The Six Business Principles Every Manager Must Know
The following six concepts are central to business and are the reasons business needs managers:
Value for customers - Organization - Competitive advantage - ControlProfitability -Ethical practices
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SMART BUSINESS OWNERS CREATE MULTI-INCOME
STREAMS THAT LEAD TO FINANCIAL SUCCESS!IGC IS A SUCCESSFUL INCOME STREAM PROVIDING OUR GYMNASTS, COACHES & PARENTS WITH EXPERIENCES OF A LIFETIME AROUND THE WORLD ON ALL COMPETITION LEVELS.IGC OFFICIALS IN USA, SOUTH AFRICA & UK
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BUSINESS PRINCIPLES CONCEPTS CENTRAL TO BUSINESS. 
1. BUSINESS NEED MANAGERS:
2. GYMNASTIC CLUBS MUST HAVE A VALUE FOR YOUR PARENTS & THEIR CHILDREN.  
3. OWNERS MUST HAVE STRONG ORGANIZATION PRACTICES
4. BUSINESS MUST HAVE A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE, A VALUE TO CONTROL, PROFITABILITY.
5. GYMNASTIC CLUBS TEACH GYMNASTICS LESSONS/SKILLS WHICH INCREASES THE CLUBS VALUE BYPROVIDING SERVICES THAT PARENTS WILL PAY FOR       6. BUSINESS MUST HAVE ETHICAL PRACTICES: & BUSINESS CREATE VALUE OF SOME KIND TO EXIST. 
7. VALUE IS WHAT CUSTOMERS PAY FOR. CUSTOMERS BUY/PAY FOR THINGS THEY VALUE.
8. A BUSINESS AND ITS OWNERS/MANAGERS MUST CREATE VALUE FOR CUSTOMERS.THIS CAN BE DONE IN ALMOST LIMITLESS WAYS BECAUSE HUMAN DESIRES ARE LIMITLESS 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------CLUB REGISTRATION CONTRACT SPELLS OUT YOUR CLUBS 
RULES & POLICIES FOR PARENTS & GYMNASTS. 
A CLUB CONTRACTS PREVENTS MISUNDERSTANDINGS. CONTRACTS MUST BE SIGNED, ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THE INDIVIDUAL FULLY UNDERSTANDS & AGREES TO THE RULES & POLICIES. INFORMATION MUST BE SPELLED OUT ON YOUR REGISTRATION FORM. PARENTS’ MUST READ & SIGN THE CONTRACT ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THE INDIVIDUAL UNDERSTANDS/AGREES TO ALL ASPECTS OF THE CONTRACT INCLUDING: REFUNDS, MAKE-UPS, ABSENCE, PAYMENTS, LATE PAYMETS………
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SINGLE BUSINESS CANNOT SERVE LIMITLESS DESIRES INSTEAD, IT MUST CREATE A SPECIFIC VALUE IN A SPECIFIC WAY.THIS IS CALLED “THE VALUE PROPOSITION”THE MANNER IN WHICH A PRODUCT OR COMPANY PROPOSES TO DELIVER VALUE TO  THE CUSTOMERS.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------BUSINESSES MUST BE ORGANIZE ACCORDINGLY: USING ALMOST A MILITARY APPROACH, WITH STRICT HIERARCHIES, SHARPLY DEFINED DUTIES AND FORMAL PROTOCOL. YOU CAN ALSO TAKE A MORE INFORMAL APPROACH, WHICH ALLOWS PEOPLE GREATER LEEWAY AND CREATES A MORE UNSTRUCTURED ENVIRONMENT. THE NATURE OF YOUR BUSINESS CAN DETERMINE HOW STRUCTURED OR UNSTRUCTURED 
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A COMPANY WITH LESS THAN 50 EMPLOYEES USE THE INFORMAL APPROACH. REGARDLESS OF WHICH METHOD AN OWNER DECIDES ON THE MANAGERS MUST KEEP THE BUSINESS ORGANIZED. COMPANIES MUST DO SOMETHING BETTER THAN OTHER COMPANIES IN YOUR BUSINESS. DOING SOMETHING BETTER CREATES A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE.THAT “SOMETHING” MAY BE ONLY ONE ASPECT OF THE SERVICE, AS LONG AS CUSTOMERS VALUE IT HIGHLY.EXAMPLES: OFFER SOMETHING UPON REGISTRATION? CREATE PERKS FOR PARENTS/GYMNASTS FOR THE SEMESTER PAYMENTS YOUR SHOW AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------DESPITE ADVERTISING CLAIMS   NO BUSINESS CAN REALLY PROVIDE BOTH HIGH QUALITY, AND LOW PRICES, AT LEAST NOT FOR LONG. FYI: YOU CAN OFFER THE HIGHEST QUALITY IN A CERTAIN PRICE RANGE, BUT NOT AT THE LOWEST PRICE. OWNERS MUST DECIDE WHETHER IT WANTS TO BE COMPETITIVE ON QUALITY, PRICE OR SERVICE. THINK WHOLE FOODS: CLEAR VALUE & COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE PROVIDING WIDE SELECTION HIGH-QUALITY ORGANIC & NON-ORGANIC PRODUCE, DAILY WITH EXCELLENT SERVICE HIGH PRICE, RELATIVE TO OTHER GROCERY CHAINS.A SINGLE BUSINESS CANNOT SERVE LIMITLESS DESIRES INSTEAD, IT MUST CREATE A SPECIIFIC VALUE IN A SPECIFIC WAY.THIS IS CALLED “THE VALUE PROPOSITION” THE MANNER IN WHICH A PRODUCT OR COMPANY PROPOSES TO DELIVER VALUE TO THE CUSTOMERS.BUSINESSES MUST BE ORGANIZE ACCORDINGLY: USING ALMOST A MILITARY APPROACH, WITH STRICT HIERARCHIES, SHARPLY DEFIND DUTIES, AND FORMAL PROTOCAL. YOU CAN ALSO TAKE A MORE INFORMAL APPROACH, WHICH ALLOWS PEOPLE GREATER LEEWAY AND CREATES A MORE UNSTRUCTURED ENVIRONMENT.THE NATURE OF YOUR BUSINESS CAN DETERMINE HOW STRUCTURED OR UNSTRUCTURED A COMPANY IS. COMPANIES WITH LESS THAN 50 EMPLOYEES USE THE INFORMAL APPROACH. REGARDLESS OF WHICH METHOD AN OWNER DECIDES ON THE MANAGERS MUST KEEP THE BUSINESS ORGANIZED. COMPANIES MUST DO SOMETHING BETTER THAN OTHER COMPANIES IN YOUR BUSINESS. DOING SOMETHING BETTER CREATES A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE.THAT “SOMETHING” MAY BE ONLY ONE ASPECT OF THE SERVICE, AS LONG AS CUSTOMERS VALUE IT HIGHLY.EXAMPLES: OFFER SOMETHING UPON REGISTRATION? CREATE PERKS FOR PARENTS/GYMNASTS FOR THE SEMESTER FAVORATE GYMNASTIC SHOW CAST AT THE END OF THE YEAR.

DESPITE ADVERTISING CLAIMS  NO BUSINESS CAN REALLY PROVIDE BOTH HIGH QUALITY, AND LOW PRICES, AT LEAST NOT FOR LONG. FYI: YOU CAN OFFER THE HIGHEST QUALITY IN A CERTAIN PRICE RANGE, BUT NOT AT THE LOWEST PRICE. OWNERS MUST DECEIDE WHETHER IT WANTS TO BE COMPETITIVE ON QUAITY, PRICE OR SERVICE. THINK WHOLE FOODS: CLEAR VALUE & COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE PROVIDING WIDE SELECTIONHIGH-QUALITY ORGANIC & NON-ORGANIC PRODUCE, DAILYY WITH EXCELLENT SERVICEHIGH PRICE, RELATIVE TO OTHER GROCERY CHAINS.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------BUSINESS PRINCIPLES
1. CONCEPTS CENTRAL TO BUSINESS. BUSINESSES NEED MANAGERS:
2. GYMNASTIC CLUBS MUST HAVE A VALUE FOR YOUR PARENTS & THEIR CHILDEN.
3. OWNERS MUST HAVE STRONG ORGANIZATION PRACTICES
4 BUSINESSES MUST HAVE A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE, A VALUE FOR GYMNASTS, CONTROL, PROFITABILITY.
5. GYMNASTIC CLUBS TEACH GYMNASTICS LESSONS/SKILLS WHICH INCREASES THE CLUBS VALUEBY PROVIDING SERVICES THAT PARENTS WILL PAY FOR.
IGC ETHICAL PRACTICES:
 6. BUSINESSES CREATE VALUE OF SOME KIND TO EXIST. 7. VALUE IS WHAT CUSTOMERS PAY FOR. CUSTOMERS BUY/PAY FOR THINGS THEY VALUE.8. A BUSINESS AND ITS OWNERS/MANAGERS MUST CREATE VALUE FOR CUSTOMERS.THIS CAN BE DONE IN ALMOST LIMITLESS WAYS BECAUSE HUMAN DESIRES ARE LIMITLES.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------BUSINESS A “BIG-BOX” STORE  DOES NOT PRETEND TO BE A LUXURY RETAILER, AND VICE VERSA,BIG BOX STORES COMPETE ON PRICE AND PULL IN BARGAIN HUNTERS.LUXURY STORES COMPETE ON QUALITY AND SERVICE AND ATTRACT CUSTOMERS MOTIVATED BY THOSE CONSIDERATIONS RATHER THAN PRICE CONCERNS. IF A BIG-BOX STORES DISPLAYED DESIGNER CLOTHING AND $400 FOUNTAIN PENS, CUSTOMERS WOULD LAUGH. IF LUXURY STORES DISPLAY DESIGNER COTHING AND $400 FOUNTAIN PENS, CUSTOMERS WILL LAUGH. CUSTOMERS WHO CAN AFFORD-HIGH QUALITY WILL BUY FROM THE HIGH-QUALITY COMPANY;THOSE WANTING LOW PRICES WILL BUY FROM THE LOW-PRICE COMPANIES.. CUSTOMERS CAN FIGURE THIS OUT. CONTROL MEANS NEVER HAVING TO SAY YOU LOST IT AFTER MANAGEMENT DECIDES TO CREATE VALUE.ORGANIZE YOUR BUSINESS, AND ESTABLISH A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE, IT MUST CONTROL THE COMPANY.THIS DOES NOT MEAN RULING WITH AN IRON FIST (ALTHOUGH SOME MANAGERS BELIEVE IT DOES). RATHER, IT MEANS THAT EVERYONE MUST KNOW THE COMPANY’S GOALS AND BE ASSIGNED TASKS THAT WILL MOVE EVERYONE TOWARD THOSE GOALS. IT ALSO MEANS HAVIG THE RIGHT INFORMATION ON THE VARIOUS PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION AND FINANCIAL PROCESSES THOSE THAT ENSURE THAT THE COMPANY PAYS ITS BILLS AND GETS PAID BY CUSTOMERS), AND THAT THE COMPANY COMPILES WITH ALL RELEVANT LAWS AND REGULATIONS.CONTROL ENSURES THAT THE RIGHT MANAGER KNOWS WHAT’S GOING ON AT ALL TIMES. CONTROLS ARE BASED MOSTLY ON INFORMATION.FOR EXAMPLE, EVERY COMPANY NEEDS FINANCIAL CONTROLS.MANAGERS HAVE BUDGETS SO THEY CAN CONTROL THEIR DEPARTMENT’S SPENDING. THEY RECEIVE REGULAR INFORMATION ABOUT THE AMOUNT THEIR DEPARTMENT HAS SPENT AND WHAT IS WAS SPENT ON. FINANCIAL CONTROLS ENSURE THAT THE COMPANY SPENDS SMARTLY.THE CONTROLS ENSURE, RESPECTIVELY, THAT PRODUCT QUALITY IS MAINTAINED, THT THE RIGHT PEOPLE ARE HIRED AT THE RIGHT TIME, AND THAT THE RIGHT MATERIALS ARE PURCHASED AT AREAS ONABLE PRICE. CONTROLS, AND THE INFORMATION AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS THAT SUPPORT THEM, ENABLE MANAGERS TO MANAGE.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A SINGLE BUSINESS CANNOT SERVE LIMITLESS DESIRES INSTEAD, IT MUST CREATE A SPECIIFIC VALUE IN A SPECIFIC WAY.THIS IS CALLED “THE VALUE PROPOSITION” THE MANNER IN WHICH A PRODUCT OR COMPANY PROPOSES TO DELIVER VALUE TO THE CUSTOMERS.
BUSINESSES MUST BE ORGANIZE ACCORDINGLY: USING ALMOST A MILITARY APPROACH, WITH STRICT HIERARCHIES, SHARPLY DEFIND DUTIES, AND FORMAL PROTOCAL. YOU CAN ALSO TAKE A MORE INFORMAL APPROACH, WHICH ALLOWS PEOPLE GREATER LEEWAY AND CREATES A MORE UNSTRUCTURED ENVIRONMENT.THE NATURE OF YOUR BUSINESS CAN DETERMINE HOW STRUCTURED OR UNSTRUCTURED A COMPANY IS. COMPANIES WITH LESS THAN 50 EMPLOYEES USE THE INFORMAL APPROACH. REGARDLESS OF WHICH METHOD AN OWNER DECIDES ON THE MANAGERS MUST KEEP THE BUSINESS ORGANIZED. COMPANIES MUST DO SOMETHING BETTER THAN OTHER COMPANIES IN YOUR BUSINESS. DOING SOMETHING BETTER CREATES A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE.THAT “SOMETHING” MAY BE ONLY ONE ASPECT OF THE SERVICE, AS LONG AS CUSTOMERS VALUE IT HIGHLY.EXAMPLES: OFFER SOMETHING UPON REGISTRATION? CREATE PERKS FOR PARENTS/GYMNASTS FOR THE SEMESTER FAVORATE GYMNASTIC SHOW CAST AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
DESPITE ADVERTISING CLAIMS  
NO BUSINESS CAN REALLY PROVIDE BOTH HIGH QUALITY, AND LOW PRICES, AT LEAST NOT FOR LONG. FYI: YOU CAN OFFER THE HIGHEST QUALITY IN A CERTAIN PRICE RANGE, BUT NOT AT THE LOWEST PRICE. OWNERS MUST DECEIDE WHETHER IT WANTS TO BE COMPETITIVE ON QUAITY, PRICE OR SERVICE. THINK WHOLE FOODS: CLEAR VALUE & COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE PROVIDING WIDE SELECTIONHIGH-QUALITY ORGANIC & NON-ORGANIC PRODUCE, DAILYY WITH EXCELLENT SERVICEHIGH PRICE, RELATIVE TO OTHER GROCERY CHAINS.
BUSINESS PRINCIPLES
1. CONCEPTS CENTRAL TO BUSINESS. BUSINESSES NEED MANAGERS:
2. GYMNASTIC CLUBS MUST HAVE A VALUE FOR YOUR PARENTS & THEIR CHILDEN.
3. OWNERS MUST HAVE STRONG ORGANIZATION PRACTICES
4 BUSINESSES MUST HAVE A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE, A VALUE FOR GYMNASTS, CONTROL, PROFITABILITY.
5. GYMNASTIC CLUBS TEACH GYMNASTICS LESSONS/SKILLS WHICH INCREASES THE CLUBS VALUEBY PROVIDING SERVICES THAT PARENTS WILL PAY FOR

IGC ETHICAL PRACTICES: #12
 6. BUSINESSES CREATE VALUE OF SOME KIND TO EXIST. 
7. VALUE IS WHAT CUSTOMERS PAY FOR. CUSTOMERS BUY/PAY FOR THINGS THEY VALUE.
8. A BUSINESS AND ITS OWNERS/MANAGERS MUST CREATE VALUE FOR CUSTOMERS.
THIS CAN BE DONE IN ALMOST LIMITLESS WAYS BECAUSE HUMAN DESIRES ARE LIMITLESS.

BUSINESS  A “BIG-BOX” STORE  DOES NOT PRETEND TO BE A LUXURY RETAILER, AND VICE VERSA,
BIG BOX STORES COMPETE ON PRICE AND PULL IN BARGAIN HUNTERS.
LUXURY STORES COMPETE ON QUALITY AND SERVICE AND ATTRACT CUSTOMERS MOTIVATED BY THOSE CONSIDERATIONS RATHER THAN PRICE CONCERNS. IF A BIG-BOX STORES DISPLAYED DESIGNER CLOTHING AND $400 FOUNTAIN PENS, CUSTOMERS WOULD LAUGH. IF LUXURY STORES DISPLAY DESIGNER COTHING AND $400 FOUNTAIN PENS, CUSTOMERS WILL LAUGH. CUSTOMERS WHO CAN AFFORD-HIGH QUALITY WILL BUY FROM THE HIGH-QUALITY COMPANY;
THOSE WANTING LOW PRICES WILL BUY FROM THE LOW-PRICE COMPANIES.. CUSTOMERS CAN FIGURE THIS OUT. CONTROL MEANS NEVER HAVING TO SAY YOU LOST IT AFTER MANAGEMENT DECIDES TO CREATE VALUE.ORGANIZE YOUR BUSINESS, AND ESTABLISH A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE, IT MUST CONTROL THE COMPANY.THIS DOES NOT MEAN RULING WITH AN IRON FIST (ALTHOUGH SOME MANAGERS BELIEVE IT DOES). RATHER, IT MEANS THAT EVERYONE MUST KNOW THE COMPANY’S GOALS AND BE ASSIGNED TASKS THAT WILL MOVE EVERYONE TOWARD THOSE GOALS. IT ALSO MEANS HAVIG THE RIGHT INFORMATION ON THE VARIOUS PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION AND FINANCIAL PROCESSES THOSE THAT ENSURE THAT THE COMPANY PAYS ITS BILLS AND GETS PAID BY CUSTOMERS), AND THAT THE COMPANY COMPILES WITH ALL RELEVANT LAWS AND REGULATIONS.
CONTROL ENSURES THAT THE RIGHT MANAGER KNOWS WHAT’S GOING ON AT ALL TIMES. 
CONTROLS ARE BASED MOSTLY ON INFORMATION.FOR EXAMPLE, EVERY COMPANY NEEDS FINANCIAL CONTROLS.MANAGERS HAVE BUDGETS SO THEY CAN CONTROL THEIR DEPARTMENT’S SPENDING. THEY RECEIVE REGULAR INFORMATION ABOUT THE AMOUNT THEIR DEPARTMENT HAS SPENT AND WHAT IS WAS SPENT ON. FINANCIAL CONTROLS ENSURE THAT THE COMPANY SPENDS SMARTLY.
THE CONTROLS ENSURE, RESPECTIVELY, THAT PRODUCT QUALITY IS MAINTAINED, THT THE RIGHT PEOPLE ARE HIRED AT THE RIGHT TIME, AND THAT THE RIGHT MATERIALS ARE PURCHASED AT AREAS ONABLE PRICE. CONTROLS, AND THE INFORMATION AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS THAT SUPPORT THEM, ENABLE MANAGERS TO MANAGE.
IGC LINKS
1. A SINGLE BUSINESS CANNOT SERVE LIMITLESS DESIRES INSTEAD, IT MUST CREATE A SPECIIFIC VALUE IN A SPECIFIC WAY.THIS IS CALLED “THE VALUE PROPOSITION” THE MANNER IN WHICH A PRODUCT OR COMPANY PROPOSES TO DELIVER VALUE TO THE CUSTOMERS.
BUSINESSES MUST BE ORGANIZE ACCORDINGLY: USING ALMOST A MILITARY APPROACH, WITH STRICT HIERARCHIES, SHARPLY DEFIND DUTIES, AND FORMAL PROTOCAL. YOU CAN ALSO TAKE A MORE INFORMAL APPROACH, WHICH ALLOWS PEOPLE GREATER LEEWAY AND CREATES A MORE UNSTRUCTURED ENVIRONMENT.THE NATURE OF YOUR BUSINESS CAN DETERMINE HOW STRUCTURED OR UNSTRUCTURED A COMPANY IS. COMPANIES WITH LESS THAN 50 EMPLOYEES USE THE INFORMAL APPROACH. REGARDLESS OF WHICH METHOD AN OWNER DECIDES ON THE MANAGERS MUST KEEP THE BUSINESS ORGANIZED. COMPANIES MUST DO SOMETHING BETTER THAN OTHER COMPANIES IN YOUR BUSINESS. DOING SOMETHING BETTER CREATES A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE.THAT “SOMETHING” MAY BE ONLY ONE ASPECT OF THE SERVICE, AS LONG AS CUSTOMERS VALUE IT HIGHLY.EXAMPLES: OFFER SOMETHING UPON REGISTRATION? CREATE PERKS FOR PARENTS/GYMNASTS FOR THE SEMESTER FAVORATE GYMNASTIC SHOW CAST AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
DESPITE ADVERTISING CLAIMS  NO BUSINESS CAN REALLY PROVIDE BOTH HIGH QUALITY, AND LOW PRICES, AT LEAST NOT FOR LONG. FYI: YOU CAN OFFER THE HIGHEST QUALITY IN A CERTAIN PRICE RANGE, BUT NOT AT THE LOWEST PRICE. OWNERS MUST DECEIDE WHETHER IT WANTS TO BE COMPETITIVE ON QUAITY, PRICE OR SERVICE. THINK WHOLE FOODS: CLEAR VALUE & COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE PROVIDING WIDE SELECTIONHIGH-QUALITY ORGANIC & NON-ORGANIC PRODUCE, DAILYY 2 BUSINESS PRINCIPLES
1. CONCEPTS CENTRAL TO BUSINESS. BUSINESSES NEED MANAGERS:
2. GYMNASTIC CLUBS MUST HAVE A VALUE FOR YOUR PARENTS & THEIR CHILDEN.
3. OWNERS MUST HAVE STRONG ORGANIZATION PRACTICES
4 BUSINESSES MUST HAVE A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE, A VALUE FOR GYMNASTS, CONTROL, PROFITABILITY. 5. GYMNASTIC CLUBS TEACH GYMNASTICS LESSONS/SKILLS WHICH INCREASES THE CLUBS VALUE BY PROVIDING SERVICES THAT PARENTS WILL PAY FOR
IGC ETHICAL PRACTICES: 
2.BUSINESSES CREATE VALUE OF SOME KIND TO EXIST. 
3.VALUE IS WHAT CUSTOMERS PAY FOR. CUSTOMERS BUY/PAY FOR THINGS THEY VALUE.
4.A BUSINESS AND ITS OWNERS/MANAGERS MUST CREATE VALUE FOR CUSTOMERS.
THIS CAN BE DONE IN ALMOST LIMITLESS WAYS BECAUSE HUMAN DESIRES ARE LIMITLESS.
