Companies are too busy making money

At the last company I worked for, I spent hours bored at work. One day, it just clicked in my head that I needed to start. I began by blogging and making money on the site. That turned into real cash, to the point where I was making more outside work than inside work. No matter what your status in companies are too busy making money, we could all use a little extra money. College students need cash for pizza. Homeowners could use some assistance for inevitable home repairs. There are, of course, several different ways to make money. You could sell unwanted or unused items on eBay or Craigslist; donate blood or plasma; rent out a bedroom or parking space; or just go out and land a part-time gig.

Getting into the detail

The phone is ringing off the hook and keeping up with the demand is a struggle. Because of the increased business, most contractors consider this the best time of year. They hope to make up for the lost revenue from the previous slow months. They also hope to build a reserve to help carry them through the rest of the year. Some find their profits actually drop during this time of year. Lower profits may not seem to make sense but the reason is simple — your material and labor costs go up faster than your revenue. There is good news; with a little planning and out-of-the-box thinking, you can keep your costs in line with your revenue and see your profits climb. So you negotiated special pricing with your suppliers and you think your material costs are under control, right? Technicians are more likely to run out of truck stock and will go to whoever has the part available, not who can get them the best price. Suppliers are also busy and if the material is going out the door faster than they can get it in, the material you need will be back ordered. Inventory management can be a challenge, but knowing what you normally use year after year can go a long way in controlling material costs. Looking at prior year usage, you can determine if it makes sense to use multiple suppliers on the items that are commonly back ordered.

The right workspace.

Keeping your technicians well stocked will keep your material costs in control. If they work more than 40 hours in a pay period you are required to pay them 50 percent more for each additional hour worked. While many companies charge overtime rates for after-hours calls, most of the calls come in during normal hours and are charged the same rate whether the technician is past the hour mark or not. As a result, you can actually make less money by running more calls. Based on Figure 1 above , running just two additional calls a day, profit drops by 30 percent and you have fewer dollars in the end. Obviously, hiring more people would lower your cost but finding qualified people in normal times is a challenge and virtually impossible this time of year. However, if you are willing to think outside the box, there are things that will help you control labor cost and protect your profits:. Decide at what point you start scheduling calls for future days and stick with it no matter what. Yes, there is a risk that some customers might call other companies, but it is better than working harder and making less money.

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Making money is easy. We crave the lifestyle money provides. Money can be a way to keep score. When trading dollars for hours , the hamster wheel owns you. We start on the education treadmill and when we abandon that time suck, we scurry to jobs to continue c hasing the un-fulfilling carrot. Most can grasp trading wages for passive income. Another camp teaches us to scrimp and save. You should use smart financial planning, but not every doctor, for example, wants to become a real-estate investor—even if it may be lucrative. Regardless of your profession, you have more options than you realize. You see, when I start sharing examples from my business, without some creativity you may immediately write it off as something that will not work for you. This will work for everyone in all professions, but YOU have to think differently than the masses.

Arguments against corporate social responsibility (CSR)

You can do it well, or you can do it badly. Many companies actually spend considerable time and money seeking to influence the formation of public policy in their area of interest. Our company is too busy surviving hard times to do this. Those of us who spend our time marshalling the case for would do well to spend a little time hearing the case against, and considering what should be the response. Make sure you have the right computer for your needs. A lot of attention to details is needed and social skills.

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Mail Carrier 2. Spend money if the expense makes you or your employees more productive. In any case, if shareholders are to be accorded full property rights one would expect to see the balancing feature of responsibility for the actions taken by the enterprises they often fleetingly. When surveys are carried out of the «Most Respected Business Leaders» you will often find names there, such as Bill Gates of Microsoft, a few years ago Jack Welch of GE, who have not achieved their world class status by playing nice. Spend money if the expense makes you or your employees more enthusiastic and more eager to keep pushing through all the startup challenges. Sign in. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Yes 4 No. How are the working hours at Arrive Logistics?

Amidst a Busy Summer, Ensure Your Profit Margins are Legit

If the arguments for a socially responsible approach were widely accepted, nobody would even using the label «CSR» because everyone would be doing it. Those of us who spend our time marshalling the case for would do well to spend a little time hearing the case against, and considering what should be the response. Of course, one of the challenges in considering cases «for» and «against» CSR is the wide variety of definitions of CSR that people use. We assume here we are talking about responsibility in how the company carries out its core function — not simply about companies giving money away to charity.

