Archive for the ‘Planning’ Category

When did treating your employees well become such a revolutionary idea? It’s not a radical idea for Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos, it’s the model.  Check out this extraordinary video on how Tony has built a company where people love to work and provide exceptional customer service!

I’m always on the hunt for a new time management magic bullet. I’m looking for that elusive trick that’s going to add hours back into my day, and make my life better.

Well, I believe I found it! It is a combination of several techniques that take me back to my project planner days; so, I’ve made a list of the items you’ll need:

* a wall calendar you can write on
* color pens
* electronic calendar (I use Outlook)
* and, some time!

The object is to map out your month to month on the wall calendar (this the big picture scope), and then itemize the actions, activities, meetings, etc. on your electronic day to day calendar. The key is capture as much about a project, task, and/or deadline as possible. So, some people, like me, need to break it down into small everyday manageable pieces. I love looking on the wall and seeing at a glance what is coming up, but I need it practical steps within my daily list of tasks.

Now I use color pens to quickly identify things that I see at a glance. I’ve even gone one extra step and color coded all of my clients and my two businesses. So, when I see light blue pen on the board, I know this relates to Nonprofit Connectors. In order to keep that system going, I’ve color coded my files the same way. I even have colored line paper to match. This way, when I write a note and leave it on my desk, the color of the paper tells me what folder it belongs in. This may be too advanced for you now. So, we’ll revisit the color coded filing system.

The main point here is that time management is all about planning. So, be intentional, and try different techniques. When you find something that works, create a habit. For me, I have to repeat a thing daily for at least three weeks before it sticks.

Now, go pick up a wall calendar, some color pens, and get to creating your time management system. Please share your time management process; I love learning about new ones!

For strategic planning to be effective in the nonprofit setting, a variety of issues must be considered, including the relationship between board and staff, limited resources, and more. Packed with real-world insights, planning tips, common misperceptions, pitfalls to avoid, and other useful pointers, this Second Edition and its companion Web site make planning easy for nonprofit managers by providing a six-step approach to strategic planning, field-tested worksheets, and a real-life case study that takes readers through the entire process of successfully creating and implementing a strategic plan.

I’m reposting this entry from January 2008, because this question has come up several times this week.

Too often I hear people referring to ALL nonprofit organizations as a 501(c)3 and they are not. So, I thought it would be beneficial to list the various types of nonprofits.

Here is a list from Internal Revenue Services of the types of nonprofit organizations:
501(c)(1) — Corporations organized under acts of Congress such as Federal Credit Unions
501(c)(2) — Title holding corporations for exempt organizations
501(c)(3) — Various charitable, non-profit, religious, and educational organizations (see below)
501(c)(4) — Various political education organizations (see below)
501(c)(5) — Labor Unions and Agriculture
501(c)(6) — Business league and chamber of commerce organizations (see below)
501(c)(7) — Recreational club organizations
501(c)(8) — Fraternal beneficiary societies
501(c)(9) — Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Associations
501(c)(10) — Fraternal lodge societies
501(c)(11) — Teachers’ retirement fund associations
501(c)(12) — Local Benevolent Life Insurance Associations, Mutual Irrigation and Telephone Companies and like organizations
501(c)(13) — Cemetery companies
501(c)(14) — Credit Unions
501(c)(15) — Mutual insurance companies
501(c)(16) — Corporations organized to finance crop operations
501(c)(17) — Employees’ associations
501(c)(18) — Employee-funded pension trusts created before June 25, 1959
501(c)(19) — Veterans’ organizations
501(c)(20) — Group legal services plan organizations
501(c)(21) — Black lung benefit trusts
501(c)(22) — Withdrawal liability payment fund
501(c)(23) — Veterans’ organizations created before 1880
501(c)(25) — Title-holding corporations for qualified exempt organizations
501(c)(26) — State-sponsored high-risk health coverage organizations
501(c)(27) — State-sponsored workers’ compensation reinsurance organizations
501(c)(28) — National railroad retirement investment trust
501(d) — Religious and Apostolic associations
501(e) — Cooperative hospital service organizations
501(f) — Cooperative service organizations of operating educational organizations
501(k) — Child care organizations
501(n) — Charitable risk pools
521(a) — Farmers’ cooperative associations
527 — Political organizations

To get more detailed information go to http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p557.pdf pages 60 and 61 give you an Organizational Reference Chart. It is a very handy tool when deciding what type of nonprofit you are starting.

Peachtree Premium Accounting for Non-Profits 2010 by Sage

Peachtree by Sage Premium Accounting for Nonprofits 2010 provides advanced accounting and analysis tools to help improve the operations of nonprofit organizations. Its multi-user option* helps improve productivity with screen-level security and a clear audit trail. A pre-configured chart of accounts and customizable financial statements make it easy to get started. Analysis tools include multiple-program reporting, encumbrance tracking, 145 customizable reports, and Crystal Reports® 2008*. Nonprofit-specific reports include Donor/Grantor Summary. Prior-period locking feature and audit trails help ensure the integrity of your financial records and deter fraud. Nonprofit features include fundraising mail/merge templates.

