Business

IGC BUSINESS: COLLECTIVELY WE ALL CAN HELP OUR BUSINESSES GROW  BY PROVIDING “STRONG EDUCATIONALY SOUND PROGRAMS” WITH VALUE  FOR OUR STUDENTS AND PROVIDE MEANINGFULL EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES. THIS WILL GROW YOUR BUSINESS! THIS IS WHAT USAIGC-IAIGC PROVIDES.  EXPERIENCES OF A LIFETIME, WITH TIME TO DO OTHER ACTIVITIES.
STUDENT RETENTION:
THE SUCCESS OF ANY GYMNASTIC CLUB.  AS OWNERS, YOU AND YOUR STAFF MUST CODUCT WORTH WHILE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS THAT WILL IMPACT THE OVERALL PHYSICAL  AND MENTAL DEVELOPMENT OF YOUR STUDENTS.  THIS IS THE VALUE OF SERVICE YOU PROVIDE!  
YOU TEACH MORE THAN “JUST GYMNASTIC SKILLS”.  YOU TEACH LIFE’S MOST IMPORTANT LESSON, 
HOW TO HANDLE SUCCESS AND FAILURE! HOW TO ACCOMPLISH A TASK!
BIUSINESS FAIL DUE TO POOR BUSINESS PLANNING. 
CLUB OWNERS MUST COME TOGETHER AND DEVLOPE A STRONGHEALTHY BUSINESS MODEL. 
IMITATION IS EXACTLY THAT………
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AS Gymnastic Club Owners Association
WE must develop business practices & procedures that help make your Club be successful. You MUST have a will run and organized gymnastic facility. It starts with your Employees, your Staff, your administration, YOU OWNERS. You can have the most beautiful facility in the World but if your Staff works by the seat of their pants, you are in trouble. 
Organization and Execution is the key to success. 
CLUB OWNERS comply with state and federal laws such as M.G.L. c. 151B, Title IX, Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and other similar laws that prohibit discrimination. Worker’s Compensation Policy: This is the policy that insures workers against work-related accidents, lost work time, or medical bills. All employees are covered by workers’ compensation insurance, which compensates an employee for lost time, medical expenses, and loss of life or dismemberment from an injury arising out of or in the course of work. Employees must report any accident or injury immediately to his/her supervisor and the Human Resources Department so that the necessary paperwork may be completed.
Family Medical Leave Policy:  This is the policy by which an employee may take unpaid medical leave while retaining  job protection and company health insurance. Time Off:
Explain your company policy on taking time off. Note – this is different from paid or unpaid vacations.
Employee Conduct: Here, lay down the law as regards dress code, proper vs. improper treatment of clients and coworkers, punctuality, demeanor and your policy on sexual harassment. Payment: Provide an outline of the payroll schedule and, if it seems pertinent, pay-scales for every major position.
Benefits: Describe the employee benefits package, including sick leave, vacation, retirement and social security.
Disclaimer: This section states the purposes of the employee handbook and gives you, the employer, the right to change policies at will. Proof of Receipt: It’s important to include a detachable page or something similar stating that the employee has received, read and agreed to the policies included in the handbook. This page may then be detached and given to HR. Vacation Habits: September 22, 2017There’s one thing we all know when it comes to the weekend - paid time off is the sweet reward of hard work. And generally, workers deserve more paid time off than they get.-------COLLECTIVELY WE ALL CAN HELP OUR BUSINESSES GROW  BY PROVIDING “STRONG EDUCATIONALY SOUND PROGRAMS” WITH VALUE  FOR OUR STUDENTS AND PROVIDE MEANINGFULL EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES. THIS WILL GROW YOUR BUSINESS! THIS IS WHAT USAIGC-IAIGC PROVIDES. EXPERIENCES OF A LIFETIME, WITH TIME TO DO OTHER ACTIVITIES.
STUDENT RETENTION: THE SUCCESS OF ANY GYMNASTIC CLUB.  AS OWNERS, YOU AND YOUR STAFF MUST CODUCT WORTH WHILE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS THAT WILL IMPACT THE OVERALL PHYSICAL AND MENTAL DEVELOPMENT OF YOUR STUDENTS.  THIS IS THE VALUE OF SERVICE YOU PROVIDE!  YOU TEACH MORE THAN “JUST GYMNASTIC SKILLS”.  YOU TEACH LIFE’S MOST IMPORTANT LESSON, HOW TO HANDLE SUCCESS AND FAILURE! HOW TO ACCOMPLISH A TASK!
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BIUSINESS FAIL DUE TO POOR BUSINESS PLANNING. 
CLUB OWNERS MUST COME TOGETHER AND DEVLOPE A STRONG
HEALTHY BUSINESS MODEL. IMITATION IS EXACTLY THAT…
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DO YOU ASK EMPLOYEES THIS QUESTION You Ask Employees This Question?  Employees go to work with the intention of doing a good job, but managers are often the reason they don’t! We sometimes put employees in situations where they don’t have the resources to perform well. They become frustrated when they are not given the necessary tools and training to complete job assignments. Do You Ask Employees This Question? Employees go to work with the intention of doing a good job, but managers are often the reason they don’t! We sometimes put employees in situations where they don’t have the resources to perform well. They become frustrated when they are not given the necessary tools and training to complete job assignments. Support employees by advocating for them and removing the barriers that hinder productivity. They do this by asking one important question.  This one question can reveal the obstacles that employees face that only the manager can help to overcome. So, what is this one question?---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Protection against lawsuits  Items such as the disclaimer, the non-contract clause(stipulating that receipt of the handbook in no way guarantees employment) and the assumption of your right to change employment policies at will grant you the status you need to keep things running smoothly. Other policies, such as the sexual harassment policy, non-discrimination policy andtermination policy, dictate what is and is not okay, and releases you from liability should unsavory events occur within your staff. Many employee handbooks read alike. This is because many busy entrepreneurs copy from an employee handbook sample or make lazy work of free employee handbook templates they have downloaded from the internet. Templates and samples can be very useful tools; however, when using them take the time to customize your employee handbook’s tone and provisions to suit your business goals and objectives.What kind of image do you want to promote? Design your employee handbook keeping your ideal boss-voice in your mind. Do you want to intimidate your employees? NO Do you want to discipline them right off the bat? Nor do you want to project a more casual, congenial image? The tone, as well as the content, of your employee handbook can say a lot about who your company is and what you value. Legal Considerations. An employee handbook may seem simple enough in principle – it is a long, long document that dictates the rules of conduct at your business.  It serves two main purposes. 

1. to explain the laws of the land to your current staff. 2. to protect you, the employer, from legal hassle. The best way to ensure that they do this is, as you may expect, to be sure they cover all mandatory legal tenets.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here’s a run-down of what legal fields you need to cover in your employee handbook. 
Make all necessary disclaimers You must make three things clear
The handbook is subject to change. This can be with orwithout warning, to any extent and at the discretion of management. Explain the way in which employees will be notified of changes (via email, distribution of revised handbooks, etc.)The handbook is in no way, shape or form a guarantee of employment. Just because an employee receives, reads and signs the handbook should not mean he or she is assured of a job. Explain in detail, somewhere near the start of the handbook, the details of your employment policy and the limits rights provide. Many employers instigate an “at-will” employment policy,” meaning either party (you or the employee) can terminate the employment at any time, for any reason, with or without warning. The rules and policies in the handbook supersede all others. By “all others,” I mean all previously written, spoken and implied policies. Make this clear somewhere in your handbook, preferably somewhere near the beginning. After all, you can’t set sail if all your sailors are boarding different ships. 
Familiarize yourself with every level of employment law. This means: read up on federal, state and local employ me regulations, and find out which policies must by law be outlined in detail in your handbook.
Most employee handbooks are required to include the following policies–Worker’s Compensation Policy required in most states to outline your Workers’ Compensation policies in your handbook. Equal Opportunity Employment Policy: The Department of Labor requires that you print your Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination policies in detail in your employee handbook.
Family Medical Leave Policy: Governed by the Family Medical Leave Act, which is on the federal level. If your company is above a certain size, you are required to give your employees as many as 12 weeks of unpaid medical leave during any given 12-month period in the case of dire illness, childbirth, or the care of a child or sick family member.
The Main Components of an Employee Handbook To ensure that your business runs smoothly, each new employee should receive an employee handbook. If you haven’t fully developed rules and policies for your company, now is the time to do it. You don’t want to forget any details when you’re laying out the following main components of your employee handbook.
Brief history of the company. This doesn’t have to be a novel. Tell the success story of your company in a few concise paragraphs. Describe the background of each of your founding members, the way it all got started and your company mission. The goal here is to inspire employees’ faith in the company and to make them excited about joining your corporate culture.