This is the voice of the laisser-faire s, still being given powerful voice by advocates such as Elaine Sternberg. Sternberg argues that there is a human rights case against CSR, which is that a stakeholder approach to management deprives shareholders of their property rights.

She states that the objectives sought by conventional views cokpanies social responsibility are absurd. Not all aspects of CSR are guilty of this. Sternberg states that ordinary decency, honesty and fairness should be expected of any corporation.

The starting point assumption is that, through CSR, corporations simply get to «give away» money which rightfully belongs to other people. If CSR is seen as a process by which the business manages its relationships with a variety of influential stakeholders who can have a real influence on its licence to operate, the business case becomes immediately apparent. CSR is about building relationships with customers, about attracting and retaining talented staff, about managing risk, and about assuring reputation.

The market capitalisation of a company often far exceeds the «property» value of the company. Only a fool would run risks with a company’s reputation when monwy is so large a part of what the shares represent.

In any case, if shareholders are to be accorded full property rights one buey expect to see the balancing feature of responsibility for the actions taken by the enterprises they often fleetingly. Since most shareholders remain companes unaware of any such responsibility, it can only fall to the management — the «controlling mind» of the company, to take that responsibility on. When surveys are carried out of the «Most Respected Business Leaders» you will often find names there, such as Bill Gates of Microsoft, a few years ago Jack Welch of GE, who have not achieved their world class status by playing nice.

To is still remembered for the brutal downsizing he led his business through, and for the environmental pollution incidents and prosecutions. Microsoft has had one of the highest profile cases of bullying market dominance of recent times — and Gates has been able to achieve the financial status where he can choose to give lots aare money away by being ruthless in business.

Doesn’t that go to prove that «real men don’t do CSR»?! We do not live in a Disney world where virtue is always seen to be rewarded, and that’s a fact. Nevertheless, the picture is not as simple as the above argument makes majing. In the first instance, very few businesses operate in a black or white framework, where they are either wholly virtuous or wholly without redemption.

There are many aspects in the way Jack Welch restructured General Electric which would play to the kind of agenda recognisable to advocates of social responsibility — in particular that of employee empowerment. Welch has gone on record as saying that he believes the time has passed when making a profit and paying taxes was all that a company had to worry.

And since Welch moved on, General Electric has been busy catching up big time with its EcoMagination initiative. Also, many of the leading companies with regard to their social responsibility are equally successful companies.

The same «Most Respected» surveys will usually provide other names at, or near, the top such as IBM and Motorola — and these are companies that have been much more strongly associated with the CSR movement. Coca Cola achieved its place partially because of its profile in social responsibility. When still in charge, Sir John Browne of BP was widely respected as having led BP into a strong position as one of the world’s leading companies whilst also showing environmental leadership.

The events that latterly tarnished that reputation simply show that skill in execution is key to success — but even those events don’t disprove the fact that success in business and commitment to responsibility can go hand in hand. It’s all very well for aree very big companies with lots of resources at their disposal.

For those fighting for survival, it’s a very different picture. You can’t go spending money on unnecessary frills when you’re laying people off and morale is rock. And the odd bit of employee volunteering won’t make any difference to our people when they feel cynical and negative about how the company operates.

Response: Managing your social responsibility is like any other aspect of managing your business. You can do it well, or you can do it badly. If the process of managing social responsibility leads you to take your eye off the ball and stop paying attention to core business, the problem is not that you’re doing it at all — it’s that you’re doing it badly. Well managed CSR supports the business objectives of the company, builds relationships with key stakeholders whose opinion will be most valuable when times are hard, and should reduce business costs and maximise its effectiveness.

Business has traditionally been beyond morality and public policy. We will do what we’re allowed to. We expect governments to provide the legal framework that says what society will put up. There’s no point, for instance, allowing smoking to remain legal — even making large tax receipt from it — and then acting as though tobacco companies are all immediately beyond the pale. If you think it’s so dreadful, you should make it illegal.

If not, then let us get on with the job of meeting the demand out there of adults who can choose for qre. If you consider that of all the institutions which are currently getting more powerful in the world, they are essentially the global players — the multinational corporations and the non-governmental organisations.

The institutions which are decreasing in power and influence are those tied to the jurisdiction of the nation state — governments first and foremost. It is tempting therefore to look towards the multinationals to take a lead in creating solutions for global problems where the governments seem incapable of achieving co-operative solutions. The interest of Unilever in sustainable fisheries comes to mind. However, there is a strong case that says that the democratic deficit created by such a process is too important to ignore.

