk of a policyholder filing a claim for lost or stolen property. In the event that your car is stolen and not recovered, your insurance company will give you a check equal to the current value of the car. Cars that have anti-lock brakes or airbags reduce the risk that you will get into an accident or suffer severe injuries in an accident.

5) Pay In Full Every Six Months The easiest way to lower your insurance premium is to pay in full every six months. When you pay in monthly installments, you are paying convenience fees as well as any fees to process a payment by phone or credit card. Paying your premium every six months as opposed to every month can save you up to 10 percent over the course of a year. Saving money on auto insurance doesn't have to be difficult. By improving your driver profile, adding security features to your car and paying in semi-annual installments, you can save a lot of money on something that you hope that you never have to use.

(Photo credit: Alan Cleaver)

Is A Ford Extended Warranty Better Than One From GM?

I previously talked about the benefits of a GMC warranty (all of a couple of blogs ago), but as a Ford owner as well, I thought it would be worth a bit of time to discuss the differences between the two plans and decide if one is worth more than the other.

First, Ford's extended warranty is officially a "service plan" and it goes by the name of Ford ESP (Extended Service Plan). I got mine online from www.warrickfordwarrantyonline.com and I got a MUCH better deal than I would have at the dealership. 

So, just a quick note, from my past experience NEVER buy an extended warranty at the dealership. They try to catch you at a moment of weakness and you don't have a chance to compare the price you can get anywhere else. Many of the dealerships have separate websites (like the one I purchased from) and you can get a substantially sweeter deal going this route. Trust me.

There are a few different options for your Ford ESP plan, the top notch plan is their Premium Care package, which works similarly to my GMC Warranty. So far, so good, as I've had a couple of repairs at the dealership and they've all fallen within the realm of my ESP coverage. For the most part I've found both warranties to work very similarly. On my Taurus, however, I did find the shopping process to be much easier. Namely because Ford does a VERY good job laying out what's covered and what isn't with each of their plans. As a fairly knowledgeable gear head, it's nice to be able to make an educated decision as to what components you want covered. If the car was a little older I may have dropped down to the Base care package. But for the time being I want things covered.

Anyhow, moral of the story is that GMC and Ford extended warranties have treated me well, so it may be a good option for you as well. But just be sure to shop around before you pull out your wallet!

Felony DUI Education Critical For Students

For the past few prom seasons first responders in the United States have launched a program designed to increase awareness of drinking and driving among students by staging mock DUI demonstrations. Official see these demonstrations as increasingly critical to avoiding incidents during prom season. Demonstrations are designed to teach students the realities of felony DUI and the risks of drinking and driving.

These mock DUI demonstrations require the participation of police officers, firefighters, EMS personnel, tow truck companies, makeup artists, corners offices, and mortuaries. Both parent and student volunteers from local high schools also participate in the mock motor vehicle accidents. Students learn the effects of driving under the influence by viewing re-creations of severe automobile accidents.

Friends against Drunk Driving, also known as FADD, are a coalition of police departments, fire departments, ambulance services, as well as several other organizations. The group has been dedicated to the education of students about the perils of drunk driving and the dangers of felony DUI for over a decade. In 1989, the organization was founded by Orange County Fire Authority Paramedic Captain Steve Concialdi. Concialdi continues to embrace the importance of the program and confirms that students come back to him year after year to tell him that the program has greatly impacted their lives.

According to Captain Concialdi, "These are realistic accidents that change the lives of everybody. We are showing them reality. We bring in a mom halfway into the program. She's distraught and every student can relate to if their mom showed up on an accident like that."

Many high school students confirm that the accident re-creations hit home with the students in a way that impacts their behavior on prom night. In Orange County, Fire Authority Battalion 5 Chaplain, Jeff Hetschel, reports that the program has been, incredibly effective. He also reported that over the last five years, DUI incidents among teenage drivers have decreased dramatically.