Policies: This is the real meat of the employee handbook. Lay out all policies that employees should A: internalize or B: be able to refer to throughout the course of their employment. If you want to be able to enforce your policies. your employees need to have access to them. It’s a good idea to be a bit nitpicky – you don’t want to leave anything out. Here are a few policies included in most employee handbooks Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination Policies. These are important policies to note. While other policies in your employee handbook may be worded more casually, it is crucial to put your Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination Policies in high legalese. Example: Skye Pi Inc. does not discriminate against employees on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, age, religion or religious creed, disability or handicap, sex or gender (including pregnancy, sexual harassment and other sexual misconduct including acts of sexual violence such as rape, sexual assault, sexual exploitation and coercion), gender identity and/or expression (including a transgender identity), sexual orientation, military or veteran status  genetic information,  or any other characteristic protected under federal, state or local law.  Retaliation is also prohibited.
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5 Steps to Workplace Conflict Resolution: 1. Separate the People From The Problem
It is important to separate the person from the conflict and remember that – it is about the process, not the person. Focus on the issue and avoid tying the issue to a particular person or person(s).
For example, if there is conflict over limited resources, look at the process for how those resources are allocated and not the person vying for those resources. If you can determine how and why (process) you will be able to communicate a fair distribution. If the process is deemed unfair, relook at the process and strive to remove natural biases.
2. Identify A Mediator Sometimes conflict is at such a level that it warrants a neutral party to help mediate.
Ideally try to identify someone who is trained in mediation of people, or groups of people. Use this expert to begin a conversation and work toward a resolution.This might include establishing specific guidelines for personal interaction behaviors, as well as identifying any underlying issues that contribute to the conflict. Example, having an employee who was promoted to a supervisor and was having a difficult time managing someone who was once a co-worker. The underlying issues dealt with the employee who felt like she had missed out on the promotion. Difficult to diagnose without intervention. But an issue that can be toxic to the work environment.
3. Clarify the Problem It is important to take the time to hear all of the concerns and to get a good understanding of what the problem is.  Try to work toward identifying each parties’ interests and not their position as it relates to the conflict. Understanding another person’s interests (why it’s important to them) can help separate the person from the problem. For example, if there are limited resources to support a team project, try to listen to concerns from each party about the potential impact those resources have and how it might affect their ability to achieve employee goals.  
4. Explore All Options Brainstorm ideas for ways of resolving the issue that would result in a win-win for all parties. The goal is to make it a positive result for everyone involved.  This might include establishing criteria for determining fairness for the outcome. For instance, initiate a conversation with both parties and simply ask the question: What does fairness look like to you? If you were me, how would you fairly distribute these limited resources? The simple act of engaging in conversation that encourages employees to see things from a different perspective can often lead to resolution. 5. Agree on A Resolution All involved parties should be part of the process to find and agree to a resolution.  This could be a verbal acknowledgment, and agreement, that the proposed resolution is the best solution to the problem. A more formal process might be to have all parties sign-off on the agreement in a written document.
Final thoughts. If it is an emotionally charged conflict, establish a cooling off period for all involved parties before trying to resolve the issue. Discuss issues in a safe and neutral environment.
Make sure all parties can share their concerns conflict in the bud because unresolved conflict can fester and reach a point of no return. Meaning that unresolved conflict can result in the necessity of removing a team member. Organizations that have mastered the art of conflict resolution have a business advantage because positive conflict outcomes remove performance barriers and allows organizations to meet corporate objectives more quickly. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MENTALITY OF TRYING TO PUT A CLUB OUT OF BUSINESS IS SENSELESS. GOOD BUSINESES SURVIVE. BAD BUSINESSES FAIL. CLUB OWNERS CAN INCREASE BUSINESSES BY PROVIDING "STRONG EDUCATIONALY SOUND PROGRAMS "THAT" HAVEA VALUE FOR OUR STUDENTS AND PROVIDE A MEANINGFUL EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES. THIS IS WHAT WILL GROW YOUR BUSINES.
IGC PROVIDES A CHANCE to increase your Club membership. OWNERS set the Example of Ethical and Honest Behavior for your Employees to follow. This means working within the Rules of your Organization, not breaking the law, and treating people fairly and honestly. People make Ethical Choices on the Job Every Day. IGC Mandatory 100% Club Background Check Names Posted on our Website Free CLUB Website Posting.  Free Competition Sanctions* Host Clubs Keep All Fees* *IGC Head Tax Per Gymnast.Being a Club Owner is not a part time Job. Your major responsibility is your business operation. Ownership is about priorities and sound business practices. For a Business to succeed it MUST have an Intelligent Business Plan that creates a profit yielding business!
A Business cannot run on love alone. Passion is important but it's all about income and expenses
Taxes: Get a handle on Taxes. We all hate to do them, but you should know what it’s all about. Even if using an Accountant. Tax Basics: the amount that you or your business will pay in annual taxes depends on several factors: Legal Form of your business. How much money it made during the year, what your expenses were, how sharp your accountant is. How Much you personally know about the tax system:
Deductions: You can deduct "ordinary and necessary"  Business expenses to reduce your taxable income: travel, inventory, labor costs. Loopholes, Entertainment Expenses = 50%- any activity that relates to your Business.
Keep: Good Records and Receipts to provide that the expenses were actually related to Business. Write whom you were with on the Receipt before filing it away. TRAVEL, AUTOMOBILE, BUSINESS LOSES, The Necessary Tools for Club Owners Business Owners must create a Value Driven Business.  Value is what drives every successful business.
Define the value of your business, as well as your Business Goals and Objectives. The Success Of any Business Revolves Around Three Components:
Income: money received for providing services and goods.
Expenses: the costs incurred in providing those services and goods.
PROFITS: the financial gain that is the difference between the amount earned and the amount spent in buying, operating, producing or providing something.
Success is BY Developing Strong, Successful Business Practices, Income Streams, Educational Programs & OUR International Competitive Gymnastic Program which should help gymnasts select an IGC Club that provides an opportunity to compete around the World.
Educational Planning: Staff Lesson Plans, Professional Development, Workshops. Staff that Understands Child Development, Motor Skills, any skills associated with Pre-School Children that Have Educational Valu----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A Club Owner can ONLY Increase Business by providing “Strong Educationally sound Programs "THAT" HAVEA VALUE FOR OUR STUDENTS AND PROVIDE A MEANINGFUL EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES.  THIS IS WHAT WILL GROW YOUR BUSINESS. NOT LEVELS & SCORES MISSION STAREMENT: An explanation of why your organization exists and the path it will take to achieve its vision. Mission statements are typically shorter than a vision statement but not always and are organization specific. This statement describes what the organization is passionate about and why it exists. To facilitate the mission statement process. Brainstorm your mission statement. The Mentality of trying to put a club out of business is senseless GOOD BUSINESES SURVIVE. BAD BUSINESSES FAIL.
Compensation Handbook great resource to add to your library!
Employee Compensation based on the Experience they Provide To Our Gymnasts.  At the end of the day, it is the customer who pays salaries. Employees compensated based on their ability to meet customer requirements. Use customer satisfaction data. Managing YOUR Business: High Ethical Standards -honesty-integrity-impartiality-fairness. Loyalty-dedication-responsibility, accountability. Set the Example for your Staff. Evaluate circumstances through the appropriate filters: such as culture, laws, policies, circumstances, relationships, politics, perception emotions, values, bas and religion.
Ethical behavior starts with each person. As an Employee Just because someone else is doing something that’s unethical (mortally wrong) or illegal (legally wrong). Doesn’t mean that you should do it too. When you believe ethically what-ever your position within an organization, others will follow your example and behave ethically, too. And, if you practice ethical conduct, it will reenforce and perhaps improve your own ethical standards.
Developing a Strategic Plan Write a Vision Statement:
2-3 sentences. The goal is to give your business a mental picture of what your business hopes to become or what the organization hopes to achieve. As an owner you must understand where your business is going before you can develop a strategic plan for how to get there. The value of a vision statement is that is gives leadership and employees a shared goal. Example:  ABC Dry Cleaners will be the premier professional laundry of the metropolitan area by providing unmatched customer service and cleaning services that exceed the competition.” determine.  Effective Compensation Strategy. Managing YOUR Business High Ethical Standards -honesty-integrity-impartiality -fairness
Loyalty-dedication-responsibility -accountability. Setting the example for Others. Evaluate circumstances through the appropriate filters. Filters include things such as culture, laws, policies, circumstances, relationships, politics, perception emotions, values, bas and religion Ethical behavior starts with each person.  just because someone else is doing something that’s unethical (mortally wrong) or illegal (legally wrong)- Doesn’t mean that you should do it too.  When you believe ethically what-ever your position within an organization. Others will follow your example and behave ethically, too. And, if you practice ethical conduct, it will reenforce and perhaps improve your own ethical standards.  As A Leader, It’s Up to You to Set A Good Example of Ethical and Honest Behavior For your Employees to Follow. This Means Working within The Rules of Your Organization, not breaking the law, and treating people fairly and Honestly. People make Ethical Choices on the Job Every Day- How Do You Make Yours.