BUSINESS A “BIG-BOX” STORE  DOES NOT PRETEND TO BE A LUXURY RETAILER, AND VICE VERSA,BIG BOX STORES COMPETE ON PRICE AND PULL IN BARGAIN HUNTERS.LUXURY STORES COMPETE ON QUALITY AND SERVICE AND ATTRACT CUSTOMERS MOTIVATED BY THOSE CONSIDERATIONS RATHER THAN PRICE CONCERNS. IF A BIG-BOX STORES DISPLAYED DESIGNER CLOTHING AND $400 FOUNTAIN PENS, CUSTOMERS WOULD LAUGH. IF LUXURY STORES DISPLAY DESIGNER COTHING AND $400 FOUNTAIN PENS, CUSTOMERS WILL LAUGH. CUSTOMERS WHO CAN AFFORD-HIGH QUALITY WILL BUY FROM THE HIGH-QUALITY COMPANY; THOSE WANTING LOW PRICES WILL BUY FROM THE LOW-PRICE COMPANIES.. CUSTOMERS CAN FIGURE THIS OUT. CONTROL MEANS NEVER HAVING TO SAY YOU LOST IT AFTER MANAGEMENT DECIDES TO CREATE VALUE.ORGANIZE YOUR BUSINESS, AND ESTABLISH A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE, IT MUST CONTROL THE COMPANY.THIS DOES NOT MEAN RULING WITH AN IRON FIST (ALTHOUGH SOME MANAGERS BELIEVE IT DOES). RATHER, IT MEANS THAT EVERYONE MUST KNOW THE COMPANY’S GOALS AND BE ASSIGNED TASKS THAT WILL MOVE EVERYONE TOWARD THOSE GOALS. IT ALSO MEANS HAVIG THE RIGHT INFORMATION ON THE VARIOUS PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION AND FINANCIAL PROCESSES THOSE THAT ENSURE THAT THE COMPANY PAYS ITS BILLS AND GETS PAID BY CUSTOMERS), AND THAT THE COMPANY COMPILES WITH ALL RELEVANT LAWS AND REGULATIONS.CONTROL ENSURES THAT THE RIGHT MANAGER KNOWS WHAT’S GOING ON AT ALL TIMES. CONTROLS ARE BASED MOSTLY ON INFORMATION.FOR EXAMPLE, EVERY COMPANY NEEDS FINANCIAL CONTROLS.MANAGERS HAVE BUDGETS SO THEY CAN CONTROL THEIR DEPARTMENT’S SPENDING. THEY RECEIVE REGULAR INFORMATION ABOUT THE AMOUNT THEIR DEPARTMENT HAS SPENT AND WHAT IS WAS SPENT ON. FINANCIAL CONTROLS ENSURE THAT THE COMPANY SPENDS SMARTLY.THE CONTROLS ENSURE, RESPECTIVELY, THAT PRODUCT QUALITY IS MAINTAINED, THT THE RIGHT PEOPLE ARE HIRED AT THE RIGHT TIME, AND THAT THE RIGHT MATERIALS ARE PURCHASED AT AREAS ONABLE PRICE. CONTROLS, AND THE INFORMATION AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS THAT SUPPORT THEM, ENABLE MANAGERS TO MANAGE.
CLUB REGISTRATION CONTRACT SPELLIS OUT YOUR CLUBS RULES & POLICIES FOR PARENTS & GYMNASTS. A CLUB CONTRACTS PREVENTS MISUNDERSTANDINGS. CONTRACTS MUST BE SIGNED, ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THE INDIVIDUAL FULLY UNDERSTANDS & AGREES TO THE RULES & POLICIES. INFORMATION TO BE SPELLED OUT ON YOUR REGISTRATION FORM. PARENTS RESPONSIBILITIES SUCH AS: TIMELY PAYMENTS, STUDENT ABSENCE, MISSED CLASSES ……PARENTS’ MUST READ & SIGN THE CONTRACT ACKNOLEDGING THAT THE INDIVIUAL UNDERSTANDS/AGREES TO ALL ASPECTS OF THE CONTRACT INCLUDING: REFUNDS, MAKE-UPS, ABSENCE, PAYMENTS, LATE PAYMETS.IT’S ALL ABOUT PROFITABILITY. THE PURPOSE OF A BUSINESS IS TO MAKE MONEY! MONEY IS WHAT YOUR BUSINESS EARNS. IT CAN BE MEASURED IN VARIOUS WAYS. NO MATTER HOW IT IS MEASURED. A BUSINESS HAS TO MAKE MONEY, EARN A PROFIT ON ITS OPERATIONS! GOAL OF YOUR BUSINESS:  TO TAKE IN MORE MONEY FOR YOUR SERVICE THAN THE BUSINESS SPENDS = A PROFIT. NO PROFIT: YOUR BUSINESS IS RUNNING AT A LOSS. LOSSES CANNOT CONTINUE OVER LONG PERIODS OF TIME WITHOUT GOING BANKRUPT!
1. CONCEPTS CENTRAL TO BUSINESS. BUSINESSES NEED MANAGERS:
2. GYMNASTIC CLUBS MUST HAVE A VALUE FOR YOUR PARENTS & THEIR CHILDEN. 
3. OWNERS MUST HAVE STRONG ORGANIZATION PRACTICES
4 BUSINESSES MUST HAVE A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE, A VALUE FOR GYMNASTS, CONTROL, PROFITABILITY.
5. GYMNASTIC CLUBS TEACH GYMNASTICS LESSONS/SKILLS WHICH INCREASES THE CLUBS VALUE BY PROVIDING SERVICES THAT PARENTS WILL PAY FOR.
ETHICAL PRACTICES: 
1. BUSINESSES CREATE VALUE OF SOME KIND TO EXIST. VALUE IS WHAT CUSTOMERS PAY FOR. CUSTOMERS BUY/PAY FOR THINGS THEY VALUE.
2. A BUSINESS AND ITS OWNERS/MANAGERS MUST CREATE VALUE FOR CUSTOMERS. 
THIS CAN BE DONE IN ALMOST LIMITLESS WAYS BECAUSE HUMAN DESIRES ARE LIMITLESS.
A SINGLE BUSINESS CANNOT SERVE LIMITLESS DESIRES. 
INSTEAD, IT MUST CREATE A SPECIIFIC VALUE IN A SPECIFIC WAY.THIS IS CALLED “THE VALUE PROPOSITION” THE MANNER IN WHICH A PRODUCT OR COMPANY PROPOSES TO DELIVER VALUE TO THE CUSTOMERS. BUSINESSES MUST BE ORGANIZE ACCORDINGLY: USING ALMOST A MILITARY APPROACH, WITH STRICT HIERARCHIES, SHARPLY DEFIND DUTIES, AND FORMAL PROTOCAL.YOU CAN ALSO TAKE A MORE INFORMAL APPROACH, WHICH ALLOWS PEOPLE GREATER LEEWAY AND CREATES A MORE UNSTRUCTURED ENVIRONMENT. THE NATURE OF YOUR BUSINESS CAN DETERMINE HOW STRUCTURED OR UNSTRUCTURED A COMPANY IS.COMPANIES WITH LESS THAN 50 EMPLOYEES USE THE INFORMAL APPROACH. REGARDLESS OF WHICH METHOD AN OWNER DECIDES ON THE MANAGERS MUST KEEP THE BUSINESS ORGANIZED. COMPANIES MUST DO SOMETHING BETTER THAN OTHER COMPANIES IN YOUR BUSINESS. DOING SOMETHING BETTER CREATES A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE. THAT “SOMETHING” MAY BE ONLY ONE ASPECT OF THE SERVICE, AS LONG AS CUSTOMERS VALUE IT HIGHLY.EXAMPLES: OFFERING SOMETHING UPON REGISTRATION? CREATE PERKS FOR PARENTS/GYMNASTS FORTHE SEMESTER. THE GYMNASTIC SHOW CAST AT THE END OF THE YEAR IS A GOOD ONE…….., DESPITE ADVERTISING CLAIMS NO BUSINESS CAN REALLY PROVIDE BOTH HIGH QUALITY, AND LOW PRICES, AT LEAST NOT FOR LONG. FYI: YOU CAN OFFER THE HIGHEST QUALITY IN A CERTAIN PRICE RANGE, BUT NOT AT THE LOWEST PRICE. OWNERS MUST DECEIDE WHETHER IT WANTS TO BE COMPETITIVE ON QUAITY, PRICE OR SERVICE. THINK WHOLE FOODS: CLEAR VALUE & COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE PROVIDING WIDE SELECTION HIGH-QUALITY ORGANIC & NON-ORGANIC PRODUCE, DAILYY WITH EXCELLENT SERVICEHIGH PRICE, RELATIVE TO OTHER GROCERY CHAINS.
BUSINESS #13 A “BIG-BOX” STORE  DOES NOT PRETEND TO BE A LUXURY RETAILER, AND VICE VERSA,BIG BOX STORES COMPETE ON PRICE AND PULL IN BARGAIN HUNTERS.LUXURY STORES COMPETE ON QUALITY AND SERVICE AND ATTRACT CUSTOMERS MOTIVATED BY THOSE CONSIDERATIONS RATHER THAN PRICE CONCERNS. IF A BIG-BOX STORES DISPLAYED DESIGNER CLOTHING AND $400 FOUNTAIN PENS, CUSTOMERS WOULD LAUGH. IF LUXURY STORES DISPLAY DESIGNER COTHING AND $400 FOUNTAIN PENS, CUSTOMERS WILL LAUGH. CUSTOMERS WHO CAN AFFORD-HIGH QUALITY WILL BUY FROM THE HIGH-QUALITY COMPANY; THOSE WANTING LOW PRICES WILL BUY FROM THE LOW-PRICE COMPANIES.. CUSTOMERS CAN FIGURE THIS OUT. STARBUCKS: ATTRACTIVE CAFES, ADDICTIVE COFFEE, & HOSPITALITY AT HIGH PRICE.CONTROL MEANS NEVER HAVING TO SAY YOU LOST IT AFTER MANAGEMENT DECIDES TO CREATE VALUE.ORGANIZE YOUR  BUSINESS, AND ESTABLISH A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE, IT MUST CONTROL THE COMPANY.THIS DOES NOT MEAN RULING WITH AN IRON FIST (ALTHOUGH SOME MANAGERS BELIEVE IT DOES).RATHER, IT MEANS THAT EVERYONE MUST KNOW THE COMPANY’S GOALS AND BE ASSIGNED TASKS THAT WILL MOVE EVERYONE TOWARD THOSE GOALS. IT ALSO MEANS HAVIG THE RIGHT INFORMATION ON THE VARIOUS PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION AND FINANCIAL PROCESSES THOSE THAT ENSURE THAT THE COMPANY PAYS ITS BILLS AND GETS PAID BY CUSTOMERS), AND THAT THE COMPANY COMPILES WITH ALL RELEVANT LAWS AND REGULATIONS.CONTROL ENSURES THAT THE RIGHT MANAGER KNOWS WHAT’S GOING ON AT ALL TIMES. CONTROLS ARE BASED MOSTLY ON INFORMATION. FOR EXAMPLE, EVERY COMPANY NEEDS FINANCIAL CONTROLS. MANAGERS HAVE BUDGETS SO THEY CAN CONTROL THEIR DEPARTMENT’S SPENDING. THEY RECEIVE REGULAR INFORMATION ABOUT THE AMOUNT THEIR DEPARTMENT HAS SPENT AND WHAT IS WAS SPENT ON.FINANCIAL CONTROLS ENSURE THAT THE COMPANY SPENDS SMARTLY. THE CONTROLS ENSURE, RESPECTIVELY, THAT PRODUCT QUALITY IS MAINTAINED, THT THE RIGHT PEOPLE ARE HIRED AT THE RIGHT TIME, AND THAT THE RIGHT MATERIALS ARE PURCHASED AT AREAS ONABLE PRICE. CONTROL
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IGC HEAD TAX ASSED TO ENTRY FEES: $3.00 LOCAL COMPETITIONS, $4.00 STATE & REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS.
IGC MEMBERSHIP SUPPORT:
COACHES & OFFICIALS RULES & POLICY CLINICS: $25.00 INCLUDES RULE & POLICY BOOK.
IGC INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS HELDUK, SOUTH TRICA, GERMANY, INDIA 
Mandatory 100% Employee Background Check. Staff Names Posted On Our IGC Website
CLUB REGISTRATION INCLUDES: ENTIRE CLUB STAFF 18+ YEAR OLDS. NO INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP FEE
100% STAFF MUST HAVE A CURRENT BACKGROUND CHECK. NAMES POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE.
FREE SANCTIONS: HOST CLUBS KEEP ALL ENTRY FEES.
IGC COLLECTS A HEAD TAX:  $4.00 PER GYMNAST IN HOUSE.  $3.00 PER GYMNASTS OFF SITE FACILITIES SUPPORTING OUR STATE, REGIONAL, NATIONAL & WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP COMPETITIONS. MONTHLY MEMBERSHIP NEWSLETTERS      IGC NO PAID EMPLOYEES

USAIGC-IAIGC BUSINESS FIRST!
OWNERS set the Example of Ethical and Honest Behavior for your Employees to follow. This means working within the Rules of your Organization, not breaking the law, and treating people fairly and honestly. People make Ethical Choices on the Job Every Day IGC Mandatory 100% Club Background Check Names Posted on our Website 
Free CLUB Website Posting.  Free Competition Sanctions* Host Clubs Keep All Fees* *IGC Head Tax Per Gymnast. 
Being a Club Owner is not a part time Job. Your major responsibility is your business operation. Ownership is about priorities and sound business practices. For a Business to succeed it MUST have an Intelligent Business Plan that creates a profit yielding business! A Business cannot run on love alone. Passion is important but it's all about income and expenses  
Taxes: Get a handle on Taxes. We all hate to do them, but you should know what it’s all about. Even if using an Accountant. Tax Basics: the amount that you or your business will pay in annual taxes depends on several factors: Legal Form of your business. How much money it made during the year, what your expenses were, how sharp your accountant is.How Much you personally know about the tax system:
Deductions: You can deduct "ordinary and necessary"
Business expenses to reduce your taxable income: travel, inventory, labor costs. Loopholes, Entertainment Expenses = 50%- any activity that relates to your Business. Keep: Good Records and Receipts to provide that the expenses were actually related to Business. Write whom you were with on the Receipt before filing it away. 
TRAVEL, AUTOMOBILE, BUSINESS LOSES, The Necessary Tools for Club Owners
Business Owners must create a Value Driven Business. Value is what drives every successful business. 
Define the value of your business, as well as your Business Goals and Objectives. The Success Of any Business Revolves Around Three Components: 
Income: money received for providing services and goods.
Expenses: the costs incurred in providing those services and goods.
PROFITS: the financial gain that is the difference between the amount earned and the amount spent in buying, operating, producing or providing something.
Success is BY Developing Strong, Successful Business Practices, Income Streams, Educational Programs & OUR International Competitive Gymnastic Program which should help gymnasts select an IGC Club that provides an opportunity to compete around the World.
Educational Planning: Staff Lesson Plans, Professional Development, Workshops.
Staff that Understands Child Development, Motor Skills, any skills associated with
Pre-School Children that Have Educational Value
A Club Owner can ONLY Increase Business by providing “Strong Educationally sound Programs "THAT" HAVEA VALUE FOR OUR STUDENTS AND PROVIDE A MEANINGFUL EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES. 
THIS IS WHAT WILL GROW YOUR BUSINESS. NOT LEVELS & SCORES
MISSION STAREMENT: An explanation of why your organization exists and the path it will take to achieve its vision. Mission statements are typically shorter than a vision statement but not always and are organization specific. This statement describes what the organization is passionate about and why it exists. To facilitate the mission statement process. Brainstorm your mission statement. The Mentality of trying to put a club out of business is senseless
GOOD BUSINESES SURVIVE. BAD BUSINESSES FAIL.
Compensation Hand book great resource to add to your library!
Employee Compensation based on the Experience they Provide To Our Gymnasts. At the end of the day, it is the customer who pays salaries. Employees compensated based on their ability to meet customer requirements. Use customer satisfaction data. to 
Managing YOUR Business: High Ethical Standards -honesty-integrity-impartiality-fairness. Loyalty-dedication-responsibility, accountability. Set the Example for your Staff. Evaluate circumstances through the appropriate filters: such as culture, laws, policies, circumstances, relationships, politics, perception emotions, values, bas and religion. 
Ethical behavior starts with each person. As an Employee Just because someone else is doing something that’s unethical (mortally wrong) or illegal (legally wrong). Doesn’t mean that you should do it too. When you believe ethically what-ever your position within an organization, others will follow your example and behave ethically, too. And, if you practice ethical conduct, it will reenforce and perhaps improve your own ethical standards. 
Developing a Strategic Plan Write a Vision Statement: 
2-3 sentences. The goal is to give your business a mental picture of what your business hopes to become or what the organization hopes to achieve. As an owner you must understand where your business is going before you can develop a strategic plan for how to get there. The value of a vision statement is that is gives leadership and employees a shared goal. Example:  ABC Dry Cleaners will be the premier professional laundry of the metropolitan area by providing unmatched customer service and cleaning services that exceed the competition.” determine.  Effective Compensation Strategy
Managing YOUR Business High Ethical Standards -honesty-integrity-impartiality -fairness
Loyalty-dedication-responsibility -accountability. Setting the example for Others
Evaluate circumstances through the appropriate filters. Filters include things such as culture, laws, policies, circumstances, relationships, politics, perception emotions, values, bas and religion Ethical behavior starts with each person.  just because someone else is doing something that’s unethical (mortally wrong) or illegal (legally wrong)- Doesn’t mean that you should do it too.  When you believe ethically what-ever your position within an organization. Others will follow your example and behave ethically, too. And, if you practice ethical conduct, it will reenforce and perhaps improve your own ethical standards.  As A Leader, It’s Up to You to Set A Good Example of Ethical and Honest Behavior For your Employees to Follow. This Means Working within The Rules of Your Organization, not breaking the law, and treating people fairly and Honestly. People make Ethical Choices on the Job Every Day- How Do You Make Yours.
Staff MUST EXCEL adding to those special touches to create a memorable experience for all gymnasts. You want your parents to promote your business to family and friends by talking about the great experience. Those consumers who sustain and grow businesses
Customer Service and Quality of Service. This is the most important area for business owners. Why? A Loyal customer base is important because it is those consumers who sustain and grow businesses. Organizations that understand the importance of happy customers, need to think strategy in order to build a loyal customer base. Successful organizations have learned that there is a difference between attracting customers, keeping customers and developing loyal customers. Devoted customers are not only loyal to the organization, but also serve as advocates and help to solicit new customers by sharing their positive experiences. We can all relate to a good service experience.  The question becomes, was that experience good enough for us to tell others about it!
Organizations that understand the importance of happy customers, need to think strategy
in order to build a loyal customer base.Successful organizations have learned that there is a difference between attracting customers, keeping customers and developing loyal customers. Devoted customers are not only loyal to the organization, but also serve as advocates and help to solicit new customers by sharing their positive experiences. We can all relate to a good service experience. The question becomes, was that experience good enough for us to tell others about it?  Staff MUST EXCEL adding to those special touches to create a memorable experience for all gymnasts. You want your parents to promote your business to family and friends by talking about the great experience their children have in your program.
Improve Your Cash Flow Cash Flow is nothing more than the net result of the money that comes into your organization. Suggestions Below Will Help You Better Manage Your Money.
Manage Your Accounts Receivable. If you are not keeping a close eye on your accounts receivable, you’re missing a terrific opportunity to improve your cash flow and the health of your business. No matter how much you love your customers – and businesses do love their customers, some of them invariably don’t understand how important it is that you they pay their bills on time. A day or two late usually isn’t a big deal. A month or two always is a big deal. As soon as customers get in the habit of paying latte, getting them to pay on time can be almost impossible. You must identify your late payers as soon as you can and then take steps to get them to pay promptly.
Spell Out All Payment Policies so Parents Fully Understand them and Include your
Refund Policies: Late Payments Makeups, Give Payment Discounts For Payment in Full For: ½ OR Term Full Semester. Something that the parent feels is a GOOD DEAL! NO REFUNDS on Semester Programs.
-Follow Up On Late Payments. By Note. By E-Mail or Snail Mail or Phone.
Do Not Let A Parent Go Longer Than 30 Days – IF That Long. 
Keep Track of Expenses: Reduce the Amount Of Money That Flows Out Of Your Organization By Managing Your Expenses. Spend Money When You Absolutely Have To. Sometimes New Purchases Can Be Held Off. 
Do Project Cash Inflows and match them with your cash Outflows. 
Project Cash Inflow with Outflow.
Spend Money You Absolutely Have To.Protect Cash Inflows T0 Match with Outflows. Spend Money Only When You Have To And Match That Up With Your Cash Out flows=Amount Of Your Income Stream Determines Payments.
Managing Your Accounts Receivable If you are not keeping a close eye on your accounts receivable, you’re missing a terrific opportunity to improve your cash flow and the health of your business. No matter how much you love your customers – and businesses do love their customers, some of them invariably don’t understand how important it is that they pay their bills on time. A day or two late usually isn’t a big deal. A month or two always is a big deal. As soon as customers get in the habit of paying late, getting them to pay on time can be almost impossible. You must identify your late payers as soon as you can and then take steps to get them to pay promptly. Spell Out All Payment Policies So Parents Fully Understand them. 
Include Refund Policies, Late Payments, Makeups
Give Payment Discounts For in Full or Half Term Semester Payments. Give Something that the parent feel is a GOOD DEAL!      NO REFUNDS on Semester Programs.   Follow Up on Late Payments with Note, E-Mail, Snail Mail or Phone.
Do Not Let A Parent Go Longer Than 30 Days – IF That Long.  KEEP TRACK OF EXPENSES
Reduce the Amount of Money That Flows Out Of Your Organization By Managing Your Expenses. Spend Money When You Absolutely Have To. Sometimes New Purchases Can Be Held Off. Do You Project Cash Inflows and Match Them with Your Cash Outflows? Project Cash Inflow with Cash Outflow?  You MUST Protect Cash Inflows to Match With Outflows.  Spend Money Only When You Have to Match That Up with Your Cash Outflows. The Amount Of Your Income Stream Determines Payments.
6 Things You Can Do To Influence Customer Loyalty
1. Solicit Customer Feedback.  A great customer experience is what brings consumers back. The only way to know how a customer perceived an experience is to ask them. Solicit customer feedback and make sure that customer satisfaction is one of the critical success factors or your organization. Feedback can come from surveys. Share data with all levels of the organization. All should be aware of customer requirements as compared to customer feedback. Help employees understand the requirements and how the feedback tells the experience story. These efforts result in satisfied customers and satisfied customers can turn into loyal customers. Customer feedback should be interpreted and used to develop strategy. This strategy should then be used to develop organizational business goals that are used to determine employee goals. Goals should be based on meeting and exceeding customer requirements. Employees should be held accountable for performance that supports customer satisfaction.
2. Customer Service Business Systems and processes are how services are provided: Customer Complaints and issues that may arise. The goal of quickly addressing customer issues and complaints done right, service recovery programs can turn an angry customer into a loyal one!
3. Process Improvement: Broken processes have a direct impact on the customer experience.  A structured quality management program can help develop solutions to systemic problems that affect the customer experiences. This is done by continually trying to improve the way products and services are delivered to the customer.
