business success

Free Expert Advice

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Free Small Business Software Alternatives

Underwriting Solutions LLC

A couple of years ago I drafted a consulting proposal for a bunch of investors interested in starting a new life insurance company.  The investors didn’t want to spend a lot of money on infrastructure, so I drafted a proposal that emphasized outsourcing and the use of cloud based software services that were either extremely low-cost or in some cases, free.  I wrote:

The creation and implementation of a low-cost distributed collaborative workforce offers the new company an additional distinct competitive advantage in the industry… The new company will not be constrained by legacy systems, outdated processes, or asset quality issues.  We will create an administrative infrastructure built upon low-cost world-class services furnished by companies with a proven track record of success.  This simplified example shows how quickly and inexpensively a customized group of outsourcing partners can be assembled to provide core administrative services for the new company.

Since that time I have wanted to update my list of free software services but now I don’t have to. Stephen Murphy of getbusy media wrote a great little article which can be accessed though the link above.  The other link is just something else I’ve been playing with.

And for the curious, no I did not get the gig two years ago.

 

Thought For Today – 6/11/11

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“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open. … No artist is pleased. [There is] no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others”

Have a Plan for Business Continuity

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Missing List in Joplin Tornado Drops to 156 – WSJ.com

“The Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce said Friday that at least 400 businesses and 5,000 jobs were affected by the tornado.”

If you click through and read this WSJ online article, you’ll notice a small video window.  The opening picture of the video is an electric guitar embedded neck first into a wall of a house.  I had never thought of my guitars as deadly weapons, but in the right weather conditions they are.
When I read about the number of businesses affected I silently hoped these businesses had disaster recovery and business continuation plans in place.  Unfortunately, the most likely answer is no and most of these businesses will ultimately fail.
Not many of us think about total destruction from an F-5 tornado.  But if you manage to survive at one point you will have to get back to work.
Time to spend some time revising my own business recovery and continuity plans.