Staff MUST EXCEL adding to those special touches to create a memorable experience for all gymnasts. You want your parents to promote your business to family and friends by talking about the great experience. Those consumers who sustain and grow businesses. Customer Service and Quality of Service. This is the most important area for business owners. Why? A Loyal customer base is important because it is those consumers who sustain and grow businesses. Organizations that understand the importance of happy customers, need to think strategy in order to build a loyal customer base. Successful organizations have learned that there is a difference between attracting customers, keeping customers and developing loyal customers. Devoted customers are not only loyal to the organization, but also serve as advocates and help to solicit new customers by sharing their positive experiences. We can all relate to a good service experience.  The question becomes, was that experience good enough for us to tell others about it!Organizations that understand the importance of happy customers, need to think strategy in order to build a loyal customer base.
Successful organizations have learned that there is a difference between attracting customers, keeping customers and developing loyal customers. Devoted customers are not only loyal to the organization, but also serve as advocates and help to solicit new customers by sharing their positive experiences. We can all relate to a good service experience. The question becomes, was that experience good enough for us to tell others about it?  Staff MUST EXCEL adding to those special touches to create a memorable experience for all gymnasts. You want your parents to promote your business to family and friends by talking about the great experience their children have in your program.
Improve Your Cash Flow  Cash Flow is nothing more than the net result of the money that comes into your organization. Suggestions Below Will Help You Better Manage Your Money.Manage Your Accounts Receivable. If you are not keeping a close eye on your accounts receivable, you’re missing a terrific opportunity to improve your cash flow and the health of your business. No matter how much you love your customers – and businesses do love their customers, some of them invariably don’t understand how important it is that you they pay their bills on time. A day or two late usually isn’t a big deal. A month or two always is a big deal. As soon as customers get in the habit of paying latte, getting them to pay on time can be almost impossible. You must identify your late payers as soon as you can and then take steps to get them to pay promptly.Spell Out All Payment Policies so Parents Fully Understand them and Include your Refund Policies: Late Payments Makeups, Give Payment Discounts For Payment in Full For: ½ OR Term Full Semester. Something that the parent feels is a GOOD DEAL! NO REFUNDS on Semester Programs.
-Follow Up on Late Payments. By Note. By E-Mail or Snail Mail or Phone.
Do Not Let A Parent Go Longer Than 30 Days – IF That Long.
Keep Track of expenses    Reduce the Amount of Money That Flows Out Of Your Organization By Managing Your Expenses. Spend Money When You Absolutely Have To. Sometimes New Purchases Can Be Held Off.
Do Project Cash Inflows and match them with your cash Outflows.
Project Cash Inflow with Outflow. Spend Money You Absolutely Have To. Protect Cash Inflows T0 Match with Outflows. Spend Money Only When You Have To And Match That Up With Your Cash Out flows=Amount Of Your Income Stream Determines Payments.
Managing Your Accounts Receivable If you are not keeping a close eye on your accounts receivable, you’re missing a terrific opportunity to improve your cash flow and the health of your business. No matter how much you love your customers – and businesses do love their customers, some of them invariably don’t understand how important it is that they pay their bills on time. A day or two late usually isn’t a big deal. A month or two always is a big deal. As soon as customers get in the habit of paying late, getting them to pay on time can be almost impossible. You must identify your late payers as soon as you can and then take steps to get them to pay promptly. Spell Out All Payment Policies So Parents Fully Understand them.
Include Refund Policies, Late Payments, Makeups Give Payment Discounts For in Full or Half Term Semester Payments. Give Something that the parent feel is a GOOD DEAL! NO REFUNDS on Semester Programs.   Follow Up on Late Payments with Note, E-Mail, Snail Mail or Phone. Do Not Let A Parent Go Longer Than 30 Days – IF That Long.  KEEP TRACK OF EXPENSES Reduce the Amount of Money That Flows Out Of Your Organization By Managing Your Expenses. Spend Money When You Absolutely Have To. Sometimes New Purchases Can Be Held Off. Do You Project Cash Inflows and Match Them with Your Cash Outflows? Project Cash Inflow with Cash Outflow?  You MUST Protect Cash Inflows to Match With Outflows. Spend Money only When You Have to Match That Up with Your Cash Outflows. The Amount Of Your Income Stream Determines Payments.
6 Things You Can Do To Influence Customer Loyalty
1. Solicit Customer Feedback.  A great customer experience is what brings consumers back. The only way to know how a customer perceived an experience is to ask them. Solicit customer feedback and make sure that customer satisfaction is one of the critical success factors or your organization. Feedback can come from surveys. Share data with all levels of the organization. All should be aware of customer requirements as compared to customer feedback. Help employees understand the requirements and how the feedback tells the experience story. These efforts result in satisfied customers and satisfied customers can turn into loyal customers. Customer feedback should be interpreted and used to develop strategy. This strategy should then be used to develop organizational business goals that are used to determine employee goals. Goals should be based on meeting and exceeding customer requirements. Employees should be held accountable for performance that supports customer satisfaction.
2. Customer Service Business Systems and processes are how services are provided: Customer Complaints and issues that may arise. The goal of quickly addressing customer issues and complaints done right, service recovery programs can turn an angry customer into a loyal one!
3. Process Improvement: Broken processes have a direct impact on the customer experience.  A structured quality management program can help develop solutions to systemic problems that affect the customer experiences. This is done by continually trying to improve the way products and services are delivered to the customer.
Use quality tools to create flow charts of the current process, then work to eliminate steps in the process that don’t add value to the customer.
4. Employees need to understand the importance of providing a great service experience. Managing for a great client experience should be incorporated into the day-to-day operational processes of the organization. What this means is training and holding employees accountable for adhering to established customer service standards.
5. Owners should Coach Employees on appropriate behaviors. Employees Compensation Based On The Experience They Provide To Our Gymnasts. At the end of the day, it is the customer who pays salaries. Employees compensated based on their ability to meet customer requirements. Use customer satisfaction data to determine. Effective Compensation Strategy 6.There should be measures in place to assess employee influence on customer satisfaction. Scores that should also be reflected in the annual performance appraisals. Example, an organization should have customer satisfaction goals that are tied to performance pay. If the organization meets those goals it is reflected in the annual merit increase

10 Steps To Creating And Managing A Small Business Budget
1. Strategic Plan Every organization, no matter the size should know why it exists and what it hopes to accomplish. This is articulated through a written 
Vision and Mission Statement. A Strategic Plan is HOW the organization plans to achieve its mission. The first step in the budgeting process is having a written strategic plan.  This ensures that organizational resources are used to support the strategy and development of the organization.
Simply put – budget toward the vision.
2. Business Goals Annual business goals are the steps an organization takes to implement its strategic plan and it is these goals that need to be funded by the budget. Goals need to be developed and there needs to be accountability for achieving goals. This is typically the responsibility of the management team, board, or business owner. The budget provides the financial resources to achieve goals .For example, if your organization has outgrown its facility, and there is an objective to increase space, there must be dollars budgeted to expand or move business operations. 3. Revenue Projections Revenue projections should be based on historical financial performance, as well as projected growth income. The projected growth may be tied to organizational goals and planned initiatives that will initiate business growth. For example, if there is a goal to increase sales by 10%, those sales projections should be part of the year’s revenue projections. 4. Fixed Cost Projections Projecting fixed costs is simply a matter of looking at the monthly predictable costs that do not change. Employee compensation costs, facility expenses, utility costs, mortgage or rent payments, insurance costs, etc. Fixed costs do not change and are a minimal expense that needs to be funded in the budget. For example, if there are open staff positions, the cost to fill those positions should be part of fixed cost projections.5. Variable Cost Projections Variable costs are costs that fluctuate from month to month, supply costs, overtime costs, etc. These are expenses that can and should be budgeted and controlled. For example, if higher Christmas sales drive overtime costs temporarily, those costs should be budgeted.