Use quality tools to create flow charts of the current process, then work to eliminate steps in the process that don’t add value to the customer.4. Employees need to understand the importance of providing a great service experience. Managing for a great client experience should be incorporated into the day-to-day operational processes of the organization. What this means is training and holding employees accountable for adhering to established customer service standards.5. Owners should Coach Employees on appropriate behaviors. Employees Compensation Based On The Experience They Provide To Our Gymnasts. At the end of the day, it is the customer who pays salaries. Employees compensated based on their ability to meet customer requirements. Use customer satisfaction data to determine. Effective Compensation Strategy
6.There should be measures in place to assess employee influence on customer satisfaction. Scores that should also be reflected in the annual performance appraisals. Example, an organization should have customer satisfaction goals that are tied to performance pay. If the organization meets those goals it is reflected in the annual merit increase
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10 Steps To Creating And Managing A Small Business Budget
1. Strategic Plan Every organization, no matter the size should know why it exists and what it hopes to accomplish. This is articulated through a written 
Vision and Mission Statement. A Strategic Plan is HOW the organization plans to achieve its mission. The first step in the budgeting process is having a written strategic plan.  This ensures that organizational resources are used to support the strategy and development of the organization.
Simply put – budget toward the vision.
2. Business Goals Annual business goals are the steps an organization takes to implement its strategic plan and it is these goals that need to be funded by the budget. Goals need to be developed and there needs to be accountability for achieving goals. This is typically the responsibility of the management team, board, or business owner. The budget provides the financial resources to achieve goals .For example, if your organization has outgrown its facility, and there is an objective to increase space, there must be dollars budgeted to expand or move business operations.
3. Revenue Projections Revenue projections should be based on historical financial performance, as well as projected growth income. The projected growth may be tied to organizational goals and planned initiatives that will initiate business growth. For example, if there is a goal to increase sales by 10%, those sales projections should be part of the year’s revenue projections.
4. Fixed Cost Projections Projecting fixed costs is simply a matter of looking at the monthly predictable costs that do not change. Employee compensation costs, facility expenses, utility costs, mortgage or rent payments, insurance costs, etc. Fixed costs do not change and are a minimal expense that needs to be funded in the budget. For example, if there are open staff positions, the cost to fill those positions should be part of fixed cost projections.
5. Variable Cost Projections Variable costs are costs that fluctuate from month to month, supply costs, overtime costs, etc. These are expenses that can and should be budgeted and controlled. For example, if higher Christmas sales drive overtime costs temporarily, those costs should be budgeted.
6. Annual Goal Expenses Goal related projects should also be given budgets.
Each initiative should have projected costs associated with the goals. This is where the cost of implementing goa ls are incorporated into the annual budget. Projections of costs should be identified, laid out, and incorporated into the departmental budget responsible for completing the goal. For example, if the sales department aims to increase sales by 10%, costs associated with the increased sales (additional marketing materials, travel, entertainment) should be incorporated into that budget.
7. Target Profit Margin Every organization, whether they are for-profit or not-for-profit, should have a targeted profit margin.  Profit margins allow for returns for the business owner or investors.  Not-for-profit organizations use their profit margins to reinvest into the facilities and development of the organization.  Profits are important for all organizations, and healthy profit margins are a strong indicator of an organization’s strength.
8. Board Approval The governing board, president, owner, or head of the organization should approve the budget and keep current with budget performance.  
Again, similar to your personal finances, the owner should be reviewing monthly financial statements for the following reasons.To monitor budget performance. To be familiar with all expenditures.
To safeguard the organization against misappropriation of funds or employee fraud.
9. Budget ReviewA budget review committee should meet monthly to monitor performance against goals. This committee should review budget variances and assess issues associated with budget overages. It is important to do this every month, so there can be a correction to overspending or modify the budget if needed. Waiting until the end of the year to make corrections could hurt the final budget outcome.
10. Dealing With Budget Variances
Budget variances should be reviewed with the responsible department manager, and questions should be raised as to what caused the variance.Sometimes unforeseen situations arise that cannot be avoided, so it is also important (just like your personal budget) to have an emergency fund to help with those
unplanned expenditures.For example, if the HVAC system suddenly goes down and needs to be replaced, this would be a budget variance that needs to be funded.
Good budgeting processes can help develop and advance an organization, while sloppy budgeting and monitoring budgets can blindside an organization and affect its long-term financial health and viability. finally, without customers, there are no revenues to the budget.  For this reason, strategic plans and budgets should be targeted at one thing and one thing only – the customer. This is why it is imperative to identify who your customers are, find out what they want, and budget dollars to put systems and processes in place to meet their needs and exceed their expectations. Isn’t that what we are all trying to do?If you would like to learn about budgeting for a small business, I love the Dummy books, Small Business Financial Management Kit For Dummies might be a great reference for you!
Budget Allocation. The strategy should include the organization’s approach to allocating compensation dollars into salary and benefits. This budget allocation will determine how much of the total compensation budget will be spent on salary and what percentage will be spent on benefits and other incentives. For example, for a budget of $1000 for compensation, if 90% is salary and 10% is benefits, you need to determine how that 10% is spent – one scenario might be – 7% on health benefits, 2% on retirement savings and 1% on tuition reimbursement. Allocating specific budget dollars to pay and benefits can help control labor, health care, and other miscellaneous benefit costs.
Develop Salary Ranges Develop salary ranges to ensure employee pay is competitive with other organizations.  To be competitive, it is important to benchmark similar jobs within the same industry and to create a pay structure. Salary ranges can be developed internally by conducting research or utilizing sites like salary.com or payscale.com to determine average salaries in a particular geographic area. Smaller organizations often pay a vendor to help develop salary ranges, whereas larger organizations may have the HR resources to conduct the research internally. Regardless, it is important to look at all jobs and determine what work is done, how the job is slotted, and establish salary ranges that match all job descriptions.
Salary Audits Markets change, therefore it is important to perform routine salary audits to ensure salary ranges reflect current compensation trends in a particular industry. When performing an audit, the goal is to determine how competitive are those particular jobs and what is the external market demanding. Ask the question, is it a growing or dying profession? It is important to pay attention to market changes and to stay current because failing to keep up with the competition can lead to the loss of valuable employees.--------Benefit Package: Many organizations use benefit packages, in addition to salary, to attract and retain employees. Their goal is to be competitive with health, retirement, tuition reimbursement and other benefits because they understand that it can be the determining factor for a job candidate who is deciding whether to accept a position with an organization, or an employee who is considering leaving. For instance, I know employees who have stayed with organizations because the benefits were too good to walk away from.
Performance Management System. It is important to have a structured performance management process to ensure employees are meeting corporate objectives and are assessed on a regular basis. This process should include the development of annual goals, annual performance appraisals, and a structured process for coaching and mentoring employees. Compensation strategies can positively influence employee engagement and improve employee productivity.
Legal Compliance A well-defined compensation strategy will incorporate legal requirements to ensure the organization is in compliance with all federal and state laws. The goal is to eliminate natural biases made in hiring decisions and ensure compliance with DOL FLSA laws such as minimum wage, overtime pay, or Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay.
Structured Administration Structure is important. Develop an annual review process, salary audit, raise process timeline, and make sure someone is responsible for all compensation areas. A comprehensive compensation strategy can be the foundation for creating an environment that recognizes and rewards employee performance and helps to establish a strong culture of employee engagement.
Organizations are only as successful as their approach to hiring the right people, setting clear expectations, managing performance, and recognizing and rewarding employees for a job well  done.
Compensation Handbook might be additional help for you and a great resource to add to your library
DOLLARS & CENTS! LOYAL CUSTOMERS.  Impact of a loyal Customer/Gymnast Program.  Monthly Payment vs. Package Program. Let's look at the Restaurant Business and apply the procedures for or Club Owners.
Fill in your number$ Restaurant: A Customer who frequents 6 times a year contributes $300 ($50 X 6 visits) to the bottom line. A customer comes 52 times a year (once a week!) at $50 each visit, could be worth $2,600!
Now imagine threw in some extra special occasion visits (when they bring a a friend for gymnastics vs. parents or clients to a restaurant and you can gain significant dollars to your bottom line! 
Build Customer Loyalty!!!  Customer Service A loyal customer base is important because it is those consumers who sustain and grow your businesses. Organizations that understand the importance of happy customers, need to think strategy in order to build a loyal customer base.  Successful organizations have learned that there is a difference between attracting customers, keeping customers and developing loyal customers.
Devoted customers are not only loyal to the organization, but also serve as advocates and help to solicit new customers by sharing their positive experiences. We can all relate to a good service experience.  The question becomes, was the experience you provide good enough for us to tell others about it? Think of a special restaurant that you go to. The staff is excellent and they add those special touches to create a memorable experience. That is the kind of organization that I would tell my family and friends about because I want them to have the same great experience.
Dollars and Cents of a Loyal Customer APPLY TO A GYMNASTIC CLUB/PARENTS" 
If you wonder about the impact of a loyal customer, look at this example A customer who frequents a restaurant
6 times a year may contribute $300 ($50 X 6 visits) to the bottom line. But a loyal customer that comes in once a week can be much more! Imagine that customer comes 52 times a year at $50 each visit, that customer could be worth $2,600! Now ,imagine if you threw in some extra special occasion visits (when they bring the kids, parents or clients) and you can gain significant dollars to your bottom line! Just something to think about.
LOYAL CUSTOMERS. DOLLARS & CENTS! Impact of a loyal Customer/Gymnast in the restaurant/club business
Monthly Payment vs. Package Class Program. Club Owners Fill in your number$
Restaurant breakdown: A Customer who frequents 6 times a year contributes $300 ($50 X 6 visits) to the bottom line. A customer comes 52 times a year (once a week!) at $50 each visit, could be worth $2,600! Now imagine if you threw in some extra special occasion visits (when they bring a a friend for gymnastics vs. parents or clients to a restaurant and you can gain significant dollars to your bottom line! 
Build Customer Loyalty!!!Customer Service: A loyal customer base is important because it is those consumers who sustain and grow businesses. Organizations that understand the importance of happy customers, need to think strategy in order to build a loyal customer base. Successful organizations have learned that there is a difference between attracting customers, keeping customers and developing loyal customers. Devoted customers are not only loyal to the organization, but also serve as advocates and help to solicit new customers by sharing their positive experiences. We can all relate to a good service experience. The question becomes, was the experience you provide good enough for us to tell others about it? Think of a special restaurant that you go to. The staff is excellent and they add those special touches to create a memorable experience. That is the kind of organization that I would tell my family and friends about because I want them to have the same great experience.
The Dollars and Cents of a Loyal Customer – Think Gymnastic Parents
If you wonder about the impact of a loyal customer, look at this example. A customer who frequents a restaurant 6 times a year may contribute $300 ($50 X 6 visits) to your bottom line. But a loyal customer that comes in once a week can be much more! Imagine that customer comes 52 times a year at $50 each visit, that customer could be worth $2,600! Now imagine if you threw in some extra special occasion visits (when they bring the kids, parents or clients) and you can gain significant dollars to your bottom line! Just something to think about.
1. Budget Allocation. The strategy should include the organization’s approach to allocating compensation dollars into salary and benefits. This budget allocation will determine how much of the total compensation budget will be spent on salary and what percentage will be spent on benefits and other incentives. For example, for a budget of $1000 for compensation, if 90% is salary and 10% is benefits, you need to determine how that 10% is spent – one scenario might be – 7% on health benefits, 2% on retirement savings and 1% on tuition reimbursement. Allocating specific budget dollars to pay and benefits can help control labor, health care, and other miscellaneous benefit costs.
2.  Develop Salary Ranges Develop salary ranges to ensure employee pay is competitive with other organizations.  To be competitive, it is important to benchmark similar jobs within the same industry and to create a pay structure. Salary ranges can be developed internally by conducting research or utilizing sites like salary.com or payscale.com to determine average salaries in a particular geographic area. Smaller organizations often pay a vendor to help develop salary ranges, whereas larger organizations may have the HR resources to conduct the research internally. Regardless, it is important to look at all jobs and determine what work is done, how the job is slotted, and establish salary ranges that match all job descriptions.
3.  Salary Audits Markets change, therefore it is important to perform routine salary audits to ensure salary ranges reflect current compensation trends in a particular industry. When performing an audit, the goal is to determine how competitive are those particular jobs and what is the external market demanding. Ask the question, is it a growing or dying profession? It is important to pay attention to market changes and to stay current because failing to keep up with the competition can lead to the loss of valuable employees.--------
4.  Benefit Package: Many organizations use benefit packages, in addition to salary, to attract and retain employees. Their goal is to be competitive with health, retirement, tuition reimbursement and other benefits because they understand that it can be the determining factor for a job candidate who is deciding whether to accept a position with an organization, or an employee who is considering leaving. For instance, I know employees who have stayed with organizations because the benefits were too good to walk away from.
5.  Performance Management System. It is important to have a structured performance management process to ensure employees are meeting corporate objectives and are assessed on a regular basis.
This process should include the development of annual goals, annual performance appraisals, and a structured process for coaching and mentoring employees. Compensation strategies can positively influence employee engagement and improve employee productivity.
6.  Legal Compliance A well-defined compensation strategy will incorporate legal requirements to ensure the organization is in compliance with all federal and state laws. The goal is to eliminate natural biases made in hiring decisions and ensure compliance with DOL FLSA laws such as minimum wage, overtime pay, or Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay.
7.  Structured Administration Structure is important. Develop an annual review process, salary audit, raise process timeline, and make sure someone is responsible for all compensation areas. A comprehensive compensation strategy can be the foundation for creating an environment that recognizes and rewards employee performance and helps to establish a strong culture of employee engagement. Organizations are only as successful as their approach to hiring the right people, setting clear expectations, managing performance, and recognizing and rewarding employees for a job well done.
Compensation Handbook might be additional help for you and a great resource to add to your library!
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11 Mistakes Business Owners Make1.  Don’t have a defined mission, vision, and values statement. Every organization should spend time clarifying why it exists and what it hopes to accomplish. This is done by spending the time to articulate and write a mission, vision, and values statement It doesn’t matter if it is the dry cleaner, neighborhood restaurant, or Gymnastic Club. Every organization needs to have an articulated focus that provides a shared direction for decision making and employee performance. 2.  Fail to plan. Strategy and planning is critical to the success of any organization. Whether large or small, every business needs a plan. This involves taking time at least once a year to review strategy and goals and make sure the organization moves in the direction initially intended. There is an old saying, “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. ”  There is a lot of truth in that statement!3. Don’t write goals. Goals are how plans are achieved, and if goals are not developed, written down with assigned accountability, they will be difficult to accomplish. Business Goals should be written as part of the overall organizational strategy, and each goal should have someone assigned to them with very specific timeline expectations. 4. Don’t create an operating budget. Budgeting is something that should be done once a year and used to fund the plan and goals.  Organizations that don’t budget can be successful. Organizations that don’t budget can be successful.  However, the budgeting process determines how resources are managed and help to achieve targeted growth because budget dollars are allocated to only those things that improve and grow the business.5.  Don’t hold people accountable.
When goals are written, it is essential to assign responsibility for completing them. When organizations don’t hold people accountable for completing goals and performing basic job responsibilities, they are mismanaging the organization’s resources. When employees are on the payroll and aren’t held accountable for their job responsibilities, they are, in essence, taking money out of the organizational coffer without providing value in return.
Managing employee performance is critical to the success of all organizations – and employee JOB DESCRIPTIONS and goals are the first steps in that process.6.  Don’t anticipate market changes. The last couple of years has been a hard lesson for many organizations. Things can change quickly, and the market can shift seemingly overnight. It is essential to keep an eye on changing trends in things like technology, customer requirements, or financial viability. It is easy to get distracted with the day-to-day job tasks and lose sight of rapid market change. Make sure you keep a pulse on your industry and try to see what new trends are on the horizon.  Talk to your customers and learn from them.7.  Don’t take the time to understand customer requirements. Customers pay the bills, so organizations need to figure out what the customer   wants and put systems and processes in place to meet their needs. One way to better understand what the customer wants is to survey them. There are lots of survey software available. All too often, organizations build products and services based on what they “think’ the customer wants.  Talk to customers, survey them and continuously try to learn about changing expectations. This is an essential step in growing a solid customer base.8.  Don’t consider employees to be their most important customer group. Employees are among the most important customer groups because they are the organization’s hands and feet. And, when businesses don’t put employee-friendly policies and processes in place, they are risking alienating those individuals that interact with their customers. When employees are given clear job expectations, the tools, and training to do their job and are rewarded for performing well, they are more likely to be happy at work, which directly affects the customer experiences.  Every organization should work to improve employee engagement and create environments that employees can thrive in and enjoy.9.  Don’t communicate with employees and customers. Communication, or lack thereof, is a universal problem in most organizations.  There can never be too much communication, and successful organizations have structured processes to manage communication with both employees and customers. Creating transparent organizations that continually share information results in customer loyalty as well as an environment that employees enjoy working in.10.  Don’t continuously look for ways To improve. Continuous improvement is how organizations develop and enhance products and services.  The process by which those products and services are delivered should always be reviewed to identify improvement opportunities. Whether it is a process to manufacture a product or a process of delivering a service to the customer, looking for ways to continuously improve is important. 11.  Don’t celebrate successes. Many organizations get so bogged down with the daily grind that they forget to stop and acknowledge how far they’ve come.  Celebrating successes not only recognizes progress but also encourages employees and improves engagement. Running and growing a small business is a challenging endeavor. However, organizations that strive to create systems and processes that routinely look at how the organization is performing, identify ways to improve how things are done while planning to improve the employee and customer experience will ultimately 
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Managing YOUR Business High Ethical Standards -honesty-integrity-impartiality -fairness-Loyalty-dedication-responsibility -accountability -Setting the Example for Others-Evaluate circumstances through the appropriate filters. Filters include things such as culture, laws, policies, circumstances, relationships, politics, perception emotions, values, Bias and religion Ethical behavior starts with each person. just because someone else is doing something that’s unethical (mortally wrong) or illegal (legally wrong) Doesn’t mean that you should do too. When you believe ethically what-ever your position within an organization, others will follow your example and behave ethically, too. And, if you practice ethical conduct, it will reenforce and perhaps improve your own ethical standards. As A Leader, It’s Up to You to Set A Good Example of Ethical and Honest Behavior For Your Employees to Follow.
This Means Working within The Rules of Your Organization, not breaking the law, and treating people fairly and Honestly. People make Ethical Choices On The Job Every Day- How Do You Make Yours?
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What Should Merit Raises Be Based On? Justification for a merit increase is important because of the financial investment the pay increase represents.  Merit increases can have a significant impact on an organization’s payroll cost over the span of perhaps decades that an employee works for an organization. For example, let’s say you have two employees and each makes $10 per hour.  Employee A receives a merit increase of 2% and employee B receives a 5% pay increase.  The 2% increase is equivalent to $416 for the year and 5% equals $1040 for the year – more than double.  Multiply that times ten years and the employee who receives the higher increase will cost the organization much more over that 10  year period of time. Now let’s say employee A gets 2% a year every year for ten years and the employee B gets 5% every year for ten years and this is what it looks like: As you can see employee B, who received the 5% increases over the course of ten years, cost the organization $42,392 more than employee A.  Now do the math for the higher earners in your organization and the difference can be staggering.  This is why it is so important to have a structured performance management process that helps to control costs and justifies merit increases for those employees who perform well. Managing employee performance can help to control biases associated with managing employees and provides the framework for rewarding strong performers while identifying poor performers.
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Merit Pay Increase Based On: performance appraisal document is a key tool used in assessing performance.  
When employees are scored on dimensions of performance, and those scores are tied to percentage increases, good performers get rewarded with a higher percentage of the pot. Scoring the performance appraisal form  and then tying the scores to raise distribution is an objective way to ensure your best performers are receiving a higher percentage of allocated raise dollars. Ok, let’s look at the performance appraisal document again and see the dimension scores and look at this example: Let’s say there are 7 dimensions that are being scored and for dimension one the employee received a score of 3, dimension two a score of 3, dimension three a score of 4, and so on.

Dimension one       Score = 3          Dimension two        Score = 3
Dimension three     Score = 4          Dimension four       Score = 3
Dimension five       Score = 5           Dimension six        Score = 3
Dimension Seven    Score = 4    Total score =   25
What you want to do is total the scores.  In this particular example if you add up the dimension scores you get a total score of 25 out of a possible 35 (7 dimensions X 5 points).  Now if you take that score of 25 and divide it by 7 (the number of dimensions) you get an average score of 3.5 – (25/7 = 3.5).   This is the score that will determine the employee’s percentage merit increase.  Next, you want to do this on all of your employees and come up with a list of average scores. Ok, we’ve got the scores but how do you tie those scores to raises? Let’s go through an example.  Let’s say (for the sake of easy math) that you have:
11 employees each making $10/hour you budgeted 3.5% for raises which generates a pool of merit increase dollars of $8,008 (.035X$228,800). The $228,800 comes from 11 employees X 2080 hours X $10/hour = a salary budget of $228,800. Lets also say that you have determined that the average performance appraisal scores (3.0) will receive a 3.5% increase – and those scoring below average will receive less, those scoring above will receive more. Now let’s look at what this might look like: As you can see from the example below, there are 11 employees listed, a,b,c,etc.  The next column shows their average scores as well as an overall average score for all employees.  Now in the next column, you can see the percent increase that was awarded to each employee based on the predetermined criteria. Some employees received as low as 2% increase and the higher performers received as high as 4.5% increase which translates into a raise of $416 for the poor performers but more than twice as much, $936 for the higher performing employees.  Now if you total what all of these increases add up to, you’ll see that these pay increases will cost the organization $8,008 which ends up being exactly what was budgeted $8008. This is an oversimplified example to demonstrate how this can be done.  Obviously when there are dozens or even hundreds of employees this scenario would look much different. It is common for larger organizations to allocate the raise percentages to the individual department and allow managers to award raises specifically to their own area. Another thing to remember is the importance of organizational culture and communicating organizational culture and    clearly with all employees about their raise increases. The higher performers should be aware that they received a higher per-centage but the lower performers should also be told that they received less because of their performance scores.  This should serve as an encouragement for the good performers and possibly a wake-up call for the under performers and lastly, it doesn’t matter how high the raise percentage is, most employees don’t think it’s enough and that is just something you need to be aware of and not get overly concerned with.  Statistics show most people don’t think they are paid for what they think they are worth and that organizations have unlimited resources for salaries – we know that’s not true
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Advantages and Disadvantages of Performance Appraisals Employees, as well as managers, often question why organizations do employee performance appraisals. Anyone who has ever been on the receiving end of a performance appraisal could argue why they perceive it to be ineffective and a complete waste of time. Employees often feel unjustly assessed, and managers often go through a forced annual process to comply with job expectations. This doesn’t make it easy for either party. What that exactly is a performance appraisal? A performance appraisal is an evaluation done on an employee’s job performance over a specific period of time. It is the equivalent of a report card on an employee and how their manager assessed their performance over the prior year. Anyone who has worked in more than one department or at more than one organization can attest to the fact that not all performance appraisal processes are the same. The varying systems and processes are all over the map. Unfortunately, some are done so poorly that they are not only designed to fail, but also to create a negative experience for both the manager as well as the employee. So why do organizations do performance appraisals? There are many varying opinions on the subject of performance appraisals and why they are done. Some organizations do performance appraisals because they feel obligated to do them – because everyone else does. Other organizations do performance appraisals to make sure they have a piece of paper in the employee’s file – in case they ever need to do corrective action 
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A Good A Leader/OWNER  Will DO Any of These 5 Thing Engaged employees are 17% more productive and 21% more profitable. Engaged employees are your strongest asset. In times of disruption, this is even more true. Engaged employees consistently outperform their colleagues by solving new problems, innovating, and creating new customers. Engaged employees are 17% more productive and 21% more profitable. companies prioritize engaging employees to create sustained growth. Make sure you have a workforce that isn't distracted can be difficult to achieve, but it must be core to your business strategy to remain competitive. Here are a few ways to do it in the coronavirus age.