Getting Started With Direct Mail Marketing

Contrary to popular belief, direct mail marketing is still a highly effective platform of advertising, especially when it is well strategized and executed properly. Recently I had the chance to speak with the professionals at Ritter's Communications and Printing in Miami and they gave me some pointers on how to best leverage direct mail for a law firm or other small business. Direct mail marketing allows businesses and organizations to communicate straight to current and potential customers, and provides the company with measurable responses.

Whether you’re a small business owner, or a larger company looking for a different platform in which to reach out to your customers, we’ve put together a guide to help you understand the ins and outs of direct mail and give you the information necessary to create a successful marketing campaign.

The first step in your journey is to set objectives and plan your approach. These steps will help you to determine whether direct mail is the best platform for your campaign. You also need to determine what you want the campaign to achieve. Do you want to create/raise brand awareness? Or do you want to market a specific sale/promotion?

Next, you will need to determine your target audience.  Answering a couple of questions will help you determine the correct audience to target with your campaign. These questions include: Who is your buyer? What is their age? What is their marital status? Where do they live? Where do they work? What is their level of education? You also want to answer questions about their buying habits. Do they shop online or in-store? When do they buy? How often do they buy?

If you plan to use an in-house database for contact prospects, make sure the list is more than names and addresses. You want to report each prospect's transactions, interactions and responses. Gathering information and researching specific patterns will help you to segment your target audience even more. Surveying these segments through phone interviews or online surveys will help you to learn about specific interests, tastes and experiences.

If you use a rented list or purchase a list from a broker, make sure that it is compliant with the Data Protection Act. Often, lists acquired from brokers are segmented quite a bit, speeding up the process of determining your target audiences.

Now, you need to set a budget. The cost of your direct mail campaign will vary, depending on a number of factors; the number of people that you intend to reach, whether you will use an in-house database of addresses or if you need to purchase a list from a broker, whether or not you will have an in-house team produce the creative, size, shape and quality of the piece, and how personalized it will be. You also need to consider postage costs, and other expenses such as labor, etc.

Next, you will need to produce your direct mail copy. Make sure that your copy includes a strong message and a call to action.  High quality direct mail is packed with relevant information that is strongly written and 100% accurate. Be sure to proofread for grammatical/spelling errors and typos. You also want to entice the customer with an irresistible deal or a call to action. NEVER forget this step! Clearly state to the customer: what they should do(call, register, order, visit, etc) why they should, how they can and by when.

After you’ve created your copy, you should test your campaign on approximately 10% of your overall intended distribution list. The result of responses will help you to determine if are targeting the correct audience.  Changes can be made to your campaign or target demographic to better customize your plan.

The final step in this beginning process is to execute your campaign and track your results. One of the biggest benefits of direct mail is that you can easily measure the effectiveness of your campaign. Mailings that include an offer are especially easy to measure because response rates can be directly tracked through purchases or redemptions of an offer.

Other tips:
-Integrate your entire business strategy into your piece by reinforcing other print or media campaigns.
-Ensure brand cohesion by making sure all elements (logo, colors, etc) are the same each time it is printed and sent out.
-Find a steady frequency. Direct mail campaigns will not be successful if the audience only receives a piece from you once, or if they receive multiple mailings at an inconsistent rate.
-Follow up with your customers. Drive them to other platforms, such as websites, blogs or social media channels and keep them engaged.
-Address price concerns by offering an “opt-out” option.

It is up to your business to create exciting and engaging material, but these steps and tips offer you a strong framework for building and executing a successful direct mail marketing campaign.  Good luck!

What Do I Get with a GMC Extended Warranty?

A GMC extended warranty may be the best choice for your vehicle. There are pluses and minuses to the warranty. Some things are covered while some are not. In order to ensure that everything remains covered, you need to keep up with recommended maintenance for your car or truck. The GMC extended warranty covers a lot of the basic automotive repairs that your car or truck will need. It is considered to be a service contract and it covers primarily the essentials. For many people, purchasing an extended warranty for their vehicle provides them with peace of mind.