6. Annual Goal Expenses Goal related projects should also be given budgets. Each initiative should have projected costs associated with the goals. This is where the cost of implementing goa ls are incorporated into the annual budget. Projections of costs should be identified, laid out, and incorporated into the departmental budget responsible for completing the goal. For example, if the sales department aims to increase sales by 10%, costs associated with the increased sales (additional marketing materials, travel, entertainment) should be incorporated into that budget.
7. Target Profit Margin Every organization, whether they are for-profit or not-for-profit, should have a targeted profit margin.  Profit margins allow for returns for the business owner or investors.  Not-for-profit organizations use their profit margins to reinvest into the facilities and development of the organization.  Profits are important for all organizations, and healthy profit margins are a strong indicator of an organization’s strength.
8. Board Approval The governing board, president, owner, or head of the organization should approve the budget andkeep current with budget performance.  Again, similar to your personal finances, the owner should be reviewing monthly financial statements for the following reasons. To monitor budget performance.
To be familiar with all expenditures. To safeguard the organization against misappropriation of funds or employee fraud.
9. Budget Review A budget review committee should meet monthly to monitor performance against goals. This committee should review budget variances and assess issues associated with budget overages. It is important to do this every month, so there can be a correction to overspending or modify the budget if needed. Waiting until the end of the year to make corrections could hurt the final budget outcome.
10. Dealing With Budget Variances
Budget variances should be reviewed with the responsible department manager, and questions should be raised as to what caused the variance. Sometimes unforeseen situations arise that cannot be avoided, so it is also important (just like your personal budget) to have an emergency fund to help with those
unplanned expenditures. For example, if the HVAC system suddenly goes down and needs to be replaced, this would be a budget variance that needs to be funded.Good budgeting processes can help develop and advance an organization, while sloppy budgeting and monitoring budgets can blindside an organization and affect its long-term financial health and viability. finally, without customers, there are no revenues to the budget.  For this reason, strategic plans and budgets should be targeted at one thing and one thing only – the customer. This is why it is imperative to identify who your customers are, find out what they want, and budget dollars to put systems and processes in place to meet their needs and exceed their expectations. Isn’t that what we are all trying to do?
If you would like to learn about budgeting for a small business, I love the Dummy books, Small Business Financial Management Kit For Dummies might be a great reference for you!
Budget Allocation. The strategy should include the organization’s approach to allocating compensation dollars into salary and benefits. This budget allocation will determine how much of the total compensation budget will be spent on salary and what percentage will be spent on benefits and other incentives. For example, for a budget of $1000 for compensation, if 90% is salary and 10% is benefits, you need to determine how that 10% is spent – one scenario might be – 7% on health benefits, 2% on retirement savings and 1% on tuition reimbursement. Allocating specific budget dollars to pay and benefits can help control labor, health care, and other miscellaneous benefit costs.
Develop Salary Ranges Develop salary ranges to ensure employee pay is competitive with other organizations.  To be competitive, it is important to benchmark similar jobs within the same industry and to create a pay structure. Salary ranges can be developed internally by conducting research or utilizing sites like salary.com or payscale.com to determine average salaries in a particular geographic area. Smaller organizations often pay a vendor to help develop salary ranges, whereas larger organizations may have the HR resources to conduct the research internally. Regardless, it is important to look at all jobs and determine what work is done, how the job is slotted, and establish salary ranges that match all job descriptions. Salary Audits Markets change, therefore it is important to perform routine salary audits to ensure salary ranges reflect current compensation trends in a particular industry. When performing an audit, the goal is to determine how competitive are those particular jobs and what is the external market demanding. Ask the question, is it a growing or dying profession? It is important to pay attention to market changes and to stay current because failing to keep up with the competition can lead to the loss of valuable employees.--------Benefit Package: Many organizations use benefit packages, in addition to salary, to attract and retain employees. Their goal is to be competitive with health, retirement, tuition reimbursement and other benefits because they understand that it can be the determining factor for a job candidate who is deciding whether to accept a position with an organization, or an employee who is considering leaving. For instance, I know employees who have stayed with organizations because the benefits were too good to walk away from.
Performance Management System. It is important to have a structured performance management process to ensure employees are meeting corporate objectives and are assessed on a regular basis. This process should include the development of annual goals, annual performance appraisals, and a structured process for coaching and mentoring employees. Compensation strategies can positively influence employee engagement and improve employee productivity.
Legal Compliance A well-defined compensation strategy will incorporate legal requirements to ensure the organization is in compliance with all federal and state laws. The goal is to eliminate natural biases made in hiring decisions and ensure compliance with DOL FLSA laws such as minimum wage, overtime pay, or Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay.
Structured Administration Structure is important. Develop an annual review process, salary audit, raise process timeline, and make sure someone is responsible for all compensation areas. A comprehensive compensation strategy can be the foundation for creating an environment that recognizes and rewards employee performance and helps to establish a strong culture of employee engagement.
Organizations are only as successful as their approach to hiring the right people, setting clear expectations, managing performance, and recognizing and rewarding employees for a job well  done.
Compensation Handbook might be additional help for you and a great resource to add to your library!
DOLLARS & CENTS! LOYAL CUSTOMERS. Impact of a loyal Customer/Gymnast Program.  Monthly Payment vs. Package Program. Let's look at the Restaurant Business and apply the procedures for or Club Owners.
Fill in your number$ Restaurant: A Customer who frequents 6 times a year contributes $300 ($50 X 6 visits) to the bottom line. A customer comes 52 times a year (once a week!) at $50 each visit, could be worth $2,600!
Now imagine threw in some extra special occasion visits (when they bring a a friend for gymnastics vs. parents or clients to a restaurant and you can gain significant dollars to your bottom line! Build Customer Loyalty!!!  Customer Service A loyal customer base is important because it is those consumers who sustain and grow your businesses. Organizations that understand the importance of happy customers, need to think strategy in order to build a loyal customer base.  Successful organizations have learned that there is a difference between attracting customers, keeping customers and developing loyal customers. Devoted customers are not only loyal to the organization, but also serve as advocates and help to solicit new customers by sharing their positive experiences. We can all relate to a good service experience.  The question becomes, was the experience you provide good enough for us to tell others about it? Think of a special restaurant that you go to. The staff is excellent and they add those special touches to create a memorable experience. That is the kind of organization that I would tell my family and friends about because I want them to have the same great experience.
Dollars and Cents of a Loyal Customer APPLY TO A GYMNASTIC CLUB/PARENTS" 
If you wonder about the impact of a loyal customer, look at this example A customer who frequents a restaurant
6 times a year may contribute $300 ($50 X 6 visits) to the bottom line. But a loyal customer that comes in once a week can be much more! Imagine that customer comes 52 times a year at $50 each visit, that customer could be worth $2,600! Now, imagine if you threw in some extra special occasion visits (when they bring the kids, parents or clients) and you can gain significant dollars to your bottom line! Just something to think about.
LOYAL CUSTOMERS. DOLLARS & CENTS! Impact of a loyal Customer/Gymnast in the restaurant/club business 
Monthly Payment vs. Package Class Program. Club Owners Fill in your number$
Restaurant breakdown: A Customer who frequents 6 times a year contributes $300 ($50 X 6 visits) to the bottom line. A customer comes 52 times a year (once a week!) at $50 each visit, could be worth $2,600! Now imagine if you threw in some extra special occasion visits (when they bring a a friend for gymnastics vs. parents or clients to a restaurant and you can gain significant dollars to your bottom line! 
Build Customer Loyalty!!!Customer Service: A loyal customer base is important because it is those consumers who sustain and grow businesses. Organizations that understand the importance of happy customers, need to think strategy in order to build a loyal customer base. Successful organizations have learned that there is a difference between attracting customers, keeping customers and developing loyal customers. Devoted customers are not only loyal to the organization, but also serve as advocates and help to solicit new customers by sharing their positive experiences. We can all relate to a good service experience. The question becomes, was the experience you provide good enough for us to tell others about it? Think of a special restaurant that you go to. The staff is excellent and they add those special touches to create a memorable experience. That is the kind of organization that I would tell my family and friends about because I want them to have the same great experience.
1. Budget Allocation. The strategy should include the organization’s approach to allocating compensation dollars into salary and benefits. This budget allocation will determine how much of the total compensation budget will be spent on salary and what percentage will be spent on benefits and other incentives. For example, for a budget of $1000 for compensation, if 90% is salary and 10% is benefits, you need to determine how that 10% is spent – one scenario might be – 7% on health benefits, 2% on retirement savings and 1% on tuition reimbursement. Allocating specific budget dollars to pay and benefits can help control labor, health care, and other miscellaneous benefit costs.