-Maintain clear and consistent communication
During this time of upheaval, employees have more on their mind than day-to-day activities, which can cause them to lose focus. To keep them grounded at work, maintain a constant and open line of communication -- whether through regular updates over email or Slack, or semi-regular town hall meetings. This allows employees to keep productivity high and reassures them during an uncertain period. Connect with employees & parents Laurie Schultz, President & CEO of Galvanize, kept a CEO diary that she shared daily with employees for the first three months of the outbreak. In the diary, she detailed her perspective on the business landscape as well as anecdotes about how the outbreak was affecting her personally. For example, Schultz shared in one entry, "As terrible as this situation is, I do find myself feeling very bonded with the world as we unite together to do the right thing." Schultz said, "People want to feel safe and secure. Daily, authentic and human communication allows you to build trust -- reassuring people through regular check-ins -- rather than having them fill in the blanks."
3. Upskill your employees Successful upskilling, or reskilling, focuses on innovation and is seen as both a technology and human capital investment. PwC's U.S. and Global Advisory Leader, shared, "When it comes to innovation it can't come from just leadership, it comes from everybody." A few key areas to up skill employees include relevant emerging technologies, investing platforms, and the cloud. "This enables companies to deliver a better digital experience to customers and ensure employees have the ability to use these newly-implemented platforms to drive true value," Also recommended looking into new technologies for training, like virtual reality, which was found to improve employees confidence in new skills by 340%  4. Lead with empathy Unhealthy stress can wreak havoc on everyone, inhibit productivity, and lead to detached employees. "When an employee is showing signs that they're struggling in some way, the best thing a manager can do is encourage them to discuss any fears or concerns, empathize with what they're experiencing and help them outline what needs to be done to address the challenges head-on," said Billie Hartless CHRO of Mitll . "This is what good humans do for each other and it strengthens the employee-manager relationship, which is essential to fostering long-term engagement and high performance," Heartless said. Redeploy your workforce to give customers more value Redeploying your workforce is one way to engage employees. Yet you need to be strategic in how you do this. For instance, you should focus on redeploying employees to give more value to your customers. "The first step is determining how value is defined for each customer." For instance, is value related to lower cost? Is it related to a more holistic set of services or better experience? When value is defined, decisions can be made to positively impact customers and deploy talent in areas that will drive change in specific areas and for the organization as a whole. "By following these tips to engage your workforce, you can improve the productivity and profitability of your organization. Though it can be tough with a distributed workforce, the key is to come back to providing consistent communication, improving manager engagement, and offering new opportunities to learn. And always remember to put your people before profit. As Schultz shared, "Our focus has been on employees first, customer retention second, and then financials on the belief that the first two will lead to success on the financial front." A Good A Leader Will DO Any of These 5 Things: Engaged employees are 17% more productive and 21% more profitable. Engaged employees consistently are your strongest asset. In times of disruption, this is even more true. Engaged employees consistently outperform   their colleagues by solving new problems, innovating, and creating new customers. Engaged employees are 17% more productive and 21% more profitable. companies prioritize engaging employees to create sustained growth. Make sure you have a workforce that isn't distracted can be difficult to achieve, but it must be core to your business strategy to remain competitive. Here are a few ways to do it in the coronavirus age.
1. Maintain clear and consistent communication During this time of upheaval, employees have more on their mind than day-to-day activities, which can cause them to lose focus. To keep them grounded at work, maintain a constant and open line of communication -- whether through regular updates over email or Slack, or semi-regular town hall meetings. This allows employees to keep productivity high and reassures them during an uncertain period.
2. Create connection with employees & parents Laurie Schultz, President & CEO of GALVANIZE kept a CEO diary that she shared daily with employees for the first three months of the outbreak. In the diary, she detailed her perspective on the business landscape as well as anecdotes about how the outbreak was affecting her personally. For example, Schultz shared in one entry, "As terrible as this situation is, I do find myself feeling very bonded with the world as we unite together to do the right thing." Schultz said, "People want to feel safe and secure. Daily, authentic and human communication allows you to build trust -- reassuring people through regular check-ins -- rather than having them fill in the blanks." 3. Up-skill your employees Successful up-skilling, or re-skilling, focuses on innovation and is seen as both a technology and human capital investment. PwC's U.S. and Global Advisory Leader, shared, "When it comes to innovation it can't come from just leadership, it comes from everybody." A few key areas to up-skill employees include relevant emerging technologies, investing platforms, and the cloud. "This enables companies to deliver a better digital experience to customers and ensure employees have the ability to use these newly-implemented platforms to drive true value," Kande also recommended looking into new technologies for training, like virtual reality, which was found to improve employees confidence in new skills by 340%  
4. Lead with empath Unhealthy stress can wreak havoc on everyone, inhibit productivity, and lead to detached employees. "When an employee is showing signs that they're struggling in some way, the best thing a manager can do is encourage them to discuss any fears or concerns, empathize with what they're experiencing and help them outline what needs to be done to address the challenges head-on," said Billie Hartless CHRO of Mitel  
This is what good humans do for each other and it strengthens the employee-manager relationship, which is essential to fostering long-term engagement and high performance,". Redeploying your workforce is one way to engage employees. Yet you need to be strategic in how you do this. For instance, you should focus on redeploying employees to give more value to your customers. "The first step is determining how value is defined for each customer." For instance, is value related to lower cost? Is it related to a more holistic set of services or better experience? When value is defined, decisions can be made to positively impact customers and deploy talent in areas that will drive change in specific areas and for the organization as a whole. "By following these tips to engage your workforce, you can improve the productivity and profitability of your organization. Though it can be tough with a distributed workforce, the key is to come back to providing consistent communication, improving manager engagement, and offering new opportunities to learn and always remember to put your people before profit. As Schultz shared, "Our focus has been on employees first, customer retention second, and then financials on the belief that the first two will lead to success on the financial front."
1.Budget Allocation. The strategy should include the organization’s approach to allocating compensation dollars into salary and benefits. This budget allocation will determine how much of the total compensation budget will be spent on salary and what percentage will be spent on benefits and other incentives. For example, for a budget of $1000 for compensation, if 90% is salary and 10% is benefits, you need to determine how that 10% is spent – one scenario might be – 7% on health benefits, 2% on retirement savings and 1% on tuition reimbursement. Allocating specific budget dollars to pay and benefits can help control labor, health care, and other miscellaneous benefit costs.
2.  Develop Salary Ranges Develop salary ranges to ensure employee pay is competitive with other organizations.  To be competitive, it is important to benchmark similar jobs within the same industry and to create a pay structure. Salary ranges can be developed internally by conducting research or utilizing sites like salary.com or payscale.com to determine average salaries in a particular geographic area. Smaller organizations often pay a vendor to help develop salary ranges, whereas larger organizations may have the HR resources to conduct the research internally. Regardless, it is important to look at all jobs and determine what work is done, how the job is slotted, and establish salary ranges that match all job descriptions.
3.  Salary Audits Markets change, therefore it is important to perform routine salary audits to ensure salary ranges reflect current compensation trends in a particular industry. When performing an audit, the goal is to determine how competitive are those particular jobs and what is the external market demanding. Ask the question, is it a growing or dying profession? It is important to pay attention to market changes and to stay current because failing to keep up with the competition can lead to the loss of valuable employees.--------
4.  Benefit Package: Many organizations use benefit packages, in addition to salary, to attract and retain employees. Their goal is to be competitive with health, retirement, tuition reimbursement and other benefits because they understand that it can be the determining factor for a job candidate who is deciding whether to accept a position with an organization, or an employee who is considering leaving. For instance, I know employees who have stayed with organizations because the benefits were too good to walk away from.
5.  Performance Management System. It is important to have a structured performance management process to ensure employees are meeting corporate objectives and are assessed on a regular basis.
This process should include the development of annual goals, annual performance appraisals, and a structured process for coaching and mentoring employees.Compensation strategies can positively influence employee engagement and improve employee productivity.
6.  Legal Compliance A well-defined compensation strategy will incorporate legal requirements to ensure the organization is in compliance with all federal and state laws.
The goal is to eliminate natural biases made in hiring decisions and ensure compliance with DOL FLSA laws such as minimum wage, overtime pay, or Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay.
7.  Structured Administration Structure is important. Develop an annual review process, salary audit, raise process timeline, and make sure someone is responsible for all compensation areas. A comprehensive compensation strategy can be the foundation for creating an environment that recognizes and rewards employee performance and helps to establish a strong culture of employee engagement.
Organizations are only as successful as their approach to hiring the right people, setting clear expectations, managing performance, and recognizing and rewarding employees for a job well done. The Compensation Handbook might be additional help for you and a great resource to add to your library!
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What Should Merit Raises Be Based On? Justification for a merit increase is important because of the financial investment the pay increase represents.  Merit increases can have a significant impact on an organization’s payroll cost over the span of perhaps decades that an employee works for an organization. For example, let’s say you have two employees and each makes $10 per hour.  Employee A receives a merit increase of 2% and employee B receives a 5% pay increase.  The 2% increase is equivalent to $416 for the year and 5% equals $1040 for the year – more than double.  Multiply that times ten years and the employee who receives the higher increase will cost the organization much more over that ten-year period of time. Now let’s say employee A gets 2% a year every year for ten years and the employee B gets 5% every year for ten years and this is what it looks like:
As you can see employee B, who received the 5% increases over the course of ten years, cost the organization $42,392 more than employee A.  Now do the math for the higher earners in your organization and the difference can be staggering.  This is why it is so important to have a structured performance management  process that helps to control costs and justifies merit increases for those employees who perform well.
Managing employee performance can help to control biases associated with managing employees and provides the
framework for rewarding strong performers while identifying poor performers.
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MERIT RAISES BASED ON: A performance appraisal document is a key tool used in assessing performance.  When employees are scored on dimensions of performance, and those scores are tied to percentage increases, good performers get rewarded with a higher percentage of the pot. Scoring the performance appraisal FORM and then tying the scores to raise distribution is an objective way to ensure your best performers are receiving a higher percentage of allocated raise dollars. Ok, let’s look at the performance appraisal document again and see the dimension scores and look at this example: Let’s say there are 7 dimensions that are being scored and for dimension one the employee received a score of 3, dimension two a score of 3, dimension three a score of 4, and so on.
Dimension one         Score = 3          Dimension two         Score = 3
Dimension three       Score = 4          Dimension four        Score = 3
Dimension five         Score = 5          Dimension six         Score = 3
Dimension Seven      Score =             Total score =   25
What you want to do is total the scores.  In this particular example if you add up the dimension scores you get a total score of 25 out of a possible 35 (7 dimensions X 5 points). Now if you take that score of 25 and divide it by 7 (the number of dimensions) you get an average score of 3.5 – (25/7 = 3.5).   This is the score that will determine the employee’s percentage merit increase.  Next, you want to do this on all of your employees and come up with a list of average scores. Ok, we’ve got the scores but how do you tie those scores to raises? Let’s go through an example.  Let’s say (for the sake of easy math) that you have:
-11 employees each making $10/hour
you budgeted 3.5% for raises which generates a pool of merit increase dollars of $8,008 (.035X$228,800). The $228,800 comes from 11 employees X 2080 hours X $10/hour = a salary budget of $228,800.
Now let’s also say that you have determined that the average performance appraisal scores (3.0) will receive a 3.5% increase – and those scoring below average will receive less, those scoring above will receive more. Now let’s look at what this might look like: As you can see from the example below, there are 11 employees listed, a, b, c, etc.  The next column shows their average scores as well as an overall average score for all employees.  Now in the next column, you can see the percent increase that was awarded to each employee based on the predetermined criteria. Some employees received as low as 2% increase and the higher performers received as high as 4.5% increase which translates into a raise of $416 for the poor performers but more than twice as much, $936 for the higher performing employees.  Now if you total what all of these increases add up to, you’ll see that these pay increases will cost the organization $8,008 which ends up being exactly what was budgeted $8008.This is an oversimplified example to demonstrate how this can be done.  Obviously when there are dozens or even hundreds of employees this scenario would look much different. It is common for larger organizations to allocate the raise percentages to the individual department and allow managers to award raises specifically to their own area. Another thing to remember is the importance of organizational culture and communicating clearly with all employees about their raise increases. The higher performers should be aware that they received a higher per-centage but the lower performers should also be told that they received less because of their performance scores.  This should serve as an encouragement for the good performers and possibly a wake-up call for the under performers. And lastly, it doesn’t matter how high the raise percentage is, most employees don’t think it’s enough and that is just something you need to be aware of and not get overly concerned with.  Statistics show most people don’t think they are paid for what they think they are worth and that organizations have unlimited resources for salaries – we know that’s not true
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Advantages and Disadvantages of Performance Appraisals Employees, as well as managers, often question why organizations do employee performance appraisals Anyone who has ever been on the receiving end of a performance appraisal could argue why they perceive it to be ineffective and a complete waste of time. Employees often feel unjustly assessed, and managers often go through a forced annual process to comply with job expectations. This doesn’t make it easy for either party.
So what exactly is a performance appraisal? A performance appraisal is an evaluation done on an employee’s job performance over a specific period of time. It is the equivalent of a report card on an employee and how their manager assessed their performance over the prior year. Anyone who has worked in more than one department or at more than one organization can attest to the fact that not all performance appraisal processes are the same. The varying systems and processes are all over the map. Unfortunately, some are done so poorly that they are not only designed to fail, but also to create a negative experience for both the manager as well as the employee.
So why do organizations do performance appraisals? There are many varying opinions on the subject of performance appraisals and why they are done. Some organizations do performance appraisals because they feel obligated to do them – because everyone else does. Other organizations do performance appraisals to make sure they have a piece of paper in the employee’s file – in case they ever need to do corrective action  
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6 Things You Can Do To Influence Customer Loyalty
1. Solicit Customer Feedback.  A great customer experience is what brings consumers back. The only way to know how a customer perceived an experience is to ask them. Solicit customer feedback and make sure that customer satisfaction is one of the critical success factors or your organization. Feedback can come from surveys. Share data with all levels of the organization. All should be aware of customer requirements as compared to customer feedback. Help employees understand the requirements and how the feedback tells the experience story. These efforts result in satisfied customers and satisfied customers can turn into loyal customers. Customer feedback should be interpreted and used to develop strategy. This strategy should then be used to develop organizational business goals that are used to determine employee goals. Goals should be based on meeting and exceeding customer requirements. Employees should be held accountable for performance that supports customer satisfaction.
2. Customer Service Business Systems and processes are how services are provided: Customer Complaints and issues that may arise. The goal of quickly addressing customer issues and complaints done right, service recovery programs can turn an angry customer into a loyal one!
3. Process Improvement: Broken processes have a direct impact on the customer experience.  A structured quality management program can help develop solutions to systemic problems that affect the customer experiences. This is done by continually trying to improve the way products and services are delivered to the customer.
Use quality tools to create flow charts of the current process, then work to eliminate steps in the process that don’t add value to the customer.
4. Employees need to understand the importance of providing a great service experience. Managing for a great client experience should be incorporated into the day-to-day operational processes of the organization. What this means is training and holding employees accountable for adhering to established customer service standards.
5. Owners should Coach Employees on appropriate behaviors. Employees Compensation Based On The Experience They Provide To Our Gymnasts. At the end of the day, it is the customer who pays salaries. Employees compensated based on their ability to meet customer requirements. Use customer satisfaction data to determine. Effective Compensation Strategy
6.There should be measures in place to assess employee influence on customer satisfaction. Scores that should also be reflected in the annual performance appraisals. Example, an organization should have customer satisfaction goals that are tied to performance pay. If the organization meets those goals it is reflected in the annual merit increase.
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Developing a Strategic Plan      Write a Vision Statement: 
2-3 sentences. The goal is to give your business a mental picture of what your business hopes to become or what the organization hopes to achieve. As an owner you must understand where your business is going before you can develop a strategic plan for how to get there. The value of a vision statement is that is gives leadership and employees a shared goal. Example: ABC Dry Cleaners will be the premier professional laundry of the metropolitan area by providing unmatched customer service and cleaning services that exceed the competition.” 
Your Mission Statement: An explanation of why an organization exists and the path it will take to achieve its vision. Mission statements are typically shorter than a vision statement but not always and are organization specific. This statement describes what the organization is passionate about and why it exists. To facilitate the mission statement process: Brainstorm your mission statement...
Customer Service and Quality of Service. This is the most important area for business owners. Why? A Loyal customer base is important because it is those consumers who sustain and grow businesses. Organizations that understand the importance of happy customers, need to think strategy in order to build a loyal customer base. Successful organizations have learned that there is a difference between attracting customers, keeping customers and developing loyal customers. Devoted customers are not only loyal to the organization, but also serve as advocates and help to solicit new customers by sharing their positive experiences. We can all relate to a good service experience.  The question becomes, was that experience good enough for us to tell others about it? 
Staff MUST EXCEL adding to those special touches to create a memorable experience for all gymnasts. You want your parents to promote your business to family and friends by talking about the great experience their children have in your program.
LOYAL CUSTOMERS. DOLLARS & CENTS! 
Impact of a loyal Customer/Gymnast in the restaurant/club business 
Monthly Payment vs. Package Class Program.
Club Owners Fill in your number$.
Restaurant breakdown: A Customer who frequents 6 times a year contributes $300 ($50 X 6 visits) to the bottom line. 
A customer comes 52 times a year (once a week!) at $50 each visit, could be worth $2,600! Now imagine if you threw in some extra special occasion visits (when they bring a a friend for gymnastics vs. parents or clients to a restaurant and you can gain significant dollars to your bottom line!
Build Customer Loyalty!!!
Customer Service A loyal customer base is important because it is those consumers who sustain and grow businesses. Organizations that understand the importance of happy customers, need to think strategy in order to build a loyal customer base. Successful organizations have learned that there is a difference between attracting customers, keeping customers and developing loyal customers. Devoted customers are not only loyal to the organization, but also serve as advocates and help to solicit new customers by sharing their positive experiences. We can all relate to a good service experience. The question becomes, was the experience you provide good enough for us to tell others about it? Think of a special restaurant that you go to. The staff is and they add those special touches to create a memorable experience. That is the kind excellence of organization that I would tell my family and friends about because I want them to have the same great experience.
The Dollars and Cents of a Loyal Customer – Think Gymnastic Parents
If you wonder about the impact of a loyal customer, look at this example.
A customer who frequents a restaurant 6 times a year may contribute $300 ($50 X 6 visits) to your bottom line. But a loyal customer that comes in once a week can be much more! Imagine that customer comes 52 times a year at $50 each visit, that customer could be worth $2,600. Now imagine if you threw in some extra special occasion visits (when they bring the kids, parents or clients) and you can gain significant dollars to your bottom line! Just something to think about.
Budget Allocation. The strategy should include the organization’s approach to allocating compensation dollars into salary and benefits. This budget allocation will determine how much of the total compensation budget will be spent on salary and what percentage will be spent on benefits and other incentives. For example, for a budget of $1000 for compensation, if 90% is salary and 10% is benefits, you need to determine how that 10% is spent – one scenario might be – 7% on health benefits, 2% on retirement savings and 1% on tuition reimbursement. Allocating specific budget dollars to pay and benefits can help control labor, health care, and other miscellaneous benefit costs.
2.  Develop Salary Ranges Develop salary ranges to ensure employee pay is competitive with other organizations.  To be competitive, it is important to benchmark similar jobs within the same industry and to create a pay structure. Salary ranges can be developed internally by conducting research or utilizing sites like salary.com or payscale.com to determine average salaries in a particular geographic area. Smaller organizations often pay a vendor to help develop salary ranges, whereas larger organizations may have the HR resources to conduct the research internally. Regardless, it is important to look at all jobs and determine what work is done, how the job is slotted, and establish salary ranges that match all job descriptions. 3.  Salary Audits Markets change, therefore it is important to perform routine salary audits to ensure salary ranges reflect current compensation trends in a particular industry. When performing an audit, the goal is to determine how competitive are those particular jobs and what is the external market demanding. Ask the question, is it a growing or dying profession? It is important to pay attention to market changes and to stay current because failing to keep up with the competition can lead to the loss of valuable employees.---------
4.  Benefit Package: Many organizations use benefit packages, in addition to salary, to attract and retain employees. Their goal is to be competitive with health, retirement, tuition reimbursement and other benefits because they understand that it can be the determining factor for a job candidate who is deciding whether to accept a position with an organization, or an employee who is considering leaving. For instance, I know employees who have stayed with organizations because the benefits were too good to walk away from.
5.  Performance Management System. It is important to have a structured performance management process to ensure employees are meeting corporate objectives and are assessed on a regular basis. This process should include the development of annual goals, annual performance appraisals, and a structured process for coaching and mentoring employees. Compensation strategies can positively influence employee engagement and improve employee productivity. 6.  Legal Compliance A well-defined compensation strategy will incorporate legal requirements to ensure the organization is in compliance with all federal and state laws.The goal is to eliminate natural biases made in hiring decisions and ensure compliance with DOL FLSA laws such as minimum wage, overtime pay, or Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay.
7.  Structured Administration Structure is important. Develop an annual review process, salary audit, raise process timeline, and make sure someone is responsible for all compensation areas. A comprehensive compensation strategy can be the foundation for creating an environment that recognizes and rewards employee performance and helps to establish a strong culture of employee engagement. Organizations are only as successful as their approach to hiring the right people, setting clear expectations, managing performance, and recognizing and rewarding employees for a job well done
Compensation Handbook might be additional help for you and a great resource to add to your library!
1. Budget Allocation. The strategy should include the organization’s approach to allocating compensation dollars into salary and benefits. This budget allocation will determine how much of the total compensation budget will be spent on salary and what percentage will be spent on benefits and other incentives. For example, for a budget of $1000 for compensation, if 90% is salary and 10% is benefits, you need to determine how that 10% is spent – one scenario might be – 7% on health benefits, 2% on retirement savings and 1% on tuition reimbursement. Allocating specific budget dollars to pay and benefits can help control labor, health care, and other miscellaneous benefit costs.
2.  Develop Salary Ranges Develop salary ranges to ensure employee pay is competitive with other organizations.  To be competitive, it is important to benchmark similar jobs within the same industry and to create a pay structure. Salary ranges can be developed internally by conducting research or utilizing sites like salary.com or payscale.com to determine average salaries in a particular geographic area. Smaller organizations often pay a vendor to help develop salary ranges, whereas larger organizations may have the HR resources to conduct the research internally. Regardless, it is important to look at all jobs and determine what work is done, how the job is slotted, and establish salary ranges that match all job descriptions.
3.  Salary Audits Markets change, therefore it is important to perform routine salary audits to ensure salary ranges reflect current compensation trends in a particular industry. When performing an audit, the goal is to determine how competitive are those particular jobs and what is the external market demanding. Ask the question, is it a growing or dying profession? It is important to pay attention to market changes and to stay current because failing to keep up with the competition can lead to the loss of valuable employees.--4.  Benefit Package: Many organizations use benefit packages, in addition to salary, to attract and retain employees. Their goal is to be competitive with health, retirement, tuition reimbursement and other benefits because they understand that it can be the determining factor for a job candidate who is deciding whether to accept a position with an organization, or an employee who is considering leaving. For instance, I know employees who have stayed with organizations because the benefits were too good to walk away from.