We have lost a little of the fun in business these days. Too many of us are trying so hard to make a dollar in this failing economy that we are forgetting it is about the customers.

Well, Nestle Chocolates’ has made a customer out of me. A friend on FaceBook said call their hotline (800-295-0051), and when it asks you to select English or Spanish option just wait 10 seconds and you’ll smile. (I did!) Then select 4, and listen to the options. (I smiled even harder!) Then I selected 7 as my final option. (Then I laughed out loud!)

In my opinion Nestle’s has come up with a way to drum up attention, get people to remember their number, and to appeal to their clients of all ages. Simply put, they found a way to keep people coming back! I love it! It reminded me to remind you that as you are building, and growing, your nonprofit organizations keep the main reason for doing your nonprofit the main reason. Have fun, and that will attract more participants, funding, and it will keep the community engaged. After all, isn’t that why you started your nonprofit in the first place?

The Celebrity Foundation Directory! Through their private foundations, many notable individuals have made significant contributions to help underserved populations and provide support for medical research, green technology, and countless other causes they care about. This new directory, in downloadable PDF format, includes detailed descriptions of more than 1,600 foundations started by VIPs in the fields of business, entertainment, politics, and sports.

For more information, and to purchase, visit this site.

I think when we hear free coming from a business we think there is a catch to it, and while there can be, it isn’t always the case.

On Wednesdays from 10:30am to 11:30am, I have blocks of 15-minute time slots set aside for people to use to ask questions about the start-up process for creating a nonprofit. While this event has had some attention, I am hoping that every Wednesday for that hour I’ll be completely busy answering questions. I truly want to help you get started. There’s a lot to consider when starting a nonprofit, and it is all doable. I’m here to encourage you, and if you decide you want to use my services to start your nonprofit that’s absolutely fine too!

So, I thought I would share a question that I answered from one of the calls I’ve had so far. Perhaps this will give you an idea of what to ask as you consider your nonprofit vision.

What percentage of overhead should be included in your budget?
As I stated in an earlier post Budget-Fudge It, your budget needs to be thought through careful and absolutely realistic. If it will cost you more in overhead than the program itself, you need to show that clearly in your budget and you program documentation. This is where an accountant would be instrumental in helping you filter through the finances of this organization creation.

Take the time to Interview several accountants, if you don’t have one. Make sure to let them know you are creating a nonprofit. Find out if they have worked with a nonprofit before, and just how familiar are they with the 990 form. (This a special form that you’ll have to fill out for taxes as a nonprofit.)

If you need recommendations for accountants, here are a few places to try for referrals: 1) Local Chamber of Commerce, 2) Local Business Network International (BNI) group, 3) referral from family or friends, and 4) referral from other business owners.

Remember, if you have a question regarding your start-up nonprofit, please select a time during my free office hours on Wednesday from 10:30am to 11:30am, and get an answer!

The Super Bowl is the pinnacle of the football season.
Fans wait to see who will make it to this prestigious spot, teams work hard one
game at a time to get this spot, and then finally two teams make it, and only one
walks away the winner. Congratulations to the city of New Orleans and the New
Orleans Saint!

So how will you know when you’ve made it to the summit of
your business adventure? What milestones have you set down for yourself? We’ve
talked many times about setting goals, and it seems only fitting to do it again
this first quarter of the year. It is time for you to clearly identify what
will mark arrival for you as you travel this business development journey.

Success is very personal, and yours will not look like
someone else’s so please don’t compare. Be specific about what small steps you’ll
need to take to make sure that you stay focus on your stuff.

Here is a great article I read today that I found helpful
in setting goals: Creating S.M.A.R.T. Goals.

Do you shut down at all for the holiday season? Do you
take any time toward the beginning of the year to regroup?

Some of you may be thinking, “How foolish to have your
office closed to “regroup.” Yet, you should! Every organization should take
some time to retreat, re-evaluation, and rejuvenate for the upcoming year.
Perhaps your year starts in April, July, October, or like mine in January, time
off is essential.

This weekend I took time away from my normal routine to
retreat at the Wilderness Presidential Resort with my friend, Angela Dion,
owner of Dion Communications. We not only had fun laughing, but we also got a
lot of work done. We did lots of collaborating and forward thinking about our individual
businesses. We took the time to create our 2010 goals, list of tasks, and
opportunities we want to seek out. We spent time running new business ideas
past one another, and that was most helpful to me. 

Retreating to consider how your business is growing,
going, and getting along is crucial, especially if you are a solopreneur, and don’t have a board to guide you. Make an event out of this business retreat, like my friend and I did. Take a like-minded business pal
along to help you think through your business hurdles and brainstorm solutions to
combat them. The best thing is you’ll walk away with a detailed plan for the upcoming year along with a full first
quarter of calendar events. I guarantee it!