2. Develop Salary Ranges Develop salary ranges to ensure employee pay is competitive with other organizations.  To be competitive, it is important to benchmark similar jobs within the same industry and to create a pay structure. Salary ranges can be developed internally by conducting research or utilizing sites like salary.com or payscale.com to determine average salaries in a particular geographic area. Smaller organizations often pay a vendor to help develop salary ranges, whereas larger organizations may have the HR resources to conduct the research internally. Regardless, it is important to look at all jobs and determine what work is done, how the job is slotted, and establish salary ranges that match all job descriptions.
3. Salary Audits Markets change, therefore it is important to perform routine salary audits to ensure salary ranges reflect current compensation trends in a particular industry. When performing an audit, the goal is to determine how competitive are those particular jobs and what is the external market demanding. Ask the question, is it a growing or dying profession? It is important to pay attention to market changes and to stay current because failing to keep up with the competition can lead to the loss of valuable employees.--------
4. Benefit Package: Many organizations use benefit packages, in addition to salary, to attract and retain employees. Their goal is to be competitive with health, retirement, tuition reimbursement and other benefits because they understand that it can be the determining factor for a job candidate who is deciding whether to accept a position with an organization, or an employee who is considering leaving. For instance, I know employees who have stayed with organizations because the benefits were too good to walk away from.
5. Performance Management System. It is important to have a structured performance management process to ensure employees are meeting corporate objectives and are assessed on a regular basis.
This process should include the development of annual goals, annual performance appraisals, and a structured process for coaching and mentoring employees. Compensation strategies can positively influence employee engagement and improve employee productivity.
6. Legal Compliance A well-defined compensation strategy will incorporate legal requirements to ensure the organization is in compliance with all federal and state laws. The goal is to eliminate natural biases made in hiring decisions and ensure compliance with DOL FLSA laws such as minimum wage, overtime pay, or Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay.
7. Structured Administration Structure is important. Develop an annual review process, salary audit, raise process timeline, and make sure someone is responsible for all compensation areas. A comprehensive compensation strategy can be the foundation for creating an environment that recognizes and rewards employee performance and helps to establish a strong culture of employee engagement. Organizations are only as successful as their approach to hiring the right people, setting clear expectations, managing performance, and recognizing and rewarding employees for a job well done.
Compensation Handbook might be additional help for you and a great resource to add to your library!
11 Mistakes Business Owners Make
1.  Don’t have a defined mission, vision, and values statement. Every organization should spend time clarifying why it exists and what it hopes to accomplish. This is done by spending the time to articulate and write a mission, vision, and values statement It doesn’t matter if it is the dry cleaner, neighborhood restaurant, or Gymnastic Club. Every organization needs to have an articulated focus that provides a shared direction for decision making and employee performance.  2.  Fail to plan. Strategy and planning is critical to the success of any organization. Whether large or small, every business needs a plan. This involves taking time at least once a year to review strategy and goals and make sure the organization moves in the direction initially intended. There is an old saying, “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. There is a lot of truth in that statement! 3. Don’t write goals. Goals are how plans are achieved, and if goals are not developed, written down with assigned accountability, they will be difficult to accomplish. Business Goals should be written as part of the overall organizational strategy, and each goal should have someone assigned to them with very specific timeline expectations. 4. Don’t create an operating budget. Budgeting is something that should be done once a year and used to fund the plan and goals.  Organizations that don’t budget can be successful. Organizations that don’t budget can be successful.  However, the budgeting process determines how resources are managed and help to achieve targeted growth because budget dollars are allocated to only those things that improve and grow the business. 5.  Don’t hold people accountable. When goals are written, it is essential to assign responsibility for completing them. When organizations don’t hold people accountable for completing goals and performing basic job responsibilities, they are mismanaging the organization’s resources. When employees are on the payroll and aren’t held accountable for their job responsibilities, they are, in essence, taking money out of the organizational coffer without providing value in return. Managing employee performance is critical to the success of all organizations – and employee JOB DESCRIPTIONS and goals are the first steps in that process. 6.  Don’t anticipate market changes. The last couple of years has been a hard lesson for many organizations. Things can change quickly, and the market can shift seemingly overnight. It is essential to keep an eye on changing trends in things like technology, customer requirements, or financial viability. It is easy to get distracted with the day-to-day job tasks and lose sight of rapid market change. Make sure you keep a pulse on your industry and try to see what new trends are on the horizon. Talk to your customers and learn from them. 7.  Don’t take the time to understand customer requirements. Customers pay the bills, so organizations need to figure out what the customer wants and put systems and processes in place to meet their needs. One way to better understand what the customer wants is to survey them. There are lots of survey software available. All too often, organizations build products and services based on what they “think’ the customer wants.  Talk to customers, survey them and continuously try to learn about changing expectations. This is an essential step in growing a solid customer base. 8.  Don’t consider employees to be their most important customer group. Employees are among the most important customer groups because they are the organization’s hands and feet. And, when businesses don’t put employee-friendly policies and processes in place, they are risking alienating those individuals that interact with their customers. When employees are given clear job expectations, the tools, and training to do their job and are rewarded for performing well, they are more likely to be happy at work, which directly affects the customer experiences.  Every organization should work to improve employee engagement and create environments that employees can thrive in and enjoy.
9.  Don’t communicate with employees and customers. Communication, or lack thereof, is a universal problem in most organizations.  There can never be too much communication, and successful organizations have structured processes to manage communication with both employees and customers. Creating transparent organizations that continually share information results in customer loyalty as well as an environment that employees enjoy working in.
10.  Don’t continuously look for ways to improve. Continuous improvement is how organizations develop and enhance products and services.  The process by which those products and services are delivered should always be reviewed to identify improvement opportunities. Whether it is a process to manufacture a product or a process of delivering a service to the customer, looking for ways to continuously improve is important. 
11.  Don’t celebrate successes. Many organizations get so bogged down with the daily grind that they forget to stop and acknowledge how far they’ve come.  Celebrating successes not only recognizes progress but also encourages employees and improves engagement. Running and growing a small business is a challenging endeavor. However, organizations that strive to create systems and processes that routinely look at how the organization is performing, identify ways to improve how things are done while planning to improve the employee and customer experience will ultimately 
Managing YOUR Business High Ethical Standards -honesty-integrity-impartiality -fairness-Loyalty-dedication-responsibility -accountability -Setting the Example for Others-Evaluate circumstances through the appropriate filters. Filters include things such as culture, laws, policies, circumstances, relationships, politics, perception emotions, values, Bias and religion Ethical behavior starts with each person. just because someone else is doing something that’s unethical (mortally wrong) or illegal (legally wrong) Doesn’t mean that you should do too. When you believe ethically what-ever your position within an organization, others will follow your example and behave ethically, too. And, if you practice ethical conduct, it will reenforce and perhaps improve your own ethical standards. As A Leader, It’s Up to You to Set A Good Example of Ethical and Honest Behavior For Your Employees to Follow.This Means Working within The Rules of Your Organization, not breaking the law, and treating people fairly and Honestly. People make Ethical Choices On The Job Every Day- How Do You Make Yours?
What Should Merit Raises Be Based On? Justification for a merit increase is important because of the financial investment the pay increase represents.  Merit increases can have a significant impact on an organization’s payroll cost over the span of perhaps decades that an employee works for an organization. For example, let’s say you have two employees and each makes $10 per hour.  Employee A receives a merit increase of 2% and employee B receives a 5% pay increase.  The 2% increase is equivalent to $416 for the year and 5% equals $1040 for the year – more than double.  Multiply that times ten years and the employee who receives the higher increase will cost the organization much more over that 10year period of time. Now let’s say employee A gets 2% a year every year for ten years and the employee B gets 5% every year for ten years and this is what it looks like: As you can see employee B, who received the 5% increases over the course of ten years, cost the organization $42,392 more than employee A.  Now do the math for the higher earners in your organization and the difference can be staggering.  This is why it is so important to have a structured performance management process that helps to control costs and justifies merit increases for those employees who perform well. Managing employee performance can help to control biases associated with managing employees and provides the framework for rewarding strong performers while identifying poor performers.
Merit Pay Increase Based On: performance appraisal document is a key tool used in assessing performance.  