5.  Performance Management System. It is important to have a structured performance management process to ensure employees are meeting corporate objectives and are assessed on a regular basis.
This process should include the development of annual goals, annual performance appraisals, and a structured process for coaching and mentoring employees.
Compensation strategies can positively influence employee engagement and improve employee productivity.
6.  Legal Compliance A well-defined compensation strategy will incorporate legal requirements to ensure the organization is in compliance with all federal and state laws.
The goal is to eliminate natural biases made in hiring decisions and ensure compliance with DOL FLSA laws such as minimum wage, overtime pay, or Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay.
7.  Structured Administration
Structure is important. Develop an annual review process, salary audit, raise process timeline, and make sure someone is responsible for all compensation areas. A comprehensive compensation strategy can be the foundation for creating an environment that recognizes and rewards employee performance and helps to establish a strong culture of employee engagement. Organizations are only as successful as their approach to hiring the right people, setting clear expectations, managing performance, and recognizing and rewarding employees for a job well done.

PAUL SPADARO - PRESIDENT USAIGC paul.spadaro@usaigc.com
MARY BAKKE        TECHNICAL DIRECTOR M143BNY@aol.com 
REORGANIZED & REVAMPED 2001IGC 
2001: USAIGC: UNITED STATES ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDANT CLUBS
2003: IAIGC:    INTERNALIONAL ASSOCIATON OF INDEPENANT CLUBS 
IGC COMPETITIONS: CANADA, GERMANY, INDIA, SOUTH AFRIA, UK, USA
CLUB REGISTRATION LESS THAN $1.00 PER DAY 
IGC  MOTO: WE DO NOT JUST COACH SPORTS. WE COACH PEOPLE/ADOLESCENTS. 
CLUB MEMBERS EQUAL WITH AN OPEN VOTE ON RULES & POLICIES BROUGHT FORWARD BY OUR
CLUB MEMBERSHIP EVERY 2 YEARS. CLUB REGISTRATION 1.00 PER DAY!
IGC IS A CHOICE.A SMART CHOICE!
IGC: 
WE COACH CHOICE. WE COACH CONSEQUENCES. WE COACH RESPECT.
WE COACH LIFE ON AND OFF THE COMPETITION FLOOR.
BUSINESS BRIEFS:   http://usaigc.com/business.cfm
COACHES & OFFICIALS R&P CLINICS & EXAM
OFFICIALS & COACHES R&P CLINICS & EXAM $25.00 INCLUDES R&P BOOK. ONE CLUB COACH FREE.
IGC CLUB OWNERS EQUAL ARE OPEN VOTING MEMBERS.
CLUB OWNERS EQUAL AS OPEN VOTING MEMBERS ON ALL R&P BROUGHT FORWARD AY CLUB OWNERS.
IGC HAS SPECIFIC TRAINING HOURS PER COMPETITION LEVEL.
IGC KEEPS MONEY IN OUR CLUB OWNERS POCKETS.
FREE SANCTIONS* IGC HEAD TAX OF $3.00 ON ALL SANCTIONED COMPETITIONS.
FREE SANCTIONS *  IGC HEAD TAX:  $3 IN HOUSE COMPETITIONS. 
$4.00 HEAD TAX FOR STATE & REGIONAL CHAMOIONSHIPS.
IGC HOST CLUBS KEEP ALL ENTRY FEES EXCEPT HEAD TAX WHICH CAN BE ADDED TO ENTRY FEE.
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFICATION: 
FROM SANCTIONED: STATE, REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS 
MONTHLY NEWSLETTERS -FREE USE OF IGC INTERLECTUAL PROPERTIES (LOGOS).
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS OPEN TO EVERY CLUB MEMBER ON ALL COMPETITION LEVELS.
ALL IGC OFFICIALS MUST PASS OUR IGC OFFICIALSEXAM. OFFICIALS POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE.
USAIGC-IAIGC HOSTS THE ONLY INTERNATIONAL CLUB WORLD CHAMOIONSHIP.
IGC GYMNASTS MAY COMPETE IN ANY SANCTIONED IGC INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION.
ALL IGC COUNTRIES USE THE SAME SET OF VOTED OPON COMPETITION RULES & POLICIES.
IGC OFFICIALS CAN JUDGE IN ANY IGC COUNTRY.
IGC CLUBS FOLLOW THE SAME VOTED UPON COMPETITIVE RULES & POLICIES.
USAIGC/IAIGC PROVIDES 5 COMPETITIVE PLATFORMS:
ALL AROUND, INDIVIDUAL, HIGH SCHOOL AND INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS.
IGC PROVIDES 5 COMPETITIVE PLATFORMS: ALL AROUND, INDIVIDUAL EVENT  & TUMBLING.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------USAIGC-IAIGC: An International Competitive Program on all Competition Levels A CHANCE to increase your Club membership. OWNERS set the Example of Ethical and Honest Behavior for your Employees to follow. This means working within the Rules of your Organization, not breaking the law, and treating people fairly and honestly. People make Ethical Choices on the Job Every Day
IGC Mandatory 100% Club Background Check Names Posted on our Website 
Free CLUB Website Posting.  Free Competition Sanctions* Host Clubs Keep All Fees* *IGC Head Tax Per Gymnast.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Being a Club Owner is not a part time Job. Your major responsibility is your business operation. Ownership is about priorities and sound business practices. For a Business to succeed it MUST have an Intelligent Business Plan that creates a profit yielding business! A Business cannot run on love alone. Passion is important but it's all about income and expenses  
Taxes: Get a handle on Taxes. We all hate to do them, but you should know what it’s all about. Even if using an Accountant. Tax Basics: the amount that you or your business will pay in annual taxes depends on several factors: 
Legal Form of your business. How much money it made during the year, what your expenses were, how sharp your accountant is.|
How Much you personally know about the tax system:
Deductions: You can deduct "ordinary and necessary" Business expenses to reduce your taxable income: travel, inventory, labor costs. Loopholes, Entertainment Expenses = 50%- any activity that relates to your Business. 
Keep: Good Records and Receipts to provide that the expenses were actually related to Business. Write whom you were with on the Receipt before filing it away. TRAVEL, AUTOMOBILE, BUSINESS LOSES, The Necessary Tools for Club Owners 

Business Owners must create a Value Driven Business. 
Value is what drives every successful business. Define the value of your business, as well as your Business Goals and Objectives. The Success Of any Business Revolves Around Three Components: 
Income: money received for providing services and goods.
Expenses: the costs incurred in providing those services and goods.
PROFITS: the financial gain that is the difference between the amount earned and the amount spent in buying, operating, producing or providing something.
Success is BY Developing Strong, Successful Business Practices, Income Streams, Educational Programs & OUR International Competitive Gymnastic Program which should help gymnasts select an IGC Club that provides an opportunity to compete around the World.
Educational Planning: Staff Lesson Plans, Professional Development, Workshops. 
Staff that Understands Child Development, Motor Skills, any skills associated with 
Pre-School Children that Have Educational Value
A Club Owner can ONLY Increase Business by providing “Strong Educationally sound Programs "THAT" HAVEA VALUE FOR OUR STUDENTS AND PROVIDE A MEANINGFUL EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES. 
THIS IS WHAT WILL GROW YOUR BUSINESS. NOT LEVELS & SCORES
MISSION STAREMENT: An explanation of why your organization exists and the path it will take to achieve its vision. Mission statements are typically shorter than a vision statement but not always and are organization specific. This statement describes what the organization is passionate about and why it exists. To facilitate the mission statement process. Brainstorm your mission statement. 
The Mentality of trying to put a club out of business is senseless 
GOOD BUSINESES SURVIVE. BAD BUSINESSES FAIL.
Compensation Hand book great resource to add to your library!
Employee Compensation based on the Experience they Provide To Our Gymnasts. 
At the end of the day, it is the customer who pays salaries. Employees compensated based on their ability to meet customer requirements. Use customer satisfaction data. to 
Managing YOUR Business: High Ethical Standards -honesty-integrity-impartiality-fairness. Loyalty-dedication-responsibility, accountability. Set the Example for your Staff. Evaluate circumstances through the appropriate filters: such as culture, laws, policies, circumstances, relationships, politics, perception emotions, values, bas and religion. 
Ethical behavior starts with each person. As an Employee Just because someone else is doing something that’s unethical (mortally wrong) or illegal (legally wrong). Doesn’t mean that you should do it too. When you believe ethically what-ever your position within an organization, others will follow your example and behave ethically, too. And, if you practice ethical conduct, it will reenforce and perhaps improve your own ethical standards. 
Developing a Strategic Plan Write a Vision Statement: 
2-3 sentences. The goal is to give your business a mental picture of what your business hopes to become or what the organization hopes to achieve. As an owner you must understand where your business is going before you can develop a strategic plan for how to get there. The value of a vision statement is that is gives leadership and employees a shared goal. Example:  ABC Dry Cleaners will be the premier professional laundry of the metropolitan area by providing unmatched customer service and cleaning services that exceed the competition.” 
determine.  Effective Compensation Strategy
Managing YOUR Business High Ethical Standards -honesty-integrity-impartiality -fairness
Loyalty-dedication-responsibility -accountability. Setting the example for Others 
Evaluate circumstances through the appropriate filters. 
Filters include things such as culture, laws, policies, circumstances, relationships, politics, perception emotions, values, bas and religion Ethical behavior starts with each person.  just because someone else is doing something that’s unethical (mortally wrong) or illegal (legally wrong)- Doesn’t mean that you should do it too.  When you believe ethically what-ever your position within an organization. Others will follow your example and behave ethically, too. And, if you practice ethical conduct, it will reenforce and perhaps improve your own ethical standards.  As A Leader, It’s Up to You to Set A Good Example of Ethical and Honest Behavior For your Employees to Follow. This Means Working within The Rules of Your Organization, not breaking the law, and treating people fairly and Honestly. People make Ethical Choices on the Job Every Day- How Do You Make Yours.
Staff MUST EXCEL adding to those special touches to create a memorable experience for all gymnasts. You want your parents to promote your business to family and friends by talking about the great experience. Those consumers who sustain and grow businesses
Customer Service and Quality of Service. This is the most important area for business owners. Why? A Loyal customer base is important because it is those consumers who sustain and grow businesses. Organizations that understand the importance of happy customers, need to think strategy in order to build a loyal customer base. Successful organizations have learned that there is a difference between attracting customers, keeping customers and developing loyal customers. Devoted customers are not only loyal to the organization, but also serve as advocates and help to solicit new customers by sharing their positive experiences. We can all relate to a good service experience.  The question becomes, was that experience good enough for us to tell others about it!
Organizations that understand the importance of happy customers, need to think strategy
in order to build a loyal customer base. 
Successful organizations have learned that there is a difference between attracting customers, keeping customers and developing loyal customers. Devoted customers are not only loyal to the organization, but also serve as advocates and help to solicit new customers by sharing their positive experiences. We can all relate to a good service experience. The question becomes, was that experience good enough for us to tell others about it?  Staff MUST EXCEL adding to those special touches to create a memorable experience for all gymnasts. You want your parents to promote your business to family and friends by talking about the great experience their children have in your program.
Improve Your Cash Flow 
Cash Flow is nothing more than the net result of the money that comes into your organization. Suggestions Below Will Help You Better Manage Your Money.
Manage Your Accounts Receivable. If you are not keeping a close eye on your accounts receivable, you’re missing a terrific opportunity to improve your cash flow and the health of your business. No matter how much you love your customers – and businesses do love their customers, some of them invariably don’t understand how important it is that you they pay their bills on time. A day or two late usually isn’t a big deal. A month or two always is a big deal. As soon as customers get in the habit of paying latte, getting them to pay on time can be almost impossible. You must identify your late payers as soon as you can and then take steps to get them to pay promptly.
Spell Out All Payment Policies so Parents Fully Understand them and Include your
Refund Policies: Late Payments Makeups, Give Payment Discounts For Payment in Full For: ½ OR Term Full Semester. Something that the parent feels is a GOOD DEAL! NO REFUNDS on Semester Programs. 
-Follow Up On Late Payments. By Note. By E-Mail or Snail Mail or Phone. 
Do Not Let A Parent Go Longer Than 30 Days – IF That Long. 
Keep Track of Expenses: 
Reduce the Amount Of Money That Flows Out Of Your Organization By Managing Your Expenses. Spend Money When You Absolutely Have To. Sometimes New Purchases Can Be Held Off. 
Do Project Cash Inflows and match them with your cash Outflows. 
Project Cash Inflow with Outflow. 
Spend Money You Absolutely Have To. 
Protect Cash Inflows T0 Match with Outflows. Spend Money Only When You Have To And Match That Up With Your Cash Out flows=Amount Of Your Income Stream Determines Payments.
Managing Your Accounts Receivable If you are not keeping a close eye on your accounts receivable, you’re missing a terrific opportunity to improve your cash flow and the health of your business. No matter how much you love your customers – and businesses do love their customers, some of them invariably don’t understand how important it is that they pay their bills on time. A day or two late usually isn’t a big deal. A month or two always is a big deal. As soon as customers get in the habit of paying late, getting them to pay on time can be almost impossible. You must identify your late payers as soon as you can and then take steps to get them to pay promptly. Spell Out All Payment Policies So Parents Fully Understand them. 
Include Refund Policies, Late Payments, Makeups
Give Payment Discounts For in Full or Half Term Semester Payments. Give Something that the parent feel is a GOOD DEAL!      NO REFUNDS on Semester Programs.   Follow Up on Late Payments with Note, E-Mail, Snail Mail or Phone. 
Do Not Let A Parent Go Longer Than 30 Days – IF That Long.  KEEP TRACK OF EXPENSES
Reduce the Amount of Money That Flows Out Of Your Organization By Managing Your Expenses. Spend Money When You Absolutely Have To. Sometimes New Purchases Can Be Held Off. Do You Project Cash Inflows and Match Them with Your Cash Outflows? Project Cash Inflow with Cash Outflow?  You MUST Protect Cash Inflows to Match With Outflows.  Spend Money Only When You Have to Match That Up with Your Cash Outflows. The Amount Of Your Income Stream Determines Payments.
6 Things You Can Do To Influence Customer Loyalty
1. Solicit Customer Feedback.  A great customer experience is what brings consumers back. The only way to know how a customer perceived an experience is to ask them. Solicit customer feedback and make sure that customer satisfaction is one of the critical success factors or your organization. Feedback can come from surveys. Share data with all levels of the organization. All should be aware of customer requirements as compared to customer feedback. Help employees understand the requirements and how the feedback tells the experience story. These efforts result in satisfied customers and satisfied customers can turn into loyal customers. Customer feedback should be interpreted and used to develop strategy. This strategy should then be used to develop organizational business goals that are used to determine employee goals. Goals should be based on meeting and exceeding customer requirements. Employees should be held accountable for performance that supports customer satisfaction.
2. Customer Service Business Systems and processes are how services are provided: Customer Complaints and issues that may arise. The goal of quickly addressing customer issues and complaints done right, service recovery programs can turn an angry customer into a loyal one!
3. Process Improvement: Broken processes have a direct impact on the customer experience.  A structured quality management program can help develop solutions to systemic problems that affect the customer experiences. This is done by continually trying to improve the way products and services are delivered to the customer.
Use quality tools to create flow charts of the current process, then work to eliminate steps in the process that don’t add value to the customer.
4. Employees need to understand the importance of providing a great service experience. Managing for a great client experience should be incorporated into the day-to-day operational processes of the organization. What this means is training and holding employees accountable for adhering to established customer service standards.
5. Owners should Coach Employees on appropriate behaviors. Employees Compensation Based On The Experience They Provide To Our Gymnasts. At the end of the day, it is the customer who pays salaries. Employees compensated based on their ability to meet customer requirements. Use customer satisfaction data to determine. Effective Compensation Strategy
6.There should be measures in place to assess employee influence on customer satisfaction. Scores that should also be reflected in the annual performance appraisals. Example, an organization should have customer satisfaction goals that are tied to performance pay. If the organization meets those goals it is reflected in the annual merit increase
10 Steps To Creating And Managing A Small Business Budget
1. Strategic Plan Every organization, no matter the size should know why it exists and what it hopes to accomplish. This is articulated through a written 
Vision and Mission Statement. A Strategic Plan is HOW the organization plans to achieve its mission. The first step in the budgeting process is having a written strategic plan.  This ensures that organizational resources are used to support the strategy and development of the organization. 
Simply put – budget toward the vision.
2. Business Goals Annual business goals are the steps an organization takes to implement its strategic plan and it is these goals that need to be funded by the budget. Goals need to be developed and there needs to be accountability for achieving goals. This is typically the responsibility of the management team, board, or business owner. The budget provides the financial resources to achieve goals .For example, if your organization has outgrown its facility, and there is an objective to increase space, there must be dollars budgeted to expand or move business operations.
3. Revenue Projections Revenue projections should be based on historical financial performance, as well as projected growth income. The projected growth may be tied to organizational goals and planned initiatives that will initiate business growth. For example, if there is a goal to increase sales by 10%, those sales projections should be part of the year’s revenue projections.
4. Fixed Cost Projections Projecting fixed costs is simply a matter of looking at the monthly predictable costs that do not change. Employee compensation costs, facility expenses, utility costs, mortgage or rent payments, insurance costs, etc. Fixed costs do not change and are a minimal expense that needs to be funded in the budget. For example, if there are open staff positions, the cost to fill those positions should be part of fixed cost projections.
5. Variable Cost Projections Variable costs are costs that fluctuate from month to month, supply costs, overtime costs, etc. These are expenses that can and should be budgeted and controlled. For example, if higher Christmas sales drive overtime costs temporarily, those costs should be budgeted.
6. Annual Goal Expenses Goal related projects should also be given budgets. 
Each initiative should have projected costs associated with the goals. This is where the cost of implementing goa ls are incorporated into the annual budget. Projections of costs should be identified, laid out, and incorporated into the departmental budget responsible for completing the goal. For example, if the sales department aims to increase sales by 10%, costs associated with the increased sales (additional marketing materials, travel, entertainment) should be incorporated into that budget.
7. Target Profit Margin Every organization, whether they are for-profit or not-for-profit, should have a targeted profit margin.  Profit margins allow for returns for the business owner or investors.  Not-for-profit organizations use their profit margins to reinvest into the facilities and development of the organization.  Profits are important for all organizations, and healthy profit margins are a strong indicator of an organization’s strength.
8. Board Approval The governing board, president, owner, or head of the organization should approve the budget and keep current with budget performance.  
Again, similar to your personal finances, the owner should be reviewing monthly financial statements for the following reasons.
To monitor budget performance.
To be familiar with all expenditures.
To safeguard the organization against misappropriation of funds or employee fraud.
9. Budget Review
A budget review committee should meet monthly to monitor performance against goals. This committee should review budget variances and assess issues associated with budget overages. It is important to do this every month, so there can be a correction to overspending or modify the budget if needed. Waiting until the end of the year to make corrections could hurt the final budget outcome.
10. Dealing With Budget Variances
Budget variances should be reviewed with the responsible department manager, and questions should be raised as to what caused the variance.
Sometimes unforeseen situations arise that cannot be avoided, so it is also important (just like your personal budget) to have an emergency fund to help with those
unplanned expenditures.
For example, if the HVAC system suddenly goes down and needs to be replaced, this would be a budget variance that needs to be funded.
Good budgeting processes can help develop and advance an organization, while sloppy budgeting and monitoring budgets can blindside an organization and affect its long-term financial health and viability. finally, without customers, there are no revenues to the budget.  For this reason, strategic plans and budgets should be targeted at one thing and one thing only – the customer. This is why it is imperative to identify who your customers are, find out what they want, and budget dollars to put systems and processes in place to meet their needs and exceed their expectations. Isn’t that what we are all trying to do?
If you would like to learn about budgeting for a small business, I love the Dummy books, Small Business Financial Management Kit For Dummies might be a great reference for you!
Budget Allocation. The strategy should include the organization’s approach to allocating compensation dollars into salary and benefits. This budget allocation will determine how much of the total compensation budget will be spent on salary and what percentage will be spent on benefits and other incentives. For example, for a budget of $1000 for compensation, if 90% is salary and 10% is benefits, you need to determine how that 10% is spent – one scenario might be – 7% on health benefits, 2% on retirement savings and 1% on tuition reimbursement. Allocating specific budget dollars to pay and benefits can help control labor, health care, and other miscellaneous benefit costs.
Develop Salary Ranges Develop salary ranges to ensure employee pay is competitive with other organizations.  To be competitive, it is important to benchmark similar jobs within the same industry and to create a pay structure. Salary ranges can be developed internally by conducting research or utilizing sites like salary.com or payscale.com to determine average salaries in a particular geographic area. Smaller organizations often pay a vendor to help develop salary ranges, whereas larger organizations may have the HR resources to conduct the research internally. Regardless, it is important to look at all jobs and determine what work is done, how the job is slotted, and establish salary ranges that match all job descriptions.
Salary Audits Markets change, therefore it is important to perform routine salary audits to ensure salary ranges reflect current compensation trends in a particular industry. When performing an audit, the goal is to determine how competitive are those particular jobs and what is the external market demanding. Ask the question, is it a growing or dying profession? It is important to pay attention to market changes and to stay current because failing to keep up with the competition can lead to the loss of valuable employees.--------Benefit Package: Many organizations use benefit packages, in addition to salary, to attract and retain employees. Their goal is to be competitive with health, retirement, tuition reimbursement and other benefits because they understand that it can be the determining factor for a job candidate who is deciding whether to accept a position with an organization, or an employee who is considering leaving. For instance, I know employees who have stayed with organizations because the benefits were too good to walk away from.
Performance Management System. It is important to have a structured performance management process to ensure employees are meeting corporate objectives and are assessed on a regular basis. This process should include the development of annual goals, annual performance appraisals, and a structured process for coaching and mentoring employees. Compensation strategies can positively influence employee engagement and improve employee productivity.
Legal Compliance A well-defined compensation strategy will incorporate legal requirements to ensure the organization is in compliance with all federal and state laws. The goal is to eliminate natural biases made in hiring decisions and ensure compliance with DOL FLSA laws such as minimum wage, overtime pay, or Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay.
Structured Administration Structure is important. Develop an annual review process, salary audit, raise process timeline, and make sure someone is responsible for all compensation areas. A comprehensive compensation strategy can be the foundation for creating an environment that recognizes and rewards employee performance and helps to establish a strong culture of employee engagement.
Organizations are only as successful as their approach to hiring the right people, setting clear expectations, managing performance, and recognizing and rewarding employees for a job well  done.
Compensation Handbook might be additional help for you and a great resource to add to your library!
DOLLARS & CENTS! LOYAL CUSTOMERS.  Impact of a loyal Customer/Gymnast Program.  Monthly Payment vs. Package Program. Let's look at the Restaurant Business and apply the procedures for or Club Owners.
Fill in your number$ Restaurant: A Customer who frequents 6 times a year contributes $300 ($50 X 6 visits) to the bottom line. A customer comes 52 times a year (once a week!) at $50 each visit, could be worth $2,600! 
