Autumn Consulting lives and breathes the mission and values of our clients. We attended the Goodwill Dazzle ‘em Conference – a conference hosted by our client, Goodwill of North Central Wisconsin, to showcase their effective business practices to other Goodwill’s across the nation and how they “put people first…all people”. During one of the key breakouts called “Connecting People with Culture” the Goodwill team highlighted Autumn Consulting’s contribution in leading and implementing several web sites such as the Goodwill NCW, Good Work, Outlet Store, and FISC websites. Goodwill NCW is an organization that, through its effective strategy and practice has increased the retention rate of its leaders from 60% to between 80-90% and has increased its success tenfold. Here are three takeaways that can be applied and implemented into any business’ strategy: Effectively communicate to team members how their jobs fit in and directly contribute to the overall mission of the organization or business Find creative ways to share your organization’s values with your team members – Goodwill is using videos and symbols! Engage team members and create a culture through technology Click here to see a video Goodwill is currently using to communicate their values to their team members. Autumn Consulting has worked with Goodwill NCW on various web projects to help engage qualified prospects and continue to grow their organization on the web. Here are a few recent projects that have contributed to Goodwill’s success: First multilingual website for new Goodwill Outlet Store Re-branding and Re-design of Goodwill Jobs website Expanded social media marketing strategy Are you ready to start your journey to more effective web and social media practices through the help of a company that lives and breathes your mission and values? Engage your customers and clarify messaging to attract prospects with Autumn Consulting. Whether you’re in Green Bay, Milwaukee, Chicago, or anywhere across the country, our team will help you get started. Contact us today!

I ran across the following brief article that articulates a strategy on how hiring and motivating optimistic employees can lead to better outcomes and a competitive advantage. Worthwhile reading: Dr. Deming’s Joy at Work, Happiness & the High Performance Organization

Many companies use special sale promotions in an effort to stimulate demand, to move out excess inventory or sometimes just to have something new to talk about with their customers.  A key to using this tactic successfully, however, is evaluating just how much any incentive either costs or generates at the bottom line.  Too often the results don’t meet the eye, and it requires more analysis to reveal the true results of a temporary change in price. Inflect Strategic Solutions has worked with many firms who use promotions.  Our work has shown that when compared to a baseline of demand, however, results during the promotion period are not always due to the promotion itself, and this can lead to repeated promotions that distract the company from creating value for the customer. Four key activities to use when evaluating a promotion include: Segmentation:  divide the customer group by all relevant categories including order size, product purchased, market/vertical segment, sales channel, sales rep, region – the list depends very much on the individual situation a company competes in. Create a baseline of demand for each segment as well as the aggregate – to create a prediction of how many units would have been sold without the promotion. Compare actual results from a promotion to determine what actually happened, and in particular look for changes from one sales channel to another. Perform a full economic analysis to determine what worked (and for whom) in comparison to the base line.  This is critical to planning future price-based incentives! A bit of skilled analysis can help you put your firm on the right track to more successful promotions and an improved pricing strategy!  For a full case study click here.

Do you take advantage of the home office deduction?  If not, was it because it was too much of hassle to keep track of your expenses?  You didn’t want to take the time to determine the cost of your utilities and other expenses?  If so, maybe you should take another look in 2013.  The IRS has come out with a safe harbor method starting for tax years beginning in 2013. The home office deduction is used primarily by sole proprietors and employee’s that work out of their homes. Certain taxpayers are allowed to take a home office deduction for the business use of their home.  Under these rules, part of the home needs to be used regularly and exclusively as 1) a principal place of business or 2) a place to meet or deal with customers in the ordinary course of business.  If you are an employee, the use of your home office must also be for the convenience of the employer The safe harbor method allows taxpayers to use $5 times the square feet of qualified use (up to 300 square feet) up to a maximum of $1,500. This method replaces the deduction of actual expenses.  Under the actual expense method you needed to keep track of all the expenses to operate your home, such as utilities, insurance, and real estate taxes.  In addition you were allowed a deduction for depreciation.  Under the new safe harbor method, you are able to deduct the  100% of the mortgage interest and real estate taxes as an itemized deduction on Schedule A of your return.  In the past your interest and real estate tax deductions were allocated between your home office deduction and your itemized deductions.   So you are getting the $5 per square foot, plus the full deduction for your mortgage interest and real estate taxes. This new safe harbor method may in fact result in larger deductions.  This is an annual election that can be changed from year to year.  It  is similar to using the standard mileage rate for the business use of your automobile.  You can deduct the higher of the standard or actual expense.  Many taxpayer’s opt to use the standard mileage rate, because it’s easier to keep track of and compute.

