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PTA Fall/Winter Newsletter 2015
Paul Terry & Associates
Paul Terry & Associates (PTA) provides small business management consulting and entrepreneurship training.

PTA helps clients address current challenges, assess new opportunities and plan for business growth. 

Paul Terry, principle of PTA, has consulted with hundreds of diverse small business clients and taught thousands of entrepreneurs how to start, sustain and grow their businesses.

Paul specializes in transition management, helping facilitate partnerships, new joint ventures, and owner exit plans. 

Visit www.paulterry.com for more information.

 

Fall Back and Step Forward

We've adjusted our clocks. The days keep getting shorter, colder and rainier (yes!) as we barrel toward year's end.

This is a busy time for many small business owners. If you have a product or retail business, you are gearing up for increased sales and foot traffic over the holidays. It is a stressful time but also joyful. There can be new opportunities for business expansion and community connection.

The end of the year is also a great time to look back at the year's accomplishments, thinking about successes and pain points.
  • What went well and what could be improved?
  • How did you communicate with employees, contractors or vendors?
  • What operational systems did you manage well...and not so well?
  • What marketing efforts led to more customers, clients and/or revenue?
  • What aspects of the business took a lot of time, with limited financial return?
  • What did you do that was fun and rewarding?
By looking back at the year's business activities as a whole--finances, management, operations and marketing--you can note where increased attention could lead to improved results. It is critical for the health of every small business to look back and plan for the future.

There are lots of great tools out there to help set metrics, assess customer/client satisfaction, and track progress. Yet, it can be hard to make yourself plan when there are so many other things competing for your attention.

That's where PTA comes in. We work with our consulting clients to review and assess current systems, conduct basic management audits, and set realistic and achievable goals. We help clients develop specific action steps to reach those goals and define solid metrics to track progress. Most importantly, we help small business owners stay accountable to their goals so that they can strengthen and grow their businesses.

Check out our recent blog posts for inspiration. And if you need assistance with your own business, contact us for a Business Check-up. We can help you step forward into a successful new year!

Warmest wishes,

Paul 
Copyright © 2015, Paul Terry & Associates All rights reserved.