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"The best investment is in the tools of one's trade" - Benjamin Franklin
FREE Monthly Mini-Courses
Every month, I offer a free on-demand mini-course. These mini-courses are a sample of a few videos from one of my full courses. The mini-courses are available for only one week each month.
The link to each month's mini-course is sent to all the subscribers of my Weekly Insights Newsletter.
Subscribers also get:
I’ll also send occasional updates about ways CFO Perspective can help you improve your business. You can always unsubscribe so there’s no risk to you.
A good tool improves the way you work. A great tool improves the way you think. - Jeff Duntemann
One Page Strategic Plan Worksheet
Small business strategic planning doesn’t have to be complex. The definition of strategic planning is determining where you’re going and how you’re going to get there. It’s the map of where you want your company to go. That’s really all there is to it.
This simple PDF template allows you to quickly define in one page the key items for a strategic plan. Download the template and then read my article titled 4 Simple Steps for an Effective Small Business Strategic Plan to learn more about small business strategic planning and how to fill out the one-page plan.
KPI Dashboard
A Key Performance Indicators (KPI) dashboard provides clarity and accountability to turn goals into action. You get regular information about whether your company is on track to accomplish its goals.
This easy-to-use free template will enable you to track your key metrics. There’s no reason to buy expensive software to track your key metrics. You can create your dashboard in Excel or Google Sheets with this template.
Achieve your goals and monitor your company’s performance with this free key performance metrics dashboard.
You get three template versions:
OKR Template
Objectives and Key Results, also known as OKRs, have become very popular for improving company performance. They have powered success at companies like Google, Intel, and Intuit. My free OKR template for Excel or Google Sheets lets you quickly build your list of objectives and key results. You can then easily monitor your progress toward achieving your goals.
Prioritization Pack
Carefully choosing what you will do is time well spent. When everything is a priority, nothing is a priority. Employees are scrambling to keep up with too many tasks. Everyone is frustrated by the lack of direction. Deadlines are missed.
The Prioritization Pack gives you a head start on using four methods to prioritize your goals and tasks. Check out my blog titled “4 Proven Ways to Prioritize Your Goals and Tasks” to learn about the four methods.
The pack includes instructions for each method. It has fillable PDF forms and Excel workbooks to use as templates and make calculations easier. Download it now for a head start on clarity and focus for you and your team.
Aspirations and Purpose Worksheet
The Aspirations and Purpose worksheet helps you clarify your personal aspirations and business purpose to set the direction for your company.
Many owners chase too many good things without committing to what’s best for them. An old saying is “The person who chases two rabbits catches neither.” Wouldn’t it be better to get the largest amount of what you want the most?
Clarity of purpose produces elegant simplicity. As the saying goes, “When your vision is clear, the decisions are easy.” You aren’t wasting your time, energy, or money.
Price Change Analysis Worksheet
The free price change analysis template shows you whether changing your price will increase or decrease your profits. More importantly, it shows the price or volumes you need to breakeven on your price change. It’s easy to use because it’s based on Microsoft Excel so you can use Excel or Google Sheets for your analysis.
Customer Dreams Worksheet
Common selling wisdom is to sell benefits, not features. People care most about how their life will be better. The features are just proof that your product or service can deliver the benefits. Carmine Gallo, the author of Talk Like TED, summarizes this as “Sell dreams, not products.”
In this worksheet, you’ll identify the dreams of your customers and how you fulfill them. You can then clearly communicate the value you provide to customers.
Sustainable Growth Rate Formula Calculator
Growth can mean opportunity and profits. However, your financial risk increases when you chase too little or too much growth. How fast can you grow? What are the keys to growth? The answers lie hidden in the sustainable growth formula.
This Excel workbook calculates the formula for you. Better yet, it looks at what your sustainable growth rate formula amounts are at varying Return on Equity (ROE) rates and owner distribution rates.
Start Stop Continue Template
Start Stop Continue allows you to identify:
Use this exercise to stop doing things that destroy value to focus on those that provide value.
This fillable PDF template is a quick way to summarize what you should start, stop, and continue based on ideas from you, your customers and your employees.
SWOT Analysis Template for Word and PDF
SWOT analysis is a simple but powerful method to assess your company and competitive environment. This knowledge leads to superior strategic plans.
The SWOT template pack comes with five documents to help you quickly conduct a SWOT analysis.
Business Growth Checklist
Business growth provides many benefits, but you must be ready for growth to capture those benefits. Growth can also come with many drawbacks, especially if you aren’t ready for growth. Business owners are often surprised by some of these drawbacks.
This growth checklist will guide you through the critical questions you must ask to decide whether growth is right for you and whether you are ready for profitable growth
Weekly Insights Newsletter
Sign up for the Weekly Insights newsletter and get:
I’ll also send occasional updates about ways CFO Perspective can help you improve your business. You can always unsubscribe so there’s no risk to you.