Have you begun planning for your retirement? Whether retirement is many years away or on the horizon, you will need a concise action plan if you are going to be able to retire in comfort. Yes – Social Security and Medicare are almost certain to be available when you retire – but most likely not at today’s levels going into the future. You will need additional resources to meet your post-retirement medical and life-style needs. As a business owner, you are likely aware of the importance of tax-favored benefits for you and your business. Through tax incentives, the federal government is encouraging you to establish and maintain a retirement program so that you will have additional resources when you are ready to pull back from today’s hectic pace. Furthermore, you have the ability to decide what type of program best meets your retirement and cashflow objectives. Retirement programs need not be complicated. Summit Benefit & Actuarial Services is a recognized national leader in helping you design, understand, and administer your retirement program. A full spectrum of possibilities awaits you as you begin dreaming of the active and leisurely days and nights that await you in your retirement years. Please visit and explore our website at www.SummitBenefit.com. We look forward to having an opportunity to discuss your retirement plans and how we can partner with you to achieve your goals.  

Is your company ready to grow? If the answer is yes, then you’re in the right place. Spend a few moments and get a first-hand view of how Autumn makes a difference for our clients. Click the video to watch. Autumn Consulting is a team of people who value relationships and help our clients grow by attracting qualified prospects with engaging messaging to grow your business. Many of our clients are small, local, family-owned businesses. We come alongside owners who care about their business and create great marketing strategy, content and social media marketing that is personalized to meet the needs of their customers. Autumn creates strong and cohesive marketing by sharpening our client’s brand message to engage customers. If you’re ready to get to know us a bit more, watch our Extended Web Marketing Edition and let’s talk about how we can help your company grow.

As an advisor to companies in the area of their competitive strategy, the question is often, “where should we start?” The answer is simple – begin with the basics. The classic SWOT analysis, highlighting Strengths & Weaknesses along with Opportunities & Threats does provide a good starting point for evaluating your strategic position. To the SWOT analysis add a Five Forces Analysis, based on Michael Porter’s classic work, and you can get a more in depth idea of what is going on from a strategic standpoint. For each of these tools, however, there are some critical factors to keep in mind. When conducting a SWOT review, be sure you are soliciting input from a variety of sources. One of the key problems in such discussions is that a firm will often only survey their own staff for such a review. If you are only talking to your own marketing, engineering and sales staff, you may not be getting as thorough a picture of the factors at work in the market. Further, be sure to consider each factor you identify from the customer’s perspective. In the end, of course, the customers’ views are the ones that matter most. Porter’s Five Forces Analysis is a great way to understand market dynamics. The five forces he identifies are Bargaining Power of Suppliers, Bargaining Power of Customers, Threat of New Entrants, Threat of Substitute Products, and Competitive Jockeying in the Industry. The goal is to best defend your company against these forces, or (even better) to leverage them in your favor. Using this framework can help you determine whether there are good opportunities in vertical integration, new product development, or substantially improved positioning. These basic reviews are traditional, and of course they are nothing new. However, by using them as a starting point, you will be well on your way to an updated strategic analysis.

Video marketing is one of the most effective ways that your businesses, company or non-profit can create online buzz. When done right, these videos can increase your brand’s presence among prospects and drive web traffic to your website. Here is an example of a company that is using a major strategy for eMarketing success: Clarify Your Messages.

Executive Resource Group is a network of experienced business service providers, committed to sharing expertise and leveraging the synergy of a virtual consulting organization to enhance professional development and service to clients. It takes world-class competencies to compete in today’s dynamic markets. To meet the challenge, progressive employers augment internal capabilities with outside experts. When you need experienced and professional expertise, turn to Executive Resource Group. Our typical client profile is small to mid-sized business organizations, (companies with at least $5 million in annual sales and 35-50 employees). On occasion, some ERG members will work with smaller companies, and some with very large corporations. Contact us today to see how we can add to your organization’s expertise and increase your success. Interested in becoming a member? See our About Us page for qualification information.