When employees are scored on dimensions of performance, and those scores are tied to percentage increases, good performers get rewarded with a higher percentage of the pot. Scoring the performance appraisal form  and then tying the scores to raise distribution is an objective way to ensure your best performers are receiving a higher percentage of allocated raise dollars. Ok, let’s look at the performance appraisal document again and see the dimension scores and look at this example: Let’s say there are 7 dimensions that are being scored and for dimension one the employee received a score of 3, dimension two a score of 3, dimension three a score of 4, and so on.Dimension one  Score = 3          Dimension two        Score = 3
Dimension three     Score = 4          Dimension four       Score = 3
Dimension five       Score = 5           Dimension six        Score = 3
Dimension Seven    Score = 4    Total score =   25
What you want to do is total the scores.  In this particular example if you add up the dimension scores you get a total score of 25 out of a possible 35 (7 dimensions X 5 points).  Now if you take that score of 25 and divide it by 7 (the number of dimensions) you get an average score of 3.5 – (25/7 = 3.5).   This is the score that will determine the employee’s percentage merit increase.  Next, you want to do this on all of your employees and come up with a list of average scores. Ok, we’ve got the scores but how do you tie those scores to raises? Let’s go through an example.  Let’s say (for the sake of easy math) that you have:
11 employees each making $10/hour you budgeted 3.5% for raises which generates a pool of merit increase dollars of $8,008 (.035X$228,800). The $228,800 comes from 11 employees X 2080 hours X $10/hour = a salary budget of $228,800. Lets also say that you have determined that the average performance appraisal scores (3.0) will receive a 3.5% increase – and those scoring below average will receive less, those scoring above will receive more. Now let’s look at what this might look like: As you can see from the example below, there are 11 employees listed, a,b,c,etc.  The next column shows their average scores as well as an overall average score for all employees.  Now in the next column, you can see the percent increase that was awarded to each employee based on the predetermined criteria. Some employees received as low as 2% increase and the higher performers received as high as 4.5% increase which translates into a raise of $416 for the poor performers but more than twice as much, $936 for the higher performing employees.  Now if you total what all of these increases add up to, you’ll see that these pay increases will cost the organization $8,008 which ends up being exactly what was budgeted $8008. This is an oversimplified example to demonstrate how this can be done.  Obviously when there are dozens or even hundreds of employees this scenario would look much different. It is common for larger organizations to allocate the raise percentages to the individual department and allow managers to award raises specifically to their own area. Another thing to remember is the importance of organizational culture and communicating organizational culture and    clearly with all employees about their raise increases. The higher performers should be aware that they received a higher per-centage but the lower performers should also be told that they received less because of their performance scores.  This should serve as an encouragement for the good performers and possibly a wake-up call for the under performers and lastly, it doesn’t matter how high the raise percentage is, most employees don’t think it’s enough and that is just something you need to be aware of and not get overly concerned with.  Statistics show most people don’t think they are paid for what they think they are worth and that organizations have unlimited resources for salaries – we know that’s not true
Advantages and Disadvantages of Performance Appraisals Employees, as well as managers, often question why organizations do employee performance appraisals. Anyone who has ever been on the receiving end of a performance appraisal could argue why they perceive it to be ineffective and a complete waste of time. Employees often feel unjustly assessed, and managers often go through a forced annual process to comply with job expectations. This doesn’t make it easy for either party. What that exactly is a performance appraisal? A performance appraisal is an evaluation done on an employee’s job performance over a specific period of time. It is the equivalent of a report card on an employee and how their manager assessed their performance over the prior year. Anyone who has worked in more than one department or at more than one organization can attest to the fact that not all performance appraisal processes are the same. The varying systems and processes are all over the map. Unfortunately, some are done so poorly that they are not only designed to fail, but also to create a negative experience for both the manager as well as the employee. So why do organizations do performance appraisals? There are many varying opinions on the subject of performance appraisals and why they are done. Some organizations do performance appraisals because they feel obligated to do them – because everyone else does. Other organizations do performance appraisals to make sure they have a piece of paper in the employee’s file – in case they ever need to do corrective action 
A Good A Leader/OWNER  Will DO Any of These 5 Thing Engaged employees are 17% more productive and 21% more profitable. Engaged employees are your strongest asset. In times of disruption, this is even more true. Engaged employees consistently outperform their colleagues by solving new problems, innovating, and creating new customers. Engaged employees are 17% more productive and 21% more profitable. companies prioritize engaging employees to create sustained growth. Make sure you have a workforce that isn't distracted can be difficult to achieve, but it must be core to your business strategy to remain competitive. Here are a few ways to do it in the coronavirus age.
-Maintain clear and consistent communication
During this time of upheaval, employees have more on their mind than day-to-day activities, which can cause them to lose focus. To keep them grounded at work, maintain a constant and open line of communication -- whether through regular updates over email or Slack, or semi-regular town hall meetings. This allows employees to keep productivity high and reassures them during an uncertain period. Connect with employees & parents Laurie Schultz, President & CEO of Galvanize, kept a CEO diary that she shared daily with employees for the first three months of the outbreak. In the diary, she detailed her perspective on the business landscape as well as anecdotes about how the outbreak was affecting her personally. For example, Schultz shared in one entry, "As terrible as this situation is, I do find myself feeling very bonded with the world as we unite together to do the right thing." Schultz said, "People want to feel safe and secure. Daily, authentic and human communication allows you to build trust -- reassuring people through regular check-ins -- rather than having them fill in the blanks." 3. Upskill your employees Successful upskilling, or reskilling, focuses on innovation and is seen as both a technology and human capital investment. PwC's U.S. and Global Advisory Leader, shared, "When it comes to innovation it can't come from just leadership, it comes from everybody." A few key areas to up skill employees include relevant emerging technologies, investing platforms, and the cloud. "This enables companies to deliver a better digital experience to customers and ensure employees have the ability to use these newly-implemented platforms to drive true value," Also recommended looking into new technologies for training, like virtual reality, which was found to improve employees confidence in new skills by 340%  
4. Lead with empathy Unhealthy stress can wreak havoc on everyone, inhibit productivity, and lead to detached employees. "When an employee is showing signs that they're struggling in some way, the best thing a manager can do is encourage them to discuss any fears or concerns, empathize with what they're experiencing and help them outline what needs to be done to address the challenges head-on," said Billie Hartless CHRO of Mitll . "This is what good humans do for each other and it strengthens the employee-manager relationship, which is essential to fostering long-term engagement and high performance," Heartless said. Redeploy your workforce to give customers more value Redeploying your workforce is one way to engage employees. Yet you need to be strategic in how you do this. For instance, you should focus on redeploying employees to give more value to your customers. "The first step is determining how value is defined for each customer." For instance, is value related to lower cost? Is it related to a more holistic set of services or better experience? When value is defined, decisions can be made to positively impact customers and deploy talent in areas that will drive change in specific areas and for the organization as a whole.
5. "By following these tips to engage your workforce, you can improve the productivity and profitability of your organization. Though it can be tough with a distributed workforce, the key is to come back to providing consistent communication, improving manager engagement, and offering new opportunities to learn. And always remember to put your people before profit. As Schultz shared, "Our focus has been on employees first, customer retention second, and then financials on the belief that the first two will lead to success on the financial front." A Good A Leader Will DO Any of These 5 Things: Engaged employees are 17% more productive and 21% more profitable. Engaged employees consistently are your strongest asset. In times of disruption, this is even more true. Engaged employees consistently outperform their colleagues by solving new problems, innovating, and creating new customers. Engaged employees are 17% more productive and 21% more profitable. companies prioritize engaging employees to create sustained growth. Make sure you have a workforce that isn't distracted can be difficult to achieve, but it must be core to your business strategy to remain competitive. Here are a few ways to do it in the coronavirus age.
MANAGING TIPS!
1. Maintain clear and consistent communication During this time of upheaval, employees have more on their mind than day-to-day activities, which can cause them to lose focus. To keep them grounded at work, maintain a constant and open line of communication -- whether through regular updates over email or Slack, or semi-regular town hall meetings. This allows employees to keep productivity high and reassures them during an uncertain period.