Now imagine threw in some extra special occasion visits (when they bring a a friend for gymnastics vs. parents or clients to a restaurant and you can gain significant dollars to your bottom line! 
Build Customer Loyalty!!!  Customer Service A loyal customer base is important because it is those consumers who sustain and grow your businesses. Organizations that understand the importance of happy customers, need to think strategy in order to build a loyal customer base.  Successful organizations have learned that there is a difference between attracting customers, keeping customers and developing loyal customers. 
Devoted customers are not only loyal to the organization, but also serve as advocates and help to solicit new customers by sharing their positive experiences. We can all relate to a good service experience.  The question becomes, was the experience you provide good enough for us to tell others about it? Think of a special restaurant that you go to. The staff is excellent and they add those special touches to create a memorable experience. That is the kind of organization that I would tell my family and friends about because I want them to have the same great experience.
Dollars and Cents of a Loyal Customer APPLY TO A GYMNASTIC CLUB/PARENTS" 
If you wonder about the impact of a loyal customer, look at this example A customer who frequents a restaurant 
6 times a year may contribute $300 ($50 X 6 visits) to the bottom line. But a loyal customer that comes in once a week can be much more! Imagine that customer comes 52 times a year at $50 each visit, that customer could be worth $2,600! Now ,imagine if you threw in some extra special occasion visits (when they bring the kids, parents or clients) and you can gain significant dollars to your bottom line! Just something to think about.
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LOYAL CUSTOMERS. DOLLARS & CENTS! Impact of a loyal Customer/Gymnast in the restaurant/club business 
Monthly Payment vs. Package Class Program. Club Owners Fill in your number$
Restaurant breakdown: A Customer who frequents 6 times a year contributes $300 ($50 X 6 visits) to the bottom line. A customer comes 52 times a year (once a week!) at $50 each visit, could be worth $2,600! Now imagine if you threw in some extra special occasion visits (when they bring a a friend for gymnastics vs. parents or clients to a restaurant and you can gain significant dollars to your bottom line! 
Build Customer Loyalty!!!Customer Service: A loyal customer base is important because it is those consumers who sustain and grow businesses. Organizations that understand the importance of happy customers, need to think strategy in order to build a loyal customer base. Successful organizations have learned that there is a difference between attracting customers, keeping customers and developing loyal customers. Devoted customers are not only loyal to the organization, but also serve as advocates and help to solicit new customers by sharing their positive experiences. We can all relate to a good service experience. The question becomes, was the experience you provide good enough for us to tell others about it? Think of a special restaurant that you go to. The staff is excellent and they add those special touches to create a memorable experience. That is the kind of organization that I would tell my family and friends about because I want them to have the same great experience.
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The Dollars and Cents of a Loyal Customer – Think Gymnastic Parents
If you wonder about the impact of a loyal customer, look at this example. A customer who frequents a restaurant 6 times a year may contribute $300 ($50 X 6 visits) to your bottom line. But a loyal customer that comes in once a week can be much more! Imagine that customer comes 52 times a year at $50 each visit, that customer could be worth $2,600! Now imagine if you threw in some extra special occasion visits (when they bring the kids, parents or clients) and you can gain significant dollars to your bottom line! Just something to think about.
1. Budget Allocation. The strategy should include the organization’s approach to allocating compensation dollars into salary and benefits. This budget allocation will determine how much of the total compensation budget will be spent on salary and what percentage will be spent on benefits and other incentives. For example, for a budget of $1000 for compensation, if 90% is salary and 10% is benefits, you need to determine how that 10% is spent – one scenario might be – 7% on health benefits, 2% on retirement savings and 1% on tuition reimbursement. Allocating specific budget dollars to pay and benefits can help control labor, health care, and other miscellaneous benefit costs.
2.  Develop Salary Ranges Develop salary ranges to ensure employee pay is competitive with other organizations.  To be competitive, it is important to benchmark similar jobs within the same industry and to create a pay structure. Salary ranges can be developed internally by conducting research or utilizing sites like salary.com or payscale.com to determine average salaries in a particular geographic area. Smaller organizations often pay a vendor to help develop salary ranges, whereas larger organizations may have the HR resources to conduct the research internally. Regardless, it is important to look at all jobs and determine what work is done, how the job is slotted, and establish salary ranges that match all job descriptions.
3.  Salary Audits Markets change, therefore it is important to perform routine salary audits to ensure salary ranges reflect current compensation trends in a particular industry. When performing an audit, the goal is to determine how competitive are those particular jobs and what is the external market demanding. Ask the question, is it a growing or dying profession? It is important to pay attention to market changes and to stay current because failing to keep up with the competition can lead to the loss of valuable employees.--------
4.  Benefit Package: Many organizations use benefit packages, in addition to salary, to attract and retain employees. Their goal is to be competitive with health, retirement, tuition reimbursement and other benefits because they understand that it can be the determining factor for a job candidate who is deciding whether to accept a position with an organization, or an employee who is considering leaving. For instance, I know employees who have stayed with organizations because the benefits were too good to walk away from.
5.  Performance Management System. It is important to have a structured performance management process to ensure employees are meeting corporate objectives and are assessed on a regular basis.
This process should include the development of annual goals, annual performance appraisals, and a structured process for coaching and mentoring employees. Compensation strategies can positively influence employee engagement and improve employee productivity.
6.  Legal Compliance A well-defined compensation strategy will incorporate legal requirements to ensure the organization is in compliance with all federal and state laws. The goal is to eliminate natural biases made in hiring decisions and ensure compliance with DOL FLSA laws such as minimum wage, overtime pay, or Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay.
7.  Structured Administration
Structure is important. Develop an annual review process, salary audit, raise process timeline, and make sure someone is responsible for all compensation areas. A comprehensive compensation strategy can be the foundation for creating an environment that recognizes and rewards employee performance and helps to establish a strong culture of employee engagement. Organizations are only as successful as their approach to hiring the right people, setting clear expectations, managing performance, and recognizing and rewarding employees for a job well done.
Compensation Handbook might be additional help for you and a great resource to add to your library!
11 Mistakes Business Owners Make1.  Don’t have a defined mission, vision, and values statement. Every organization should spend time clarifying why it exists and what it hopes to accomplish. This is done by spending the time to articulate and write a mission, vision, and values statement It doesn’t matter if it is the dry cleaner, neighborhood restaurant, or Gymnastic Club. Every organization needs to have an articulated focus that provides a shared direction for decision making and employee performance. 2.  Fail to plan. Strategy and planning is critical to the success of any organization. Whether large or small, every business needs a plan. This involves taking time at least once a year to review strategy and goals and make sure the organization moves in the direction initially intended. There is an old saying, “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. ”  There is a lot of truth in that statement!3. Don’t write goals. Goals are how plans are achieved, and if goals are not developed, written down with assigned accountability, they will be difficult to accomplish. Business Goals should be written as part of the overall organizational strategy, and each goal should have someone assigned to them with very specific timeline expectations. 4. Don’t create an operating budget. Budgeting is something that should be done once a year and used to fund the plan and goals.  Organizations that don’t budget can be successful. Organizations that don’t budget can be successful.  However, the budgeting process determines how resources are managed and help to achieve targeted growth because budget dollars are allocated to only those things that improve and grow the business.5.  Don’t hold people accountable.
When goals are written, it is essential to assign responsibility for completing them. When organizations don’t hold people accountable for completing goals and performing basic job responsibilities, they are mismanaging the organization’s resources. When employees are on the payroll and aren’t held accountable for their job responsibilities, they are, in essence, taking money out of the organizational coffer without providing value in return.
Managing employee performance is critical to the success of all organizations – and employee JOB DESCRIPTIONS and goals are the first steps in that process.6.  Don’t anticipate market changes. The last couple of years has been a hard lesson for many organizations. Things can change quickly, and the market can shift seemingly overnight. It is essential to keep an eye on changing trends in things like technology, customer requirements, or financial viability. It is easy to get distracted with the day-to-day job tasks and lose sight of rapid market change. Make sure you keep a pulse on your industry and try to see what new trends are on the horizon.  Talk to your customers and learn from them.7.  Don’t take the time to understand customer requirements. Customers pay the bills, so organizations need to figure out what the customer   wants and put systems and processes in place to meet their needs. One way to better understand what the customer wants is to survey them. There are lots of survey software available. All too often, organizations build products and services based on what they “think’ the customer wants.  Talk to customers, survey them and continuously try to learn about changing expectations. This is an essential step in growing a solid customer base.8.  Don’t consider employees to be their most important customer group. Employees are among the most important customer groups because they are the organization’s hands and feet. And, when businesses don’t put employee-friendly policies and processes in place, they are risking alienating those individuals that interact with their customers. When employees are given clear job expectations, the tools, and training to do their job and are rewarded for performing well, they are more likely to be happy at work, which directly affects the customer experiences.  Every organization should work to improve employee engagement and create environments that employees can thrive in and enjoy.9.  Don’t communicate with employees and customers. Communication, or lack thereof, is a universal problem in most organizations.  There can never be too much communication, and successful organizations have structured processes to manage communication with both employees and customers. Creating transparent organizations that continually share information results in customer loyalty as well as an environment that employees enjoy working in.10.  Don’t continuously look for ways To improve. Continuous improvement is how organizations develop and enhance products and services.  The process by which those products and services are delivered should always be reviewed to identify improvement opportunities. Whether it is a process to manufacture a product or a process of delivering a service to the customer, looking for ways to continuously improve is important. 11.  Don’t celebrate successes. Many organizations get so bogged down with the daily grind that they forget to stop and acknowledge how far they’ve come.  Celebrating successes not only recognizes progress but also encourages employees and improves engagement. Running and growing a small business is a challenging endeavor. However, organizations that strive to create systems and processes that routinely look at how the organization is performing, identify ways to improve how things are done while planning to improve the employee and customer experience will ultimately 
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Managing YOUR Business High Ethical Standards -honesty-integrity-impartiality -fairness-Loyalty-dedication-responsibility -accountability -Setting the Example for Others-Evaluate circumstances through the appropriate filters. Filters include things such as culture, laws, policies, circumstances, relationships, politics, perception emotions, values, Bias and religion Ethical behavior starts with each person. just because someone else is doing something that’s unethical (mortally wrong) or illegal (legally wrong) Doesn’t mean that you should do too. When you believe ethically what-ever your position within an organization, others will follow your example and behave ethically, too. And, if you practice ethical conduct, it will reenforce and perhaps improve your own ethical standards. As A Leader, It’s Up to You to Set A Good Example of Ethical and Honest Behavior For Your Employees to Follow.
This Means Working within The Rules of Your Organization, not breaking the law, and treating people fairly and Honestly. People make Ethical Choices On The Job Every Day- How Do You Make Yours?
What Should Merit Raises Be Based On? Justification for a merit increase is important because of the financial investment the pay increase represents.  Merit increases can have a significant impact on an organization’s payroll cost over the span of perhaps decades that an employee works for an organization. For example, let’s say you have two employees and each makes $10 per hour.  Employee A receives a merit increase of 2% and employee B receives a 5% pay increase.  The 2% increase is equivalent to $416 for the year and 5% equals $1040 for the year – more than double.  Multiply that times ten years and the employee who receives the higher increase will cost the organization much more over that 10  year period of time. Now let’s say employee A gets 2% a year every year for ten years and the employee B gets 5% every year for ten years and this is what it looks like: As you can see employee B, who received the 5% increases over the course of ten years, cost the organization $42,392 more than employee A.  Now do the math for the higher earners in your organization and the difference can be staggering.  This is why it is so important to have a structured performance management process that helps to control costs and justifies merit increases for those employees who perform well. Managing employee performance can help to control biases associated with managing employees and provides the framework for rewarding strong performers while identifying poor performers.
Merit Pay Increase Based On: performance appraisal document is a key tool used in assessing performance.  
When employees are scored on dimensions of performance, and those scores are tied to percentage increases, good performers get rewarded with a higher percentage of the pot. Scoring the performance appraisal form  and then tying the scores to raise distribution is an objective way to ensure your best performers are receiving a higher percentage of allocated raise dollars. Ok, let’s look at the performance appraisal document again and see the dimension scores and look at this example: Let’s say there are 7 dimensions that are being scored and for dimension one the employee received a score of 3, dimension two a score of 3, dimension three a score of 4, and so on.
Dimension one       Score = 3          Dimension two        Score = 3
Dimension three     Score = 4          Dimension four       Score = 3
Dimension five       Score = 5           Dimension six        Score = 3
Dimension Seven    Score = 4    Total score =   25
What you want to do is total the scores.  In this particular example if you add up the dimension scores you get a total score of 25 out of a possible 35 (7 dimensions X 5 points).  Now if you take that score of 25 and divide it by 7 (the number of dimensions) you get an average score of 3.5 – (25/7 = 3.5).   This is the score that will determine the employee’s percentage merit increase.  Next, you want to do this on all of your employees and come up with a list of average scores. Ok, we’ve got the scores but how do you tie those scores to raises? Let’s go through an example.  Let’s say (for the sake of easy math) that you have:
11 employees each making $10/hour you budgeted 3.5% for raises which generates a pool of merit increase dollars of $8,008 (.035X$228,800). The $228,800 comes from 11 employees X 2080 hours X $10/hour = a salary budget of $228,800. Lets also say that you have determined that the average performance appraisal scores (3.0) will receive a 3.5% increase – and those scoring below average will receive less, those scoring above will receive more. Now let’s look at what this might look like: As you can see from the example below, there are 11 employees listed, a,b,c,etc.  The next column shows their average scores as well as an overall average score for all employees.  Now in the next column, you can see the percent increase that was awarded to each employee based on the predetermined criteria. Some employees received as low as 2% increase and the higher performers received as high as 4.5% increase which translates into a raise of $416 for the poor performers but more than twice as much, $936 for the higher performing employees.  Now if you total what all of these increases add up to, you’ll see that these pay increases will cost the organization $8,008 which ends up being exactly what was budgeted $8008. This is an oversimplified example to demonstrate how this can be done.  Obviously when there are dozens or even hundreds of employees this scenario would look much different. It is common for larger organizations to allocate the raise percentages to the individual department and allow managers to award raises specifically to their own area. Another thing to remember is the importance of organizational culture and communicating organizational culture and    clearly with all employees about their raise increases. The higher performers should be aware that they received a higher per-centage but the lower performers should also be told that they received less because of their performance scores.  This should serve as an encouragement for the good performers and possibly a wake-up call for the under performers and lastly, it doesn’t matter how high the raise percentage is, most employees don’t think it’s enough and that is just something you need to be aware of and not get overly concerned with.  Statistics show most people don’t think they are paid for what they think they are worth and that organizations have unlimited resources for salaries – we know that’s not true
Advantages and Disadvantages of Performance Appraisals Employees, as well as managers, often question why organizations do employee performance appraisals. Anyone who has ever been on the receiving end of a performance appraisal could argue why they perceive it to be ineffective and a complete waste of time. Employees often feel unjustly assessed, and managers often go through a forced annual process to comply with job expectations. This doesn’t make it easy for either party. What that exactly is a performance appraisal? A performance appraisal is an evaluation done on an employee’s job performance over a specific period of time. It is the equivalent of a report card on an employee and how their manager assessed their performance over the prior year. Anyone who has worked in more than one department or at more than one organization can attest to the fact that not all performance appraisal processes are the same. The varying systems and processes are all over the map. Unfortunately, some are done so poorly that they are not only designed to fail, but also to create a negative experience for both the manager as well as the employee. So why do organizations do performance appraisals? There are many varying opinions on the subject of performance appraisals and why they are done. Some organizations do performance appraisals because they feel obligated to do them – because everyone else does. Other organizations do performance appraisals to make sure they have a piece of paper in the employee’s file – in case they ever need to do corrective action 
A Good A Leader/OWNER  Will DO Any of These 5 Thing Engaged employees are 17% more productive and 21% more profitable. Engaged employees are your strongest asset. In times of disruption, this is even more true. Engaged employees consistently outperform their colleagues by solving new problems, innovating, and creating new customers. Engaged employees are 17% more productive and 21% more profitable. companies prioritize engaging employees to create sustained growth. Make sure you have a workforce that isn't distracted can be difficult to achieve, but it must be core to your business strategy to remain competitive. Here are a few ways to do it in the coronavirus age.
-Maintain clear and consistent communication
During this time of upheaval, employees have more on their mind than day-to-day activities, which can cause them to lose focus. To keep them grounded at work, maintain a constant and open line of communication -- whether through regular updates over email or Slack, or semi-regular town hall meetings. This allows employees to keep productivity high and reassures them during an uncertain period. Connect with employees & parents Laurie Schultz, President & CEO of Galvanize, kept a CEO diary that she shared daily with employees for the first three months of the outbreak. In the diary, she detailed her perspective on the business landscape as well as anecdotes about how the outbreak was affecting her personally. For example, Schultz shared in one entry, "As terrible as this situation is, I do find myself feeling very bonded with the world as we unite together to do the right thing." Schultz said, "People want to feel safe and secure. Daily, authentic and human communication allows you to build trust -- reassuring people through regular check-ins -- rather than having them fill in the blanks."
3. Upskill your employees Successful upskilling, or reskilling, focuses on innovation and is seen as both a technology and human capital investment. PwC's U.S. and Global Advisory Leader, shared, "When it comes to innovation it can't come from just leadership, it comes from everybody." A few key areas to up skill employees include relevant emerging technologies, investing platforms, and the cloud. "This enables companies to deliver a better digital experience to customers and ensure employees have the ability to use these newly-implemented platforms to drive true value," Also recommended looking into new technologies for training, like virtual reality, which was found to improve employees confidence in new skills by 340%  4. Lead with empathy Unhealthy stress can wreak havoc on everyone, inhibit productivity, and lead to detached employees. "When an employee is showing signs that they're struggling in some way, the best thing a manager can do is encourage them to discuss any fears or concerns, empathize with what they're experiencing and help them outline what needs to be done to address the challenges head-on," said Billie Hartless CHRO of Mitll . "This is what good humans do for each other and it strengthens the employee-manager relationship, which is essential to fostering long-term engagement and high performance," Heartless said. Redeploy your workforce to give customers more value Redeploying your workforce is one way to engage employees. Yet you need to be strategic in how you do this. For instance, you should focus on redeploying employees to give more value to your customers. "The first step is determining how value is defined for each customer." For instance, is value related to lower cost? Is it related to a more holistic set of services or better experience? When value is defined, decisions can be made to positively impact customers and deploy talent in areas that will drive change in specific areas and for the organization as a whole. "By following these tips to engage your workforce, you can improve the productivity and profitability of your organization. Though it can be tough with a distributed workforce, the key is to come back to providing consistent communication, improving manager engagement, and offering new opportunities to learn. And always remember to put your people before profit. As Schultz shared, "Our focus has been on employees first, customer retention second, and then financials on the belief that the first two will lead to success on the financial front." A Good A Leader Will DO Any of These 5 Things: Engaged employees are 17% more productive and 21% more profitable. Engaged employees consistently are your strongest asset. In times of disruption, this is even more true. Engaged employees consistently outperform   their colleagues by solving new problems, innovating, and creating new customers. Engaged employees are 17% more productive and 21% more profitable. companies prioritize engaging employees to create sustained growth. Make sure you have a workforce that isn't distracted can be difficult to achieve, but it must be core to your business strategy to remain competitive. Here are a few ways to do it in the coronavirus age.
1. Maintain clear and consistent communication During this time of upheaval, employees have more on their mind than day-to-day activities, which can cause them to lose focus. To keep them grounded at work, maintain a constant and open line of communication -- whether through regular updates over email or Slack, or semi-regular town hall meetings. This allows employees to keep productivity high and reassures them during an uncertain period.
2. Create connection with employees & parents Laurie Schultz, President & CEO of GALVANIZE kept a CEO diary that she shared daily with employees for the first three months of the outbreak. In the diary, she detailed her perspective on the business landscape as well as anecdotes about how the outbreak was affecting her personally. For example, Schultz shared in one entry, "As terrible as this situation is, I do find myself feeling very bonded with the world as we unite together to do the right thing." Schultz said, "People want to feel safe and secure. Daily, authentic and human communication allows you to build trust -- reassuring people through regular check-ins -- rather than having them fill in the blanks." 3. Up-skill your employees Successful up-skilling, or re-skilling, focuses on innovation and is seen as both a technology and human capital investment. PwC's U.S. and Global Advisory Leader, shared, "When it comes to innovation it can't come from just leadership, it comes from everybody." A few key areas to up-skill employees include relevant emerging technologies, investing platforms, and the cloud. "This enables companies to deliver a better digital experience to customers and ensure employees have the ability to use these newly-implemented platforms to drive true value," Kande also recommended looking into new technologies for training, like virtual reality, which was found to improve employees confidence in new skills by 340%  
4. Lead with empath Unhealthy stress can wreak havoc on everyone, inhibit productivity, and lead to detached employees. "When an employee is showing signs that they're struggling in some way, the best thing a manager can do is encourage them to discuss any fears or concerns, empathize with what they're experiencing and help them outline what needs to be done to address the challenges head-on," said Billie Hartless CHRO of Mitel  
This is what good humans do for each other and it strengthens the employee-manager relationship, which is essential to fostering long-term engagement and high performance,". Redeploying your workforce is one way to engage employees. Yet you need to be strategic in how you do this. For instance, you should focus on redeploying employees to give more value to your customers. "The first step is determining how value is defined for each customer." For instance, is value related to lower cost? Is it related to a more holistic set of services or better experience? When value is defined, decisions can be made to positively impact customers and deploy talent in areas that will drive change in specific areas and for the organization as a whole. "By following these tips to engage your workforce, you can improve the productivity and profitability of your organization. Though it can be tough with a distributed workforce, the key is to come back to providing consistent communication, improving manager engagement, and offering new opportunities to learn and always remember to put your people before profit. As Schultz shared, "Our focus has been on employees first, customer retention second, and then financials on the belief that the first two will lead to success on the financial front."
1. Budget Allocation. The strategy should include the organization’s approach to allocating compensation dollars into salary and benefits. This budget allocation will determine how much of the total compensation budget will be spent on salary and what percentage will be spent on benefits and other incentives. For example, for a budget of $1000 for compensation, if 90% is salary and 10% is benefits, you need to determine how that 10% is spent – one scenario might be – 7% on health benefits, 2% on retirement savings and 1% on tuition reimbursement. Allocating specific budget dollars to pay and benefits can help control labor, health care, and other miscellaneous benefit costs.
2.  Develop Salary Ranges Develop salary ranges to ensure employee pay is competitive with other organizations.  To be competitive, it is important to benchmark similar jobs within the same industry and to create a pay structure. Salary ranges can be developed internally by conducting research or utilizing sites like salary.com or payscale.com to determine average salaries in a particular geographic area. Smaller organizations often pay a vendor to help develop salary ranges, whereas larger organizations may have the HR resources to conduct the research internally. Regardless, it is important to look at all jobs and determine what work is done, how the job is slotted, and establish salary ranges that match all job descriptions.