You can get a GMC extended warranty for both new and used cars and trucks. The warranty covers parts and the labor costs associated with fixing them. It also covers towing in certain situations if your vehicle breaks down on the road.

There are specific parts to your GMC car or truck that are covered by the extended warranty. If you have a mechanical problem with one of these parts, you can have it repaired at any GMC dealership across the country. The four covered components are the engine, the transmission and the transaxle, the front/rear-wheel-drive assemblies, and the fuel system. You can also purchase a separate extension that covers corrosion to the vehicle. If you live near a body of water, this is a good idea. Rust and corrosion are more than just unsightly annoyances, they can actually wear away at your vehicle’s body and cause stability problems.

In addition to repairing these systems and covering the cost of labor, there are benefits to getting a GMC extended warranty for your car and truck. The warranty comes with roadside assistance that is available to you 24 hours a day.

Not everything is covered in the GMC extended warranty. The extended warranty only covers basic wear and tear on the systems. Repairs to the various parts are not covered by damaged caused if the vehicle has been in an accident. Also, the car or truck must be properly maintained. Failure to properly maintain the vehicle voids the warranty. Also, if you use any aftermarket products on the car, the warranty will become void as well. Don’t install anything new on the vehicle or alter the engine components in anyway if you want to remain covered. To remain in good standing, make sure you following all the recommendation maintenance guides, such as routine oil changes. Tire and wheels are not covered.

Understanding Steel Economies

Steel wire rope

Steel is often seen as a dying industry in the United States. What was once the center of the world for steel production, many countries like China and India are taking over a large percentage of the production. With internal natural resources at their disposal, and new facilities to manufacture steel in large quantities, they have been giving the United States a run for their money in recent years. Here's a few reasons why the steel industry is very much alive and well in the United States today.

National Infrastructure

The real estate markets have been heavily down over the last few years, which has had a negative impact on the global steel industry, however there are many signs that this trend is turning. The national government has acknowledged that many of the US infrastructures, like roads and bridges, are in serious need of renovations and need supplies of materials, including steel, to be carried out.

Specialized Steel Suppliers

Chinese and India steel is being made in large quantities, however there is still great concern of the quality of the products that come out of the nations, which have much more relaxed laws and fewer quality checks than steel from the United States and other North American and European countries. Other steel distributors like Capital Steel & Wire, which manufactures steel wire and steel bar products, make very specific steel products that are needed in smaller quantities and at more precise requirements. These high quality and higher margin steel products have been in high demand in the United States from all ranges of industries, and these companies have been working hard to meet those demands.

Efficient Manufacturing

Many steel suppliers and distributors in the United States are making technology advancements on many of their manufacturing processes, making steel of higher quality at lower costs. This is great news for an industry that has seen diminishing returns lately, and shows signs that US steel can hold its ground with any other market in the world.

Related articles

• Heavy imports hinder domestic steel industry
• The Steel Industry of Today
• Under $200: Industrial Steel Storage Solutions
• Steel: Forging a future

Understanding Your Car Insurance

Do you feel like pulling out your hair when it comes to car insurance? If so, then settle back and let us clear-up some of the definitions and details you will encounter when it's time to buy or renew your car insurance policy.

Do You Really Need Car Insurance?
The answer to this question is a legal one - not all states require a driver to have car insurance, but those that don't require a driver to provide a financial responsibility bond in place of insurance. So either way you must show financial responsibility in some form or fashion. This leads us to the next question: How much insurance is needed?

Full Coverage: If you buy a new car and you have a loan on it, then your bank will require that you have full coverage. This means you have liability plus collision/comprehensive coverage on the vehicle. Once your loan is paid off, then you have the option to drop the collision/comprehensive coverage.

Limited Coverage: A used car sometimes has less value compared to the cost of collision insurance, and in these cases the owner may elect to drop the coverage on the car. What's left is the liability coverage.