2. Create connection with employees & parents Laurie Schultz, President & CEO of GALVANIZE kept a CEO diary that she shared daily with employees for the first three months of the outbreak. In the diary, she detailed her perspective on the business landscape as well as anecdotes about how the outbreak was affecting her personally. For example, Schultz shared in one entry, "As terrible as this situation is, I do find myself feeling very bonded with the world as we unite together to do the right thing." Schultz said, "People want to feel safe and secure. Daily, authentic and human communication allows you to build trust -- reassuring people through regular check-ins -- rather than having them fill in the blanks." 3. Up-skill your employees Successful up-skilling, or re-skilling, focuses on innovation and is seen as both a technology and human capital investment. PwC's U.S. and Global Advisory Leader, shared, "When it comes to innovation it can't come from just leadership, it comes from everybody." A few key areas to up-skill employees include relevant emerging technologies, investing platforms, and the cloud. "This enables companies to deliver a better digital experience to customers and ensure employees have the ability to use these newly-implemented platforms to drive true value," Kande also recommended looking into new technologies for training, like virtual reality, which was found to improve employees confidence in new skills by 340%  4. Lead with empath Unhealthy stress can wreak havoc on everyone, inhibit productivity, and lead to detached employees. "When an employee is showing signs that they're struggling in some way, the best thing a manager can do is encourage them to discuss any fears or concerns, empathize with what they're experiencing and help them outline what needs to be done to address the challenges head-on," said Billie Hartless CHRO of Mitel  
This is what good humans do for each other and it strengthens the employee-manager relationship, which is essential to fostering long-term engagement and high performance,". Redeploying your workforce is one way to engage employees. Yet you need to be strategic in how you do this. For instance, you should focus on redeploying employees to give more value to your customers. "The first step is determining how value is defined for each customer." For instance, is value related to lower cost? Is it related to a more holistic set of services or better experience? When value is defined, decisions can be made to positively impact customers and deploy talent in areas that will drive change in specific areas and for the organization as a whole. "By following these tips to engage your workforce, you can improve the productivity and profitability of your organization. Though it can be tough with a distributed workforce, the key is to come back to providing consistent communication, improving manager engagement, and offering new opportunities to learn and always remember to put your people before profit. As Schultz shared, "Our focus has been on employees first, customer retention second, and then financials on the belief that the first two will lead to success on the financial front."
1. Budget Allocation. The strategy should include the organization’s approach to allocating compensation dollars into salary and benefits. This budget allocation will determine how much of the total compensation budget will be spent on salary and what percentage will be spent on benefits and other incentives. For example, for a budget of $1000 for compensation, if 90% is salary and 10% is benefits, you need to determine how that 10% is spent – one scenario might be – 7% on health benefits, 2% on retirement savings and 1% on tuition reimbursement. Allocating specific budget dollars to pay and benefits can help control labor, health care, and other miscellaneous benefit costs.
2.  Develop Salary Ranges Develop salary ranges to ensure employee pay is competitive with other organizations.  To be competitive, it is important to benchmark similar jobs within the same industry and to create a pay structure. Salary ranges can be developed internally by conducting research or utilizing sites like salary.com or payscale.com to determine average salaries in a particular geographic area. Smaller organizations often pay a vendor to help develop salary ranges, whereas larger organizations may have the HR resources to conduct the research internally. Regardless, it is important to look at all jobs and determine what work is done, how the job is slotted, and establish salary ranges that match all job descriptions. 
3. Salary Audits Markets change, therefore it is important to perform routine salary audits to ensure salary ranges reflect current compensation trends in a particular industry. When performing an audit, the goal is to determine how competitive are those particular jobs and what is the external market demanding. Ask the question, is it a growing or dying profession? It is important to pay attention to market changes and to stay current because failing to keep up with the competition can lead to the loss of valuable employees.--------
4.  Benefit Package: Many organizations use benefit packages, in addition to salary, to attract and retain employees. Their goal is to be competitive with health, retirement, tuition reimbursement and other benefits because they understand that it can be the determining factor for a job candidate who is deciding whether to accept a position with an organization, or an employee who is considering leaving. For instance, I know employees who have stayed with organizations because the benefits were too good to walk away from.
5.  Performance Management System. It is important to have a structured performance management process to ensure employees are meeting corporate objectives and are assessed on a regular basis.
This process should include the development of annual goals, annual performance appraisals, and a structured process for coaching and mentoring employees.Compensation strategies can positively influence employee engagement and improve employee productivity. 6.  Legal Compliance A well-defined compensation strategy will incorporate legal requirements to ensure the organization is in compliance with all federal and state laws.
The goal is to eliminate natural biases made in hiring decisions and ensure compliance with DOL FLSA laws such as minimum wage, overtime pay, or Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay. 7.  Structured Administration Structure is important. Develop an annual review process, salary audit, raise process timeline, and make sure someone is responsible for all compensation areas. A comprehensive compensation strategy can be the foundation for creating an environment that recognizes and rewards employee performance and helps to establish a strong culture of employee engagement. Organizations are only as successful as their approach to hiring the right people, setting clear expectations, managing performance, and recognizing and rewarding employees for a job well done. The Compensation Handbook might be additional help for you and a great resource to add to your library!
What Should Merit Raises Be Based On? Justification for a merit increase is important because of the financial investment the pay increase represents.  Merit increases can have a significant impact on an organization’s payroll cost over the span of perhaps decades that an employee works for an organization. For example, let’s say you have two employees and each makes $10 per hour.  Employee A receives a merit increase of 2% and employee B receives a 5% pay increase.  The 2% increase is equivalent to $416 for the year and 5% equals $1040 for the year – more than double.  Multiply that times ten years and the employee who receives the higher increase will cost the organization much more over that ten-year period of time. Now let’s say employee A gets 2% a year every year for ten years and the employee B gets 5% every year for ten years and this is what it looks like:
As you can see employee B, who received the 5% increases over the course of ten years, cost the organization $42,392 more than employee A.  Now do the math for the higher earners in your organization and the difference can be staggering.  This is why it is so important to have a structured performance management  process that helps to control costs and justifies merit increases for those employees who perform well.
Managing employee performance can help to control biases associated with managing employees and provides the
framework for rewarding strong performers while identifying poor performers.
MERIT RAISES BASED ON: A performance appraisal document is a key tool used in assessing performance.  When employees are scored on dimensions of performance, and those scores are tied to percentage increases, good performers get rewarded with a higher percentage of the pot. Scoring the performance appraisal FORM and then tying the scores to raise distribution is an objective way to ensure your best performers are receiving a higher percentage of allocated raise dollars. Ok, let’s look at the performance appraisal document again and see the dimension scores and look at this example: Let’s say there are 7 dimensions that are being scored and for dimension one the employee received a score of 3, dimension two a score of 3, dimension three a score of 4, and so on.
Dimension one        Score =3          Dimension two         Score = 3
Dimension three      Score =4         Dimension four         Score = 3
Dimension five         Score =5         Dimension six          Score = 3
Dimension Seven     Score =          Total score =   25
What you want to do is total the scores.  In this particular example if you add up the dimension scores you get a total score of 25 out of a possible 35 (7 dimensions X 5 points). Now if you take that score of 25 and divide it by 7 (the number of dimensions) you get an average score of 3.5 – (25/7 = 3.5).   This is the score that will determine the employee’s percentage merit increase.  Next, you want to do this on all of your employees and come up with a list of average scores. Ok, we’ve got the scores but how do you tie those scores to raises? Let’s go through an example.  Let’s say (for the sake of easy math) that you have: -11 employees each making $10/hour. you budgeted 3.5% for raises which generates a pool of merit increase dollars of $8,008 (.035X$228,800). The $228,800 comes from 11 employeeX 2080 hours X $10/hour = a salary budget of $228,800.Now let’s also say that you have determined that the average performance appraisal scores (3.0) will receive a 3.5% increase – and those scoring below average will receive less, those scoring above will receive more. Now let’s look at what this might look like: As you can see from the example below, there are 11 employees listed, a, b, c, etc.  The next column shows their average scores as well as an overall average score for all employees.  Now in the next column, you can see the percent increase that was awarded to each employee based on the predetermined criteria. Some employees received as low as 2% increase and the higher performers received as high as 4.5% increase which translates into a raise of $416 for the poor performers but more than twice as much, $936 for the higher performing employees.  Now if you total what all of these increases add up to, you’ll see that these pay increases will cost the organization $8,008 which ends up being exactly what was budgeted $8008.This is an oversimplified example to demonstrate how this can be done.  Obviously when there are dozens or even hundreds of employees this scenario would look much different. It is common for larger organizations to allocate the raise percentages to the individual department and allow managers to award raises specifically to their own area. Another thing to remember is the importance of organizational culture and communicating clearly with all employees about their raise increases. The higher performers should be aware that they received a higher per-centage but the lower performers should also be told that they received less because of their performance scores.  This should serve as an encouragement for the good performers and possibly a wake-up call for the under performers. And lastly, it doesn’t matter how high the raise percentage is, most employees don’t think it’s enough and that is just something you need to be aware of and not get overly concerned with.  Statistics show most people don’t think they are paid for what they think they are worth and that organizations have unlimited resources for salaries – we know that’s not true
Advantages and Disadvantages of Performance Appraisals Employees, as well as managers, often question why organizations do employee performance appraisals Anyone who has ever been on the receiving end of a performance appraisal could argue why they perceive it to be ineffective and a complete waste of time. Employees often feel unjustly assessed, and managers often go through a forced annual process to comply with job expectations. This doesn’t make it easy for either party.