3.  Salary Audits Markets change, therefore it is important to perform routine salary audits to ensure salary ranges reflect current compensation trends in a particular industry. When performing an audit, the goal is to determine how competitive are those particular jobs and what is the external market demanding. Ask the question, is it a growing or dying profession? It is important to pay attention to market changes and to stay current because failing to keep up with the competition can lead to the loss of valuable employees.--------
4.  Benefit Package: Many organizations use benefit packages, in addition to salary, to attract and retain employees. Their goal is to be competitive with health, retirement, tuition reimbursement and other benefits because they understand that it can be the determining factor for a job candidate who is deciding whether to accept a position with an organization, or an employee who is considering leaving. For instance, I know employees who have stayed with organizations because the benefits were too good to walk away from.
5.  Performance Management System. It is important to have a structured performance management process to ensure employees are meeting corporate objectives and are assessed on a regular basis.
This process should include the development of annual goals, annual performance appraisals, and a structured process for coaching and mentoring employees.Compensation strategies can positively influence employee engagement and improve employee productivity.
6.  Legal Compliance A well-defined compensation strategy will incorporate legal requirements to ensure the organization is in compliance with all federal and state laws.
The goal is to eliminate natural biases made in hiring decisions and ensure compliance with DOL FLSA laws such as minimum wage, overtime pay, or Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay.
7.  Structured Administration Structure is important. Develop an annual review process, salary audit, raise process timeline, and make sure someone is responsible for all compensation areas. A comprehensive compensation strategy can be the foundation for creating an environment that recognizes and rewards employee performance and helps to establish a strong culture of employee engagement.
Organizations are only as successful as their approach to hiring the right people, setting clear expectations, managing performance, and recognizing and rewarding employees for a job well done. The Compensation Handbook might be additional help for you and a great resource to add to your library!
What Should Merit Raises Be Based On? Justification for a merit increase is important because of the financial investment the pay increase represents.  Merit increases can have a significant impact on an organization’s payroll cost over the span of perhaps decades that an employee works for an organization. For example, let’s say you have two employees and each makes $10 per hour.  Employee A receives a merit increase of 2% and employee B receives a 5% pay increase.  The 2% increase is equivalent to $416 for the year and 5% equals $1040 for the year – more than double.  Multiply that times ten years and the employee who receives the higher increase will cost the organization much more over that ten-year period of time. Now let’s say employee A gets 2% a year every year for ten years and the employee B gets 5% every year for ten years and this is what it looks like:
As you can see employee B, who received the 5% increases over the course of ten years, cost the organization $42,392 more than employee A.  Now do the math for the higher earners in your organization and the difference can be staggering.  This is why it is so important to have a structured performance management  process that helps to control costs and justifies merit increases for those employees who perform well.
Managing employee performance can help to control biases associated with managing employees and provides the
framework for rewarding strong performers while identifying poor performers.
MERIT RAISES BASED ON: A performance appraisal document is a key tool used in assessing performance.  When employees are scored on dimensions of performance, and those scores are tied to percentage increases, good performers get rewarded with a higher percentage of the pot. Scoring the performance appraisal FORM and then tying the scores to raise distribution is an objective way to ensure your best performers are receiving a higher percentage of allocated raise dollars. Ok, let’s look at the performance appraisal document again and see the dimension scores and look at this example: Let’s say there are 7 dimensions that are being scored and for dimension one the employee received a score of 3, dimension two a score of 3, dimension three a score of 4, and so on.
Dimension one         Score =3          Dimension two         Score = 3
Dimension three      Score = 4         Dimension four        Score = 3
Dimension five         Score = 5         Dimension six         Score = 3
Dimension Seven     Score =          Total score =   25
What you want to do is total the scores.  In this particular example if you add up the dimension scores you get a total score of 25 out of a possible 35 (7 dimensions X 5 points). Now if you take that score of 25 and divide it by 7 (the number of dimensions) you get an average score of 3.5 – (25/7 = 3.5).   This is the score that will determine the employee’s percentage merit increase.  Next, you want to do this on all of your employees and come up with a list of average scores. Ok, we’ve got the scores but how do you tie those scores to raises? Let’s go through an example.  Let’s say (for the sake of easy math) that you have:
-11 employees each making $10/hour
you budgeted 3.5% for raises which generates a pool of merit increase dollars of $8,008 (.035X$228,800). The $228,800 comes from 11 employees X 2080 hours X $10/hour = a salary budget of $228,800.
Now let’s also say that you have determined that the average performance appraisal scores (3.0) will receive a 3.5% increase – and those scoring below average will receive less, those scoring above will receive more. Now let’s look at what this might look like: As you can see from the example below, there are 11 employees listed, a, b, c, etc.  The next column shows their average scores as well as an overall average score for all employees.  Now in the next column, you can see the percent increase that was awarded to each employee based on the predetermined criteria. Some employees received as low as 2% increase and the higher performers received as high as 4.5% increase which translates into a raise of $416 for the poor performers but more than twice as much, $936 for the higher performing employees.  Now if you total what all of these increases add up to, you’ll see that these pay increases will cost the organization $8,008 which ends up being exactly what was budgeted $8008.This is an oversimplified example to demonstrate how this can be done.  Obviously when there are dozens or even hundreds of employees this scenario would look much different. It is common for larger organizations to allocate the raise percentages to the individual department and allow managers to award raises specifically to their own area. Another thing to remember is the importance of organizational culture and communicating clearly with all employees about their raise increases. The higher performers should be aware that they received a higher per-centage but the lower performers should also be told that they received less because of their performance scores.  This should serve as an encouragement for the good performers and possibly a wake-up call for the under performers. And lastly, it doesn’t matter how high the raise percentage is, most employees don’t think it’s enough and that is just something you need to be aware of and not get overly concerned with.  Statistics show most people don’t think they are paid for what they think they are worth and that organizations have unlimited resources for salaries – we know that’s not true
Advantages and Disadvantages of Performance Appraisals Employees, as well as managers, often question why organizations do employee performance appraisals Anyone who has ever been on the receiving end of a performance appraisal could argue why they perceive it to be ineffective and a complete waste of time. Employees often feel unjustly assessed, and managers often go through a forced annual process to comply with job expectations. This doesn’t make it easy for either party.
So what exactly is a performance appraisal? A performance appraisal is an evaluation done on an employee’s job performance over a specific period of time. It is the equivalent of a report card on an employee and how their manager assessed their performance over the prior year. Anyone who has worked in more than one department or at more than one organization can attest to the fact that not all performance appraisal processes are the same. The varying systems and processes are all over the map. Unfortunately, some are done so poorly that they are not only designed to fail, but also to create a negative experience for both the manager as well as the employee.
So why do organizations do performance appraisals? There are many varying opinions on the subject of performance appraisals and why they are done. Some organizations do performance appraisals because they feel obligated to do them – because everyone else does. Other organizations do performance appraisals to make sure they have a piece of paper in the employee’s file – in case they ever need to do corrective action  
6 Things You Can Do To Influence Customer Loyalty
1. Solicit Customer Feedback.  A great customer experience is what brings consumers back. The only way to know how a customer perceived an experience is to ask them. Solicit customer feedback and make sure that customer satisfaction is one of the critical success factors or your organization. Feedback can come from surveys. Share data with all levels of the organization. All should be aware of customer requirements as compared to customer feedback. Help employees understand the requirements and how the feedback tells the experience story. These efforts result in satisfied customers and satisfied customers can turn into loyal customers. Customer feedback should be interpreted and used to develop strategy. This strategy should then be used to develop organizational business goals that are used to determine employee goals. Goals should be based on meeting and exceeding customer requirements. Employees should be held accountable for performance that supports customer satisfaction.
2. Customer Service Business Systems and processes are how services are provided: Customer Complaints and issues that may arise. The goal of quickly addressing customer issues and complaints done right, service recovery programs can turn an angry customer into a loyal one!
3. Process Improvement: Broken processes have a direct impact on the customer experience.  A structured quality management program can help develop solutions to systemic problems that affect the customer experiences. This is done by continually trying to improve the way products and services are delivered to the customer.
Use quality tools to create flow charts of the current process, then work to eliminate steps in the process that don’t add value to the customer.
4. Employees need to understand the importance of providing a great service experience. Managing for a great client experience should be incorporated into the day-to-day operational processes of the organization. What this means is training and holding employees accountable for adhering to established customer service standards.
5. Owners should Coach Employees on appropriate behaviors. Employees Compensation Based On The Experience They Provide To Our Gymnasts. At the end of the day, it is the customer who pays salaries. Employees compensated based on their ability to meet customer requirements. Use customer satisfaction data to determine. Effective Compensation Strategy
6.There should be measures in place to assess employee influence on customer satisfaction. Scores that should also be reflected in the annual performance appraisals. Example, an organization should have customer satisfaction goals that are tied to performance pay. If the organization meets those goals it is reflected in the annual merit increase.
Developing a Strategic Plan      Write a Vision Statement: 
2-3 sentences. The goal is to give your business a mental picture of what your business hopes to become or what the organization hopes to achieve. As an owner you must understand where your business is going before you can develop a strategic plan for how to get there. The value of a vision statement is that is gives leadership and employees a shared goal. Example: ABC Dry Cleaners will be the premier professional laundry of the metropolitan area by providing unmatched customer service and cleaning services that exceed the competition.” 
Your Mission Statement: An explanation of why an organization exists and the path it will take to achieve its vision. Mission statements are typically shorter than a vision statement but not always and are organization specific. This statement describes what the organization is passionate about and why it exists. To facilitate the mission statement process: Brainstorm your mission statement...
Customer Service and Quality of Service. This is the most important area for business owners. Why? A Loyal customer base is important because it is those consumers who sustain and grow businesses. Organizations that understand the importance of happy customers, need to think strategy in order to build a loyal customer base. Successful organizations have learned that there is a difference between attracting customers, keeping customers and developing loyal customers. Devoted customers are not only loyal to the organization, but also serve as advocates and help to solicit new customers by sharing their positive experiences. We can all relate to a good service experience.  The question becomes, was that experience good enough for us to tell others about it? 
Staff MUST EXCEL adding to those special touches to create a memorable experience for all gymnasts. You want your parents to promote your business to family and friends by talking about the great experience their children have in your program.
LOYAL CUSTOMERS. DOLLARS & CENTS! 
Impact of a loyal Customer/Gymnast in the restaurant/club business 
Monthly Payment vs. Package Class Program.
Club Owners Fill in your number$.
Restaurant breakdown: A Customer who frequents 6 times a year contributes $300 ($50 X 6 visits) to the bottom line. 
A customer comes 52 times a year (once a week!) at $50 each visit, could be worth $2,600! Now imagine if you threw in some extra special occasion visits (when they bring a a friend for gymnastics vs. parents or clients to a restaurant and you can gain significant dollars to your bottom line!
Build Customer Loyalty!!!
Customer Service A loyal customer base is important because it is those consumers who sustain and grow businesses. Organizations that understand the importance of happy customers, need to think strategy in order to build a loyal customer base. Successful organizations have learned that there is a difference between attracting customers, keeping customers and developing loyal customers. Devoted customers are not only loyal to the organization, but also serve as advocates and help to solicit new customers by sharing their positive experiences. We can all relate to a good service experience. The question becomes, was the experience you provide good enough for us to tell others about it? Think of a special restaurant that you go to. The staff is and they add those special touches to create a memorable experience. That is the kind excellence of organization that I would tell my family and friends about because I want them to have the same great experience.
The Dollars and Cents of a Loyal Customer – Think Gymnastic Parents
If you wonder about the impact of a loyal customer, look at this example.
A customer who frequents a restaurant 6 times a year may contribute $300 ($50 X 6 visits) to your bottom line. But a loyal customer that comes in once a week can be much more! Imagine that customer comes 52 times a year at $50 each visit, that customer could be worth $2,600. Now imagine if you threw in some extra special occasion visits (when they bring the kids, parents or clients) and you can gain significant dollars to your bottom line! Just something to think about.
Budget Allocation. The strategy should include the organization’s approach to allocating compensation dollars into salary and benefits. This budget allocation will determine how much of the total compensation budget will be spent on salary and what percentage will be spent on benefits and other incentives. For example, for a budget of $1000 for compensation, if 90% is salary and 10% is benefits, you need to determine how that 10% is spent – one scenario might be – 7% on health benefits, 2% on retirement savings and 1% on tuition reimbursement. Allocating specific budget dollars to pay and benefits can help control labor, health care, and other miscellaneous benefit costs.
2.  Develop Salary Ranges Develop salary ranges to ensure employee pay is competitive with other organizations.  To be competitive, it is important to benchmark similar jobs within the same industry and to create a pay structure. Salary ranges can be developed internally by conducting research or utilizing sites like salary.com or payscale.com to determine average salaries in a particular geographic area. Smaller organizations often pay a vendor to help develop salary ranges, whereas larger organizations may have the HR resources to conduct the research internally. Regardless, it is important to look at all jobs and determine what work is done, how the job is slotted, and establish salary ranges that match all job descriptions. 3.  Salary Audits Markets change, therefore it is important to perform routine salary audits to ensure salary ranges reflect current compensation trends in a particular industry. When performing an audit, the goal is to determine how competitive are those particular jobs and what is the external market demanding. Ask the question, is it a growing or dying profession? It is important to pay attention to market changes and to stay current because failing to keep up with the competition can lead to the loss of valuable employees.---------
4.  Benefit Package: Many organizations use benefit packages, in addition to salary, to attract and retain employees. Their goal is to be competitive with health, retirement, tuition reimbursement and other benefits because they understand that it can be the determining factor for a job candidate who is deciding whether to accept a position with an organization, or an employee who is considering leaving. For instance, I know employees who have stayed with organizations because the benefits were too good to walk away from.
5.  Performance Management System. It is important to have a structured performance management process to ensure employees are meeting corporate objectives and are assessed on a regular basis. This process should include the development of annual goals, annual performance appraisals, and a structured process for coaching and mentoring employees. Compensation strategies can positively influence employee engagement and improve employee productivity. 6.  Legal Compliance A well-defined compensation strategy will incorporate legal requirements to ensure the organization is in compliance with all federal and state laws.The goal is to eliminate natural biases made in hiring decisions and ensure compliance with DOL FLSA laws such as minimum wage, overtime pay, or Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay.
7.  Structured Administration Structure is important. Develop an annual review process, salary audit, raise process timeline, and make sure someone is responsible for all compensation areas. A comprehensive compensation strategy can be the foundation for creating an environment that recognizes and rewards employee performance and helps to establish a strong culture of employee engagement. Organizations are only as successful as their approach to hiring the right people, setting clear expectations, managing performance, and recognizing and rewarding employees for a job well done
Compensation Handbook might be additional help for you and a great resource to add to your library!
1. Budget Allocation. The strategy should include the organization’s approach to allocating compensation dollars into salary and benefits. This budget allocation will determine how much of the total compensation budget will be spent on salary and what percentage will be spent on benefits and other incentives. For example, for a budget of $1000 for compensation, if 90% is salary and 10% is benefits, you need to determine how that 10% is spent – one scenario might be – 7% on health benefits, 2% on retirement savings and 1% on tuition reimbursement. Allocating specific budget dollars to pay and benefits can help control labor, health care, and other miscellaneous benefit costs.
2.  Develop Salary Ranges Develop salary ranges to ensure employee pay is competitive with other organizations.  To be competitive, it is important to benchmark similar jobs within the same industry and to create a pay structure. Salary ranges can be developed internally by conducting research or utilizing sites like salary.com or payscale.com to determine average salaries in a particular geographic area. Smaller organizations often pay a vendor to help develop salary ranges, whereas larger organizations may have the HR resources to conduct the research internally. Regardless, it is important to look at all jobs and determine what work is done, how the job is slotted, and establish salary ranges that match all job descriptions.
3.  Salary Audits Markets change, therefore it is important to perform routine salary audits to ensure salary ranges reflect current compensation trends in a particular industry. When performing an audit, the goal is to determine how competitive are those particular jobs and what is the external market demanding. Ask the question, is it a growing or dying profession? It is important to pay attention to market changes and to stay current because failing to keep up with the competition can lead to the loss of valuable employees.--4.  Benefit Package: Many organizations use benefit packages, in addition to salary, to attract and retain employees. Their goal is to be competitive with health, retirement, tuition reimbursement and other benefits because they understand that it can be the determining factor for a job candidate who is deciding whether to accept a position with an organization, or an employee who is considering leaving. For instance, I know employees who have stayed with organizations because the benefits were too good to walk away from.
5.  Performance Management System. It is important to have a structured performance management process to ensure employees are meeting corporate objectives and are assessed on a regular basis.
This process should include the development of annual goals, annual performance appraisals, and a structured process for coaching and mentoring employees.
Compensation strategies can positively influence employee engagement and improve employee productivity.
6.  Legal Compliance A well-defined compensation strategy will incorporate legal requirements to ensure the organization is in compliance with all federal and state laws.
The goal is to eliminate natural biases made in hiring decisions and ensure compliance with DOL FLSA laws such as minimum wage, overtime pay, or Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay.
7.  Structured Administration
Structure is important. Develop an annual review process, salary audit, raise process timeline, and make sure someone is responsible for all compensation areas. A comprehensive compensation strategy can be the foundation for creating an environment that recognizes and rewards employee performance and helps to establish a strong culture of employee engagement. Organizations are only as successful as their approach to hiring the right people, setting clear expectations, managing performance, and recognizing and rewarding employees for a job well done.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFICATION FROM STATE, REGIONAL AND  INTERNATIONALCOMPETITION
Necessary Tools For Club Owners To Succeed. Develope Strong, Successful Business Practices, Income Streams, Educational Programs & a Club Member Of An International Competitive Gymnastic Providing an opportunity to compete around the World with one set of competitive rules & policies.

Club Owners Responsibility:Educational Planning: Staff ,Lesson Plans, Professional Development, Workshops. A staff that Understands Child Development, Motor Skills, Any skills associated with Pre-School Children that Have Educational Value PRIMARY FUNCTION OF IGC: Support Gymnastic Club Owners By Developing Strong Successful Business Educational Programs and the only International Gymnastic Club Program.USAIGC/IAIGC Was Created to Support Our Club Owners And To Develop The Necessary Tools WITH Business Educational Programs and an International Competitive Program.
Educational Planning, Staff Education, Lesson Plans, Professional Development, Workshops, understanding Child Development, Motor Skills and the Skills associated with teaching. 
Pre-School children that have educational value. As an Independent Club Owners Association, Our Club Owners must work together in developing strong healthy business models. WE must build our Gymnastic base together. The mentality of trying to put another club out of business is senseless. Good businesses survive. Bad businesses fail. Collectively we ALL can increase our businesses by providing “strong educationally sound programs” that have value for our students and provide a meaningful educational experience. This is what will "grow" your business.
Student Retention Rate is the success of any Gymnastic Club/School. YOUR Staff must conduct worthwhile educational programs that will impact the overall physical and mental development of your students. This is the value of service you provide. You teach more than "just gymnastic skills". As a Club Owner I felt that my Staff's teaching was not just about skills! It was about life's most important lesson, Learning how to handle success and failure!
How To Accomplishing a task.
USAIGC-IAIGC Family must come together and learn from one another and help grow your businesses collectively. Strong businesses that are built on Strong Business Practices and driven by Value succeed! The Class student is your key to financial success. Let’s grow our Businesses and our Sport together 
As an Independent Club Owners Association: 
Our Club Owners must work together in developing strong healthy
Business models. WE must build our base together. The mentality of trying to put another club out of business is senseless. Good businesses survive. Bad businesses fail. Collectively we ALL can increase our businesses by providing “strong educationally sound programs” that have value for our students and provide a meaningful educational experience. This is what will "grow" your business.
Student Retention Rate: is the success of any Gymnastic Club/School. 
As an Owner, YOU and YOUR Staff must conduct worthwhile educational programs that will impact the overall physical and mental development of your students. This is the value of service you provide. You teach more than "just gymnastic skills". As a Club Owner I felt that my Staff's teaching was not just about skills! It was about life's most important lesson; Learning how to handle success and failure! How To Accomplishing a task.
As a USAIGC-IAIGC Family Member WE must come together and learn from one another and help grow your businesses collectively. Strong businesses that are built on Strong Business Practices and driven by Value. The Class student is your key to financial success. 
Let’s grow our Businesses and our Sport together  
6 Things You Can Do To Influence Customer Loyalty
1. Solicit Customer Feedback.  A great customer experience is what brings consumers back. The only way to know how a customer perceived an experience is to ask them. Solicit customer feedback and make sure that customer satisfaction is one of the critical success factors or your organization. Feedback can come from surveys. Share data with all levels of the organization. All should be aware of customer requirements as compared to customer feedback. Help employees understand the requirements and how the feedback tells the experience story. These efforts result in satisfied customers and satisfied customers can turn into loyal customers. Customer feedback should be interpreted and used to develop strategy. This strategy should then be used to develop organizational business goals that are used to determine employee goals. Goals should be based on meeting and exceeding customer requirements. Employees should be held accountable for performance that supports customer satisfaction.
2. Customer Service Business Systems and processes are how services are provided: Customer Complaints and issues that may arise. The goal of quickly addressing customer issues and complaints done right, service recovery programs can turn an angry customer into a loyal one!
3. Process Improvement: Broken processes have a direct impact on the customer experience.  A structured quality management program can help develop solutions to systemic problems that affect the customer experiences. This is done by continually trying to improve the way products and services are delivered to the customer.
Use quality tools to create flow charts of the current process, then work to eliminate steps in the process that don’t add value to the customer.
4. Employees need to understand the importance of providing a great service experience. Managing for a great client experience should be incorporated into the day-to-day operational processes of the organization. What this means is training and holding employees accountable for adhering to established customer service standards.
5. Owners should Coach Employees on appropriate behaviors.
Employee Compensation Based On The Experience They Provide To Our Gymnasts. 
At the end of the day, it is the customer who pays salaries. Employees compensated based on their ability to meet customer requirements. Use customer satisfaction data to determine. 
Effective Compensation Strategy6.There should be measures in place to assess employee influence on customer satisfaction. Scores that should also be reflected in the annual performance appraisals.Example, an organization should have customer satisfaction goals that are tied to performance pay. If the organization meets those goals it is reflected in the annual merit increase.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Budget Allocation. The strategy should include the organization’s approach to allocating compensation dollars into salary and benefits. This budget allocation will determine how much of the total compensation budget will be spent on salary and what percentage will be spent on benefits and other incentives. For example, for a budget of $1000 for compensation, if 90% is salary and 10% is benefits, you need to determine how that 10% is spent – one scenario might be – 7% on health benefits, 2% on retirement savings and 1% on tuition reimbursement. Allocating specific budget dollars to pay and benefits can help control labor, health care, and other miscellaneous benefit costs.

Develop Salary Ranges Develop salary ranges to ensure employee pay is competitive with other organizations.  To be competitive, it is important to benchmark similar jobs within the same industry and to create a pay structure. Salary ranges can be developed internally by conducting research or utilizing sites like salary.com or payscale.com to determine average salaries in a particular geographic area. Smaller organizations often pay a vendor to help develop salary ranges, whereas larger organizations may have the HR resources to conduct the research internally. Regardless, it is important to look at all jobs and determine what work is done, how the job is slotted, and establish salary ranges that match all job descriptions.