To whom are the multinational corporations accountable? Outside of that «macro» scale, the argument holds up less. Many companies actually spend considerable time and money seeking to influence the formation of public policy in their area of.

And since that area of interest can range far and wide — from international treaties on climate change, through to domestic policy on health such as that relating bush smoking or transport — the fact is the lobbying activities of companies show that they have a role like it or not.

And if that lobbying has involved blocking legislation that serves a social end purely in order to continue to profit in the bsuy term, then the company is on very dodgy ground. If CSR is simply about obeying the law and paying taxes, then perhaps the above statement is fair comment. If it is about managing the demands and expectations of opinion formers, customers, shareholders, local communities, governments and environmental NGOs — if it is about managing risk and reputation, and investing in community resources on which you later depend — then the argument is a nonsense.

That is not an insignificant figure. And yet, getting out and selling more product somehow remains more attractive for business managers than making more profit through wasting. It will take a long time and a change in fundamental attitudes towards doing business before this one shifts.

In the mean time, keep looking at the evidence. Corporations have their share of things to answer for — but I simply don’t recognise the cynical caricature of business leaders in many of the people I deal with in business today. The fact is that if you’re interested in the real solutions to world poverty or environmental degradation, you have to have some kind of view about how solutions will be. I haven’t yet seen the vision described by the anti-corporatist movement that shows how the problems will be solved by «us» somehow triumphing over «them» — big business.

The solutions to these common problems will either be common solutions or they won’t be solutions. By all means give careful scrutiny to those who wield the most power. But recognise CSR as a business framework which enables the common solution of wealth creation as if people and the environment mattered. Love food and want it to be sustainable? Check out my other blog Delicious and Sustainable. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Home Podcast Blog Speaking. Arguments against corporate social responsibility CSR Some of the most commonly heard arguments against CSR you will hear include: Businesses are owned by their shareholders — buusy spent on CSR by managers is theft of the rightful property of the owners The companies that focus most on CSR are not successful businesses in the marketplace Times are hard — we have to focus on the bottom line in order to survive It’s the responsibility of the government to deal with social benefit, not business Companies don’t care — they only focus on profit, so CSR is just a PR smokescreen Getting into the detail If the arguments for a socially responsible approach were widely nusy, nobody would even using the label «CSR» because everyone would be doing it.

Below are some of the key arguments most often used buwy CSR and some responses. Businesses are owned by their shareholders — money spent on Companiess by managers is theft of the rightful property of the owners This is the voice of the laisser-faire s, still being given powerful voice by advocates such as Elaine Sternberg. The leading companies who report on their social responsibility are basket cases — the most effective business leaders don’t waste time with this stuff.

Our company is too busy surviving hard times to do. We can’t afford to take our eye off the ball — we have to focus on core business. If you don’t believe me, ask yourself if the following statements make sense: Times are hardtherefore it is in my interest to pollute more and run an increased risk of prosecutions and fines, not to mention compabies the attention of environmental pressure groups Times are hardtherefore I can afford to lose some of my most talented people — serving or potential — by erecting barriers on the basis of race, gender, age or sexual orientation.

And it doesn’t matter if employment tribunals occur as a result of my poor employment practices. Times are hardtherefore I need to ignore changing values in my customer base towards socially responsible goods and services.

I can keep making things just the way I always. Times are hardso I can ignore the fact that the local communities around my plant are poor living environments with low education achievement, meaning that my best staff won’t want to live in them and our future staff will need supplementary training in basic skills such as literacy which they should be getting at school.

Our company can be an island of prosperity in a compaanies of deprivation. It’s the responsibility of the politicians to ckmpanies with all this stuff. It’s not our role to get involved Business has traditionally been beyond morality and public policy. I have no time for. I’ve got to get out and sell more buwy make our profit line. Corporations don’t really care — they’re companie out to screw the poor and the environment to make their obscene profits Corporations have their share of things to answer for — but I simply don’t recognise the cynical caricature of business leaders in many of makjng people I deal with in business today.

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Mxking of the top things keeping people from following their dreams is lack of money, and one of the top things keeping people from making money is lack of time. Maing you are looking for extra money on the side, the best thing that will help you is to talk to people you know! Love to paint? People are always looking for cute handmade items. Turn your hobby into a business and make money doing what you love! More often than not, these positions allow you to pick up extra hours if your schedule permits! When people call in sick, businesses call their flex employees to fill in.