FAQ for Publishers-Edge Business Analysis & Consulting
· Questions about Business Analysis and Consulting for your
Newspaper and Shopping Guide
· Questions about Sales Training and Improving Revenues
· Questions about Publishers-Edge Special Section Syndicate
Q: How do you conduct the Business Analysis program?
A: This program begins with an interview of the paper's management team. We will sit down and discuss various aspects of how you are currently conducting business with your customers and with your staff. We will discover problem areas as the management team perceives them. We then proceed to a discussion with key personnel to discover their perception of business practices with customers, business practices with staff, morale of the staff, perceived problem areas and success areas. If the management team wishes, we will also interview some select clients and/or readers of your publication.
The study continues with a look at your communication pipeline. How you communicate goals and objectives with staff members. How you communicate policy or procedure changes. How you determine to make changes. How you conduct regular communication with your staff. How you measure achievement of goals and objectives. What steps you take to position your paper in the community and with your advertising clients. How does your marketing plan and implementation match up with your perception by clients (are you doing what they expect you to do or what you say you are going to do).
The analysis concludes with a report on the results of the study
and recommendations to improve your business operations and
communications. To have Publishers-Edge help your paper contact us
now by e-mail sales@Publishers-Edge.com
Q: How long does it take to conduct the Business Analysis
program?
A: We will probably spend 4 days on site. The report may
take another 4-6 weeks to complete. To have Publishers-Edge help
your paper contact us now by e-mail sales@Publishers-Edge.com
Q: How do you conduct the program to Improve Profits?
A: This program begins with a comprehensive study of your
expense reports, financial statements, procedures, and entire
business operations. We will contact your financial manager and have
them prepare the information and begin the discovery stage. This is
an exhaustive and thorough study of everything you spend money on.
This will require a separate office at your place of business with
access to a computer and the internet and lots of coffee. We will
also need ready access to your financial manager and other members
of your management team from time to time.
The study concludes with a report on the results of the study and
recommendations to reduce costs and improve efficiencies in your
publishing business. The results will have an immediate impact on
your profitability and day-to-day operations.
It is a "performance based fee" with a minimum fee of $5,000 and
a maximum fee of $20,000. We will only charge you 1/12 (one month's
savings) of the annual savings from reasonable cost savings found
from this study. For example, if we find $100,000 in savings the fee
would be $8,333. If we find $10,000 in savings the fee would be the
minimum fee of $5,000. You can see that it is in my best interest to
find you all the savings I can. To have Publishers-Edge help your
paper contact us now by e-mail sales@Publishers-Edge.com
Q: What do you consider "Reasonable Cost Savings" in this study
to Improve Profits?
A: After running papers for 25 years we realize that there are just some costs that can't be cut without leaving a negative effect on the publication and the people who produce every issue. We realize how important it is to produce a high quality product with good people.
"Reasonable cost savings" would be items that can be changed without having an obvious negative effect on the paper and your staff. That doesn't mean that they may not have to do without some things that have "always been there". We will look for unnecessary expenses. We will look for a different way to accomplish a task. We will look at your staff to see if you really need all those people. We will look for a better way to do everything you do.
This is sometimes a sensitive area. There is always a reason to
do things the way you are doing them now. That may not justify
continuing to doing it that way anymore. Today's business
marketplace is competitive. You need to be on the cutting edge of
publishing great products, providing a great place to work and
making a good profit for the owners and investors of your papers. To
have Publishers-Edge help your paper contact us now by e-mail
sales@Publishers-Edge.com
Q: How long does it take to conduct the program to Improve
Profits?
A: We will probably spend 4 to 10 days on site. This
depends upon the size of your business and the amount of information
we have to go through to find the answers. The report may take
another 6-10 weeks to complete. To have Publishers-Edge help your
paper contact us now by e-mail sales@Publishers-Edge.com
Q: Tell me about the Free On-Line Consulting you offer.
A: We don't just go away (unless you want us to) following our visit to your paper. We want your newspaper and shopping guide to be successful and we are going to stand by you and help you move forward. We will provide you with an e-mail address to contact us when you need some advice or when you just need someone to bounce an idea off of. This is an added value service. We offer this free for twelve months following any paid consulting or training session. If you decide to continue the on-line service after one year we charge a small contingency fee. The subjects are unlimited. We may not always have the answer on a topic but we have the resources and experience to find a good solution. With our travel schedule we are easier to contact on-line. To have Publishers-Edge help your paper contact us now by e-mail sales@Publishers-Edge.com