Definitions

Collision Insurance: If you're involved in an accident, then collision insurance will cover the damages. You'll have to choose the deductible amount; this can vary from as low as $100.00 up to $1000.00. This is the amount you will pay before the insurance starts paying.

Comprehensive Insurance: This part of the insurance plan is generally combined with the collision policy. This insurance generally covers: fire, theft, vandalism, natural disasters, and falling objects.

Liability: If you choose not to cover your car, then most states still require that you maintain a liability policy for your car. Liability covers: personal injury (you, passengers, other parties), property damage, and medical payments. The amount of coverage will depend on how much of your personal assets you want to protect. Lawyers for the opposing team are known to go after your personal assets if your liability insurance doesn't fully cover damage to their client.

No Fault Insurance: It's hard to collect damages from someone who doesn't have insurance. This is why no fault insurance is offered. Not all states require a driver to carry no fault, but many drivers elect to buy it anyway. In the case the other driver does not have insurance, then your insurance company will pay for your damages from the accident - no matter who's fault it is.

Personal Injury Insurance: Some states, not all, offer this coverage. This coverage will reimburse your loss of income, medical expenses, and other covered expenses resulting from an accident.

Gap Insurance: When you drive a new car off the lot you immediately have depreciation. Gap insurance takes care of this, you can consider it "supplemental insurance" in case your car is totaled in an accident. Having gap insurance alleviates the headaches and disputes if your car is deemed totaled.

Working with a car insurance agent you trust is the key to buying the type of insurance you need. You may not need all of the options we discussed above; your agent will help you put together an insurance policy that fits your specific needs.

Turning Off The Money Conveyor In Supply Chain

(Photo credit: Alyssa & Colin)

The seasoned sourcing and category experts at a conveyor systems and logistics management firm would add an additional strategy to the list — apply proven strategic sourcing and disciplined compliance approaches to new spend categories.

One spend category ripe for reigning in this year: marketing. My new teammates put it this way: “Marketing organizations are under constant pressure to find innovative ways to promote their brand. And they must carefully balance their investments across print, online and broadcast channels. With budgets typically very tight, CMOs must identify the right mix of programs and work closely with their peers in procurement to maximize their investments and the returns they generate.”

Indeed. As a new-age marketeer, I am all too familiar with the bullseye enterprises place upon marketing spend. (If I had a penny for every time my former CFO reminded me tat “Marketing is the single largest controllable expense at our company,” I’d be a very rich man.) Having been on both the purchasing and marketing side of this equation, I also understand that supply managers looking to target marketing spend will need to educate themselves on various marketing channels and buying patterns. They must also become fluent in the language of their CMO and marketing managers.

Most marketing types will shut you off if you lead by telling us how much money you can save us. However, if you can demonstrate how you can reinforce brand integrity, speed the turnaround of marketing and print programs, and help me drive more programs from my existing budget dollars, you have my attention.

Here’s a sneak peek at recommendations on how to cozy up to the CMO to control marketing spend:

1. Get a grip:
The key to successfully sourcing marketing spend lies in understanding the unique requirements and concerns of key stakeholders and developing an integrated approach to address them. Be sure to allow stakeholders to communicate their needs and be willing to make the trade offs necessary to drive savings without sacrificing quality.

2. Remove the fear factor:
Demonstrate how cost-efficiency and quality can co-exist and increase the value that marketing delivers through re-pricing and aggregating vendors, re-defining specifications, formalizing processes and tying them to contract compliance, and increasing collaboration with key suppliers.

3. Educate:
By outlining the value and opportunities created by effective spend management - for instance, money saved can be used to fund additional projects - you can gain the buy-in needed to drive your program on an enterprise-wide basis.

4. Customize your approach:
Marketing projects have unique requirements that must be taken into account when developing strategic sourcing events. By adapting your approach to account for their nuances and allowing suppliers to outline their creative capabilities, you can adequately compare price and non-price factors to make optimal decisions that align with and advance both marketing and overall business goals.