So what exactly is a performance appraisal? A performance appraisal is an evaluation done on an employee’s job performance over a specific period of time. It is the equivalent of a report card on an employee and how their manager assessed their performance over the prior year. Anyone who has worked in more than one department or at more than one organization can attest to the fact that not all performance appraisal processes are the same. The varying systems and processes are all over the map. Unfortunately, some are done so poorly that they are not only designed to fail, but also to create a negative experience for both the manager as well as the employee.
So why do organizations do performance appraisals? There are many varying opinions on the subject of performance appraisals and why they are done. Some organizations do performance appraisals because they feel obligated to do them – because everyone else does. Other organizations do performance appraisals to make sure they have a piece of paper in the employee’s file – in case they ever need to do corrective action  
6 Things You Can Do To Influence Customer Loyalty
1. Solicit Customer Feedback.  A great customer experience is what brings consumers back. The only way to know how
a customer perceived an experience is to ask them. Solicit customer feedback and make sure that customer satisfaction is one of the critical success factors or your organization. Feedback can come from surveys. Share data with all levels of the organization. All should be aware of customer requirements as compared to customer feedback. Help employees understand the requirements and how the feedback tells the experience story. These efforts result in satisfied customers and satisfied customers can turn into loyal customers. Customer feedback should be interpreted and used to develop strategy. This strategy should then be used to develop organizational business goals that are used to determine employee goals. Goals should be based on meeting and exceeding customer requirements. Employees should be held accountable for performance that supports customer satisfaction.
2. Customer Service Business Systems and processes are how services are provided: Customer Complaints and issues that may arise. The goal of quickly addressing customer issues and complaints done right, service recovery programs can turn an angry customer into a loyal one! 3. Process Improvement: Broken processes have a direct impact on the customer experience.  A structured quality management program can help develop solutions to systemic problems that affect the customer experiences. This is done by continually trying to improve the way products and services are delivered to the customer.Use quality tools to create flow charts of the current process, then work to eliminate steps in the process that don’t add value to the customer.
4. Employees need to understand the importance of providing a great service experience. Managing for a great client experience should be incorporated into the day-to-day operational processes of the organization. What this means is training and holding employees accountable for adhering to established customer service standards.
5. Owners should Coach Employees on appropriate behaviors. Employees Compensation Based On The Experience They Provide To Our Gymnasts. At the end of the day, it is the customer who pays salaries. Employees compensated based on their ability to meet customer requirements. Use customer satisfaction data to determine. Effective Compensation Strategy
6.There should be measures in place to assess employee influence on customer satisfaction. Scores that should also be reflected in the annual performance appraisals. Example, an organization should have customer satisfaction goals that are tied to performance pay. If the organization meets those goals it is reflected in the annual merit increase.
Developing a Strategic Plan      Write a Vision Statement: 
2-3 sentences. The goal is to give your business a mental picture of what your business hopes to become or what the organization hopes to achieve. As an owner you must understand where your business is going before you can develop a strategic plan for how to get there. The value of a vision statement is that is gives leadership and employees a shared goal. Example: ABC Dry Cleaners will be the premier professional laundry of the metropolitan area by providing unmatched customer service and cleaning services that exceed the competition.” 
Your Mission Statement: An explanation of why an organization exists and the path it will take to achieve its vision. Mission statements are typically shorter than a vision statement but not always and are organization specific. This statement describes what the organization is passionate about and why it exists. To facilitate the mission statement process: Brainstorm your mission statement...
Customer Service and Quality of Service. This is the most important area for business owners. Why? A Loyal customer base is important because it is those consumers who sustain and grow businesses. Organizations that understand the importance of happy customers, need to think strategy in order to build a loyal customer base. Successful organizations have learned that there is a difference between attracting customers, keeping customers and developing loyal customers. Devoted customers are not only loyal to the organization, but also serve as advocates and help to solicit new customers by sharing their positive experiences. We can all relate to a good service experience.  The question becomes, was that experience good enough for us to tell others about it?
Staff MUST EXCEL adding to those special touches to create a memorable experience for all gymnasts. You want your parents to promote your business to family and friends by talking about the great experience their children have in your program.
LOYAL CUSTOMERS. DOLLARS & CENTS!  Impact of a loyal Customer/Gymnast in the restaurant/club business 
Monthly Payment vs. Package Class Program.
Club Owners Fill in your number$.
Restaurant breakdown: A Customer who frequents 6 times a year contributes $300 ($50 X 6 visits) to the bottom line.
A customer comes 52 times a year (once a week!) at $50 each visit, could be worth $2,600! Now imagine if you threw in some extra special occasion visits (when they bring a a friend for gymnastics vs. parents or clients to a restaurant and you can gain significant dollars to your bottom line!
Build Customer Loyalty!!!
Customer Service A loyal customer base is important because it is those consumers who sustain and grow businesses. Organizations that understand the importance of happy customers, need to think strategy in order to build a loyal customer base. Successful organizations have learned that there is a difference between attracting customers, keeping customers and developing loyal customers. Devoted customers are not only loyal to the organization, but also serve as advocates and help to solicit new customers by sharing their positive experiences. We can all relate to a good service experience. The question becomes, was the experience you provide good enough for us to tell others about it? Think of a special restaurant that you go to. The staff is and they add those special touches to create a memorable experience. That is the kind excellence of organization that I would tell my family and friends about because I want them to have the same great experience.
The Dollars and Cents of a Loyal Customer – Think Gymnastic Parents
If you wonder about the impact of a loyal customer, look at this example.
A customer who frequents a restaurant 6 times a year may contribute $300 ($50 X 6 visits) to your bottom line. But a loyal customer that comes in once a week can be much more! Imagine that customer comes 52 times a year at $50 each visit, that customer could be worth $2,600. Now imagine if you threw in some extra special occasion visits (when they bring the kids, parents or clients) and you can gain significant dollars to your bottom line! Just something to t
1.Budget Allocation. The strategy should include the organization’s approach to allocating compensation dollars into salary and benefits. This budget allocation will determine how much of the total compensation budget will be spent on salary and what percentage will be spent on benefits and other incentives. For example, for a budget of $1000 for compensation, if 90% is salary and 10% is benefits, you need to determine how that 10% is spent – one scenario might be – 7% on health benefits, 2% on retirement savings and 1% on tuition reimbursement. Allocating specific budget dollars to pay and benefits can help control labor, health care, and other miscellaneous benefit costs.
2.  Develop Salary Ranges Develop salary ranges to ensure employee pay is competitive with other organizations.  To be competitive, it is important to benchmark similar jobs within the same industry and to create a pay structure. Salary ranges can be developed internally by conducting research or utilizing sites like salary.com or payscale.com to determine average salaries in a particular geographic area. Smaller organizations often pay a vendor to help develop salary ranges, whereas larger organizations may have the HR resources to conduct the research internally. Regardless, it is important to look at all jobs and determine what work is done, how the job is slotted, and establish salary ranges that match all job descriptions. 
3.  Salary Audits Markets change,therefore it is important to perform routine salary audits to ensure salary ranges reflect current compensation trends in a particular industry. When performing an audit, the goal is to determine how competitive are those particular jobs and what is the external market demanding. Ask the question, is it a growing or dying profession? It is important to pay attention to market changes and to stay current because failing to keep up with the competition can lead to the loss of valuable employees.--------
4.Benefit Package: Many organizations use benefit packages, in addition to salary, to attract and retain employees. Their goal is to be competitive with health, retirement, tuition reimbursement and other benefits because they understand that it can be the determining factor for a job candidate who is deciding whether to accept a position with an organization, or an employee who is considering leaving. For instance, I know employees who have stayed with organizations because the benefits were too good to walk away from.
5. Performance Management System. It is important to have a structured performance management process to ensure employees are meeting corporate objectives and are assessed on a regular basis. This process should include the development of annual goals, annual performance appraisals, and a structured process for coaching and mentoring employees. Compensation strategies can positively influence employee engagement and improve employee productivity. 6.  Legal Compliance A well-defined compensation strategy will incorporate legal requirements to ensure the organization is in compliance with all federal and state laws. The goal is to eliminate natural biases made in hiring decisions and ensure compliance with DOL FLSA laws such as minimum wage, overtime pay, or Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay.
6.Structured Administration Structure is important. Develop an annual review process, salary audit, raise process timeline, and make sure someone is responsible for all compensation areas. A comprehensive compensation strategy can be the foundation for creating an environment that recognizes and rewards employee performance and helps to establish a strong culture of employee engagement. Organizations are only as successful as their approach to hiring the right people, setting clear expectations, managing performance, and recognizing and rewarding employees for a job well done 
7. Compensation Handbook might be additional help for you and a great resource to add to your library!

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