3.  Salary Audits Markets change, therefore it is important to perform routine salary audits to ensure salary ranges reflect current compensation trends in a particular industry. When performing an audit, the goal is to determine how competitive are those particular jobs and what is the external market demanding. Ask the question, is it a growing or dying profession? It is important to pay attention to market changes and to stay current because failing to keep up with the competition can lead to the loss of valuable employees.---------
4.  Benefit Package: Many organizations use benefit packages, in addition to salary, to attract and retain employees. Their goal is to be competitive with health, retirement, tuition reimbursement and other benefits because they understand that it can be the determining factor for a job candidate who is deciding whether to accept a position with an organization, or an employee who is considering leaving. For instance, I know employees who have stayed with organizations because the benefits were too good to walk away from.
5.  Performance Management System. It is important to have a structured performance management process to ensure employees are meeting corporate objectives and are assessed on a regular basis.
This process should include the development of annual goals, annual performance appraisals, and a structured process for coaching and mentoring employees.
Compensation strategies can positively influence employee engagement and improve employee productivity.
6.  Legal Compliance A well-defined compensation strategy will incorporate legal requirements to ensure the organization is in compliance with all federal and state laws.The goal is to eliminate natural biases made in hiring decisions and ensure compliance with DOL FLSA laws such as minimum wage, overtime pay, or Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay.
7.  Structured Administration
Structure is important. Develop an annual review process, salary audit, raise process timeline, and make sure someone is responsible for all compensation areas. A comprehensive compensation strategy can be the foundation for creating an environment that recognizes and rewards employee performance and helps to establish a strong culture of employee engagement. Organizations are only as successful as their approach to hiring the right people, setting clear expectations, managing performance, and recognizing and rewarding employees for a job well done.
The Compensation Handbook might be additional help for you and a great resource to add to your library!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Developing a Strategic Plan  
Write a Vision Statement: 
2-3 sentences. The goal is to give your business a mental picture of what your business hopes to become or what the organization hopes to achieve. As an owner you must understand where your business is going before you can develop a strategic plan for how to get there. The value of a vision statement is that is gives leadership and employees a shared goal.Example:  ABC Dry Cleaners will be the premier professional laundry of the metropolitan area by providing unmatched customer service and cleaning services that exceed the competition.” 
Your Mission Statement:   
An explanation of why an organization exists and the path it will take to achieve its vision. Mission statements are typically shorter than a vision statement but not always and are organization specific. This statement describes what the organization is passionate about and why it exists. To facilitate the mission statement process: Brainstorm your mission statement...
Customer Service and Quality of Service.
This is the most important area for business owners. Why? A Loyal customer base is important because it is those consumers who sustain and grow businesses. Organizations that understand the importance of happy customers, need to think strategy in order to build a loyal customer base. Successful organizations have learned that there is a difference between attracting customers, keeping customers and developing loyal customers. Devoted customers are not only loyal to the organization, but also serve as advocates and help to solicit new customers by sharing their positive experiences. We can all relate to a good service experience.  The question becomes, was that experience good enough for us to tell others about it? 
Staff MUST EXCEL adding to those special touches to create a memorable experience for all gymnasts. You want your parents to promote your business to family and friends by talking about the great experience their children have in your program.
LOYAL CUSTOMERS. DOLLARS & CENTS! 
Impact of a loyal Customer/Gymnast in the restaurant/club business 
Monthly Payment vs. Package Class Program. Club Owners Fill in your number$.
Restaurant breakdown: A Customer who frequents 6 times a year contributes $300 ($50 X 6 visits) to the bottom line. 
A customer comes 52 times a year (once a week!) at $50 each visit, could be worth $2,600! 
Now imagine if you threw in some extra special occasion visits (when they bring a a friend for gymnastics vs. parents or clients to a restaurant and you can gain significant dollars to your bottom line! 
Build Customer Loyalty!!! Customer Service
A loyal customer base is important because it is those consumers who sustain and grow businesses. Organizations that understand the importance of happy customers, need to think strategy in order to build a loyal customer base. 
Successful organizations have learned that there is a difference between attracting customers, keeping customers and developing loyal customers. Devoted customers are not only loyal to the organization, but also serve as advocates and help to solicit new customers by sharing their positive experiences. We can all relate to a good service experience. The question becomes, was the experience you provide good enough for us to tell others about it? 
Think of a special restaurant that you go to. The staff is excellent and they add those special touches to create a memorable experience. That is the kind of organization that I would tell my family and friends about because I want them to have the same great experience.
The Dollars and Cents of a Loyal Customer – Think Gymnastic Parents
If you wonder about the impact of a loyal customer, look at this example.
A customer who frequents a restaurant 6 times a year may contribute $300 ($50 X 6 visits) to your bottom line. But a loyal customer that comes in once a week can be much more! Imagine that customer comes 52 times a year at $50 each visit, that customer could be worth $2,600!Now imagine if you threw in some extra special occasion visits (when they bring the kids, parents or clients) and you can gain significant dollars to your bottom line! Just something to think about
A Good A Leader/OWNER  Will DO Any of These 5 Things
1. Engaged employees are 17% more productive and 21% more profitable. Engaged employees are your strongest asset. In times of disruption, this is even more true. Engaged employees consistently outperform their colleagues by solving new problems, innovating, and creating new customers. Engaged employees are 17% more productive and 21% more profitable. companies prioritize engaging employees to create sustained growth. Make sure you have a workforce that isn't distracted can be difficult to achieve, but it must be core to your business strategy to remain competitive. Here are a few ways to do it in the coronavirus age.
Maintain clear and consistent communication
During this time of upheaval, employees have more on their mind than day-to-day activities, which can cause them to lose focus. To keep them grounded at work, maintain a constant and open line of communication -- whether through regular updates over email or Slack, or semi-regular townhall meetings. This allows employees to keep productivity high and reassures them during an uncertain period. Connect  with employees & parents and detail perspective on the business landscape as well as anecdotes about how the outbreak was affecting her personally. For example, Schultz shared in one entry, "As terrible as this situation is, I do find myself feeling very bonded with the world as we unite together to do the right thing." Schultz said, "People want to feel safe and secure. Daily, authentic and human communication allows you to build trust -- reassuring people through regular check-ins -- rather than having them fill in the blanks."
3. Upskill your employees Successful upskilling, or reskilling, focuses on innovation and is seen as both a technology and human capital investment. "When it comes to innovation it can't come from just leadership, it comes from everybody." A few key areas to upskill employees include relevant emerging technologies, investing platforms, and the cloud. "This enables companies to deliver a better digital experience to customers and ensure employees have the ability to use these newly-implemented platforms to drive true value," Look into new technologies for training, like virtual reality, which was found to improve employee's confidence in new skills by 340%.
4. Lead with empathy unhealthy stress can wreak havoc on everyone, inhibit productivity, and lead to detached employees. "When an employee is showing signs that they're struggling in some way, the best thing a manager can do is encourage them to discuss any fears or concerns, empathize with what they're experiencing and help them outline what needs to be done to address the challenges head-on," said Billie Heartless CHRO of Mitel. "This is what good humans do for each other and it strengthens the employee-manager relationship, which is essential to fostering long-term engagement and high performance," Heartless said. Redeploy your workforce to give customers more value
Redeploying your workforce is one way to engage employees. Yet you need to be strategic in how you do this. For instance, you should focus on redeploying employees to give more value to your customers.
The first step is determining how value is defined for each customer." For instance, is value related to lower cost? Is it related to a more holistic set of services or better experience? When value is defined, decisions can be made to positively impact customers and deploy talent in areas that will drive change in specific areas and for the organization as a whole. "By following these tips to engage your workforce, you can improve the productivity and profitability of your organization. Though it can be tough with a distributed workforce, the key is to come back to providing consistent communication, improving manager engagement, and offering new opportunities to learn.
And always remember to put your people before profit. As Schultz shared, "Our focus has been on employees first, customer retention second, and then financials on the belief that the first two will lead to success on the financial front." A Good A Leader Will DO Any of These 5 Things: Engaged employees are 17% more productive and 21% more profitable. Engaged employees are your strongest asset. In times of disruption, this is even more true. Engaged employees consistently outperform their colleagues by solving new problems, innovating, and creating new customers. Engaged employees are 17% more productive and 21% more profitable. companies prioritize engaging employees to create sustained growth. Make sure you have a workforce that isn't distracted can be difficult to achieve, but it must be core to your business strategy to remain competitive. Here are a few ways to do it in the coronavirus age.
1. Maintain clear and consistent communication During this time of upheaval, employees have more on their mind than day-to-day activities, which can cause them to lose focus. To keep them grounded at work, maintain a constant and open line of communication -- whether through regular updates over email or Slack, or semi-regular townhall meetings. This allows employees to keep productivity high and reassures them during an uncertain period.
2. Create connection with employees & parents Laurie Schultz, President & CEO of Galvanize, kept a CEO diary that she shared daily with employees for the first three months of the outbreak. In the diary, she detailed her perspective on the business landscape as well as anecdotes about how the outbreak was affecting her personally. For example, Schultz shared in one entry, "As terrible as this situation is, I do find myself feeling very bonded with the world as we unite together to do the right thing." Schultz said, "People want to feel safe and secure. Daily, authentic and human communication allows you to build trust -- reassuring people through regular check-ins -- rather than having them fill in the blanks."
3. Upskill your employees Successful upskilling, or reskilling, focuses on innovation and is seen as both a technology and human capital investment. "When it comes to innovation it can't come from just leadership, it comes from everybody." A few key areas to upskill employees include relevant emerging technologies, investing platforms, and the cloud. "This enables companies to deliver a better digital experience to customers and ensure employees have the ability to use these newly-implemented platforms to drive true value, Look into new technologies for training, like virtual reality, which was found to improve employee's confidence in new skills by 340%.
4.Lead with empath Unhealthy stress can wreak havoc on everyone, inhibit productivity, and lead to detached employees. "When an employee is showing signs that they're struggling in some way, the best thing a manager can do is encourage them to discuss any fears or concerns, empathize with what they're experiencing and help them outline what needs to be done to address the challenges head-on," said Billie Heartless CHRO of Mitel. "This is what good humans do for each other and it strengthens the employee-manager relationship, which is essential to fostering long-term engagement and high performance, Redeploying your workforce is one way to engage employees. Yet you need to be strategic in how you do this. For instance, you should focus on redeploying employees to give more value to your customers.  "The first step is determining how value is defined for each customer." For instance, is value related to lower cost? Is it related to a more holistic set of services or better experience? When value is defined, decisions can be made to positively impact customers and deploy talent in areas that will drive change in specific areas and for the organization as a whole. "By following these tips to engage your workforce, you can improve the productivity and profitability of your organization. Though it can be tough with a distributed workforce, the key is to come back to providing consistent communication, improving manager engagement, and offering new opportunities to learn And always remember to put your people before profit. As Schultz shared, "Our focus has been on employees first, customer retention second, and then financials on the belief that the first two will lead to success on the financial front."
What Should Merit Raises Be Based On? Justification for a merit increase is important because of the financial investment the pay increase represents.  Merit increases can have a significant impact on an organization’s payroll cost over the span of perhaps decades that an employee works for an organization.
For example, let’s say you have two employees and each makes $10 per hour.  Employee A receives a merit increase of 2% and employee B receives a 5% pay increase.  The 2% increase is equivalent to $416 for the year and 5% equals $1040 for the year – more than double.  Multiply that times ten years and the employee who receives the higher increase will cost the organization much more over that ten year period of time. Now let’s say employee A gets 2% a year every year for ten years and the employee B gets 5% every year for ten years and this is what it looks like:
As you can see employee B, who received the 5% increases over the course of ten years, cost the organization $42,392 more than employee A.  Now do the math for the higher earners in your organization and the difference can be staggering.  This is why it is so important to have a structured performance management process that helps to control costs and justifies merit increases for those employees who perform well.
Managing employee performance can help to control biases associated with managing employees and provides the framework for rewarding strong performers while identifying poor performers.
MERIT PAY INCRESE BASED ON: performance appraisal document is a key tool used in assessing performance.  When employees are scored on dimensions of performance, and those scores are tied to percentage increases, good performers get rewarded with a higher percentage of the pot.
Scoring the performance appraisal form and then tying the scores to raise distribution is an objective way to ensure your best performers are receiving a higher percentage of allocated raise dollars.
Ok, let’s look at the performance appraisal document again and see the dimension scores and look at this example:
Let’s say there are 7 dimensions that are being scored and for dimension one the employee received a score of 3, dimension two a score of 3, dimension three a score of 4, and so on.
Dimension one       Score = 3          Dimension two        Score = 3
Dimension three     Score = 4          Dimension four       Score = 3
Dimension five       Score = 5           Dimension six        Score = 3
Dimension Seven   Score = 4
Total score =   25
What you want to do is total the scores.  In this particular example if you add up the dimension scores you get a total score of 25 out of a possible 35 (7 dimensions X 5 points). Now if you take that score of 25 and divide it by 7 (the number of dimensions) you get an average score of 3.5 – (25/7 = 3.5).   This is the score that will determine the employee’s percentage merit increase.  Next, you want to do this on all of your employees and come up with a list of average scores. Ok we’ve got the scores but how do you tie those scores to raises? Let’s go through an example.  Let’s say (for the sake of easy math) that you have:
11 employees each making $10/hour you budgeted 3.5%  for raises which generates a pool of merit increase dollars of $8,008 (.035X$228,800). The $228,800 comes from 11 employees X 2080 hours X $10/hour = a salary budget of $228,800. Lets also say that you have determined that the average performance appraisal scores (3.0) will receive a 3.5% increase – and those scoring below average will receive less, those scoring above will receive more.
Now let’s look at what this might look like: As you can see from the example below, there are 11 employees listed, a,b,c,etc.  The next column shows their average scores as well as an overall average score for all employees.  Now in the next column, you can see the percent increase that was awarded to each employee based on the predetermined criteria. Some employees received as low as 2% increase and the higher performers received as high as 4.5% increase which translates into a raise of $416 for the poor performers but more than twice as much, $936 for the higher performing employees.  Now if you total what all of these increases add up to, you’ll see that these pay increases will cost the organization $8,008 which ends up being exactly what was budgeted  -$8008. This is an oversimplified example to demonstrate how this can be done.  Obviously when there are dozens or even hundreds of employees this scenario would look much different. It is common for larger organizations to allocate the raise percentages to the individual department and allow managers to award raises specifically to their own area. Another thing to remember is the importance of organizational culture and communicating clearly with all employees about their raise increases. The higher performers should be aware that they received a higher percentage but the lower performers should also be told that they received less because of their performance scores.  This should serve as an encouragement for the good performers and possibly a wake-up call for the under performers .And lastly, it doesn’t matter how high the raise percentage is, most employees don’t think it’s enough and that is just something you need to be aware of and not get overly concerned with.  Statistics show most people don’t think they are paid for what they think they are worth and that organizations have unlimited resources for salaries – we know that’s not true
Advantages and Disadvantages of Performance Appraisals
Employees, as well as managers, often question why organizations do employee performance appraisals.Anyone who has ever been on the receiving end of a performance appraisal could argue why they perceive it to be ineffective and a complete waste of time. Employees often feel unjustly assessed, and managers often go through a forced annual process to comply with job expectations. This doesn’t make it easy for either party.
So what exactly is a performance appraisal? A performance appraisal is an evaluation done on an employee’s job performance over a specific period of time. It is the equivalent of a report card on an employee and how their manager assessed their performance over the prior year. Anyone who has worked in more than one department or at more than one organization can attest to the fact that not all performance appraisal processes are the same. The varying systems and processes are all over the map. Unfortunately, some are done so poorly that they are not only designed to fail, but also to create a negative experience for both the manager as well as the employee. So why do organizations do performance appraisals? There are many varying opinions on the subject of performance appraisals and why they are done.Some organizations do performance appraisals because they feel obligated to do them – because everyone else does. Other organizations do performance appraisals to make sure they have a piece of paper in the employee’s file – in case they ever need to do corrective action.
A Good A Leader/OWNER  Will DO Any of These 5 Thing
Engaged employees are 17% more productive and 21% more profitable. Engaged employees are your strongest asset. In times of disruption, this is even more true. Engaged employees consistently outperform their colleagues by solving new problems, innovating, and creating new customers. Engaged employees are 17% more productive and 21% more profitable. companies prioritize engaging employees to create sustained growth. Make sure you have a workforce that isn't distracted can be difficult to achieve, but it must be core to your business strategy to remain competitive. Here are a few ways to do it in the coronavirus age. -Maintain clear and consistent communication
During this time of upheaval, employees have more on their mind than day-to-day activities, which can cause them to lose focus. To keep them grounded at work, maintain a constant and open line of communication -- whether through regular updates over email or Slack, or semi-regular townhall meetings. This allows employees to keep productivity high and reassures them during an uncertain period. Connect  with employees & parents Laurie Schultz, President & CEO of Galvanize, kept a CEO diary that she shared daily with employees for the first three months of the outbreak. In the diary, she detailed her perspective on the business landscape as well as anecdotes about how the outbreak was affecting her personally. For example, Schultz shared in one entry, "As terrible as this situation is, I do find myself feeling very bonded with the world as we unite together to do the right thing." Schultz said, "People want to feel safe and secure. Daily, authentic and human communication allows you to build trust -- reassuring people through regular check-ins -- rather than having them fill in the blanks."
3. Upskill your employees Successful upskilling, or reskilling, focuses on innovation and is seen as both a technology and human capital investment. PwC's U.S. and Global Advisory Leader, shared, "When it comes to innovation it can't come from just leadership, it comes from everybody." A few key areas to upskill employees include relevant emerging technologies, investing platforms, and the cloud. "This enables companies to deliver a better digital experience to customers and ensure employees have the ability to use these newly-implemented platforms to drive true value," Also recommended looking into new technologies for training, like virtual reality, which was found to improve employee's confidence in new skills by 340%.
4. Lead with empathy Unhealthy stress can wreak havoc on everyone, inhibit productivity, and lead to detached employees. "When an employee is showing signs that they're struggling in some way, the best thing a manager can do is encourage them to discuss any fears or concerns, empathize with what they're experiencing and help them outline what needs to be done to address the challenges head-on," said Billie Hartless CHRO of Mitel. "This is what good humans do for each other and it strengthens the employee-manager relationship, which is essential to fostering long-term engagement and high performance," Heartless said. Redeploy your workforce to give customers more value. Redeploying your workforce is one way to engage employees. Yet you need to be strategic in how you do this. For instance, you should focus on redeploying employees to give more value to your customers.
"The first step is determining how value is defined for each customer." For instance, is value related to lower cost? Is it related to a more holistic set of services or better experience? When value is defined, decisions can be made to
positively impact customers and deploy talent in areas that will drive change in specific areas and for the organization as a whole. "By following these tips to engage your workforce, you can improve the productivity and profitability of your organization. Though it can be tough with a distributed workforce, the key is to come back to providing consistent communication, improving manager engagement, and offering new opportunities to learn.
And always remember to put your people before profit. As Schultz shared, "Our focus has been on employees first, customer retention second, and then financials on the belief that the first two will lead to success on the financial front." A Good A Leader Will DO Any of These 5 Things: Engaged employees are 17% more productive and 21% more profitable. Engaged employees are your strongest asset. In times of disruption, this is even more true. Engaged employees consistently outperform their colleagues by solving new problems, innovating, and creating new customers. Engaged employees are 17% more productive and 21% more profitable. companies prioritize engaging employees to create sustained growth. Make sure you have a workforce that isn't distracted can be difficult to achieve, but it must be core to your business strategy to remain competitive. Here are a few ways to do it in the coronavirus age.
1. Maintain clear and consistent communication During this time of upheaval, employees have more on their mind than day-to-day activities, which can cause them to lose focus. To keep them grounded at work, maintain a constant and open line of communication -- whether through regular updates over email or Slack, or semi-regular townhall meetings. This allows employees to keep productivity high and reassures them during an uncertain period.
2. Create connection with employees & parents Laurie Schultz, President & CEO of Galvanize, kept a CEO diary that she shared daily with employees for the first three months of the outbreak. In the diary, she detailed her perspective on the business landscape as well as anecdotes about how the outbreak was affecting her personally. For example, Schultz shared in one entry, "As terrible as this situation is, I do find myself feeling very bonded with the world as we unite together to do the right thing." Schultz said, "People want to feel safe and secure. Daily, authentic and human communication allows you to build trust -- reassuring people through regular check-ins -- rather than having them fill in the blanks." 3. Upskill your employees Successful upskilling, or reskilling, focuses on innovation and is seen as both a technology and human capital investment. PwC's U.S. and Global Advisory Leader, shared, "When it comes to innovation it can't come from just leadership, it comes from everybody." A few key areas to upskill employees include relevant emerging technologies, investing platforms, and the cloud. "This enables companies to deliver a better digital experience to customers and ensure employees have the ability to use these newly-implemented platforms to drive true value," Kande also recommended looking into new technologies for training, like virtual reality, which was found to improve employee's confidence in new skills by 340%.
4. Lead with empath Unhealthy stress can wreak havoc on everyone, inhibit productivity, and lead to detached employees. "When an employee is showing signs that they're struggling in some way, the best thing a manager can do is encourage them to discuss any fears or concerns, empathize with what they're experiencing and help them outline what needs to be done to address the challenges head-on," said Billie Hartless CHRO of Mitel. "This is what good humans do for each other and it strengthens the employee-manager relationship, which is essential to fostering long-term engagement and high performance,". Redeploying your workforce is one way to engage employees. Yet you need to be strategic in how you do this. For instance, you should focus on redeploying employees to give more value to your customers. "The first step is determining how value is defined for each customer." For instance, is value related to lower cost? Is it related to a more holistic set of services or better experience? When value is defined, decisions can be made to positively impact customers and deploy talent in areas that will drive change in specific areas and for the organization as a whole. "By following these tips to engage your workforce, you can improve the productivity and profitability of your organization. Though it can be tough with a distributed workforce, the key is to come back to providing consistent communication, improving manager engagement, and offering new opportunities to learn And always remember to put your people before profit. As Schultz shared, "Our focus has been on employees first, customer retention second, and then financials on the belief that the first two will lead to success on the financial front."
What Should Merit Raises Be Based On? Justification for a merit increase is important because of the financial investment the pay increase represents.  Merit increases can have a significant impact on an organization’s payroll cost over the span of perhaps decades that an employee works for an organization.  For example, let’s say you have two employees and each makes $10 per hour.  Employee A receives a merit increase of 2% and employee B receives a 5% pay increase.  The 2% increase is equivalent to $416 for the year and 5% equals $1040 for the year – more than double.  Multiply that times ten years and the employee who receives the higher increase will cost the organization much more over that ten year period of time. Now let’s say employee A gets 2% a year every year for ten years and the employee B gets 5% every year for ten years and this is what it looks like: As you can see employee B, who received the 5% increases over the course of ten years, cost the organization $42,392 more than employee A.  Now do the math for the higher earners in your organization and the difference can be staggering.  This is why it is so important to have a structured performance management process that helps to control costs and justifies merit increases for those employees who perform well.
Managing employee performance can help to control biases associated with managing employees and provides the
framework for rewarding strong performers while identifying poor performers.
MERIT RAISES BASED ON: A performance appraisal document is a key tool used in assessing performance.  When employees are scored on dimensions of performance, and those scores are tied to percentage increases, good performers get rewarded with a higher percentage of the pot.Scoring the performance appraisal form and then tying the scores to raise distribution is an objective way to