5. Look beyond technology:
When it comes to effectively managing marketing spend, software alone is not enough. By leveraging solutions that combine technology, commodity expertise and services, you can more effectively compare suppliers based on unique characteristics and make optimal sourcing decisions that lower costs while increasing quality.

Related articles

• Cost Cutting: What You Can Learn from Small Business
• What The A-Team Can Teach Us About Supplier Negotiations
• The Introduction of the Gen X CMO

Preparing for the IRS

If your business receives an audit from the Internal Revenue Service, you will probably want to employ an attorney as soon as possible. Government agents will just provide you with a little window of time in order to get all of your documents ready and to provide them with all of the information that they want. You need a tax audit lawyer that specializes in assisting business organizations that are audited.

As the proprietor of a business you will want to defend your investment as much as you can. By doing so, you will need to hire a pro when it comes to affairs as serious as a tax audit. The IRS will send auditors out to your business and have them begin going through your paperwork. It is your responsibility to ensure that all of your papers is there and that it has been filed properly. Your tax audit lawyer will aid you to organize all of your paperwork and to make a point that you're not missing any vital records or documents.

Should your attorney discover that you're missing some key documents, they will assist you to get them together and furnish them to the IRS prior to you're found to owe back taxes. You don't wish to mess with the Internal Revenue Service, if you are got to owe back taxes the Internal Revenue Service can seize your holdings and everything inside of your business in order to recuperate what is owed to them. This is a ordeal that no well-intentioned business owner should ever have to undergo.

This is one of the reasons why it is so important to call a attorney at the first mention of an audit. It is even possible to have a tax attorney professional come into your company and look through your bookkeeping before you ever even get audited as a easy way to ensure that everything is being filed the right way and that you have all of the crucial documentation that you need organized.

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Crane Rail Maintenance

English: RAIL CRANE (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In any automated material handling system that includes a Storage/Retrieval (S/R) machine, fast and accurate material handling is extremely important. Machines must get from point A to point B in a timely manner. The speed of the system is directly proportional to how smooth and precise the crane rails are installed.

Crane rails provide the surface over which the S/R machines move back and forth, up and down the aisle. Over the course of a year, these machines will travel over the rail thousands of times. Because of this, crane rails require maintenance and/or replacement once the components start to wear or break down.

If the surface upon which the S/R machine travels is not in good condition, with joints that are not aligned side to side or top to bottom, they can provide unwanted vibrations or jolt expensive on-board electronics, which can be costly to repair.

Crane Rail Repair or Replacement Warning Signs

When crane rails begin to deteriorate, there are a number of warning signs. Being aware of these warning signs and fixing a problem correctly will keep other parts of the system from becoming damaged as well. If a damaged crane rail is not repaired quickly, electrical or mechanical components also start to wear and break down.

Inspect the aisle(s) for loose anchor bolts. When S/R machines travel over the anchor bolt locations repeatedly throughout the day, the bolts can begin to pull out of the floor. This often causes misalignment of the rail. The bolts can also work their way out and come in contact with the moving machine.

If there are unsupported sections of crane rail between anchors, depending upon the distance between supports, a bending of the crane rail between supports can occur. This will likely cause the machine to move up and down and work to pull the anchors out of the floor. If this sort of movement happens long enough, structural stresses can occur and machine components may crack.

One part of the crane rail that may wear down is the crown. As that happens, more surface area of the wheels comes into contact with the rail head, causing faster wear on the wheel and side guide rollers. In addition, worn spots will tend to form where the S/R machine(s) stop most often, like at the pickup and deposit end of the aisle. These spots could lead to more issues later on.

Fixing the Problem

In all these cases, depending upon the level of damage, the best option is to resurface or replace the damaged crane rails. The specific repair regimen depends on the size, weight, and type of the machine as well as the acceleration and deceleration speeds. Getting in touch with a professional to make repairs or replace broken parts ensures the machines will be up and running efficiently in no time.

Contact viastore systems, Inc. customer service for all your crane rail questions or for a quote on repair or replacement.

This guest post was provided by us.viastore.com.