CPA Blog

4 principles of competitive intelligence

Details

Published: Monday, 09 January 2017 08:43

Written by Phillip Strickler, CPA.CITP

We live and work in the information age. As such, the opportunity to gather knowledge about your company’s competitors and industry as a whole has never been better. This practice — commonly known as “competitive intelligence” — can help you stay more nimble in the marketplace and avoid getting left behind as innovation surges forward.

Before you dive into competitive intelligence, however, it’s important to establish a formal policy governing your efforts. (If you’ve already gotten started, perhaps slow down and integrate a policy going forward.) Generally, a competitive intelligence policy should follow four primary principles:

1. Be authentic. When gathering information, don’t hide behind secret identities or misrepresent your affiliation. For instance, if you sign up to receive marketing e-mails from a competitor, use an official company address and, if asked, state “product or service evaluation” as the reason you’re subscribing.

Read more ...

Considering a spinoff? Think it through

Details

Published: Tuesday, 03 January 2017 09:38

Written by Phillip Strickler, CPA.CITP

In popular culture, the word “spinoff” usually refers to a television show whose main characters originated from an already established show. But the word applies to the business world, too. Here it describes a division or subsidiary of a company being sold off to a buyer as a separate entity.

The process is hardly simple. As a seller, you need to not only get a good price for your division or subsidiary, but also minimize any negative impact on your remaining holdings.

Driving factors

Many factors can drive a company to spin off a division. Common reasons include:

• Seizing an opportunity in the M&A marketplace,
• Focusing better on the core business,
• Accessing capital for reinvestment, and
• Operating more efficiently.

Read more ...

Few changes to retirement plan contribution limits for 2017

Details

Published: Tuesday, 03 January 2017 09:23

Written by Phillip Strickler, CPA.CITP

Retirement plan contribution limits are indexed for inflation, but with inflation remaining low, most of the limits remain unchanged for 2017. The only limit that has increased from the 2016 level is for contributions to defined contribution plans, which has gone up by $1,000.

Read more ...

Build consensus before you buy business software

Details

Published: Tuesday, 03 January 2017 09:00

Written by Phillip Strickler, CPA.CITP

Business owners get to make executive decisions. It’s one of the perks of the job. But acting unilaterally when buying business software can be a risky move. Because new technology affects the entire team, the entire team (or at least key members) should have input on the choice. And while it may be impossible to please everyone, it’s possible to come close.

Management feedback

Certain kinds of new business software (or upgrades) may appear no-brainers. But you’d be surprised. Managers may see a lot of bells and whistles in a just-released product, but few useful features. You also have to consider the software’s compatibility with your company’s other applications.

So begin by gathering feedback from your management team. In particular, note which features are “must haves” and which ones are “just wants.” Then work with your IT and financial departments (or advisors) to target the right software within a specific budgetary range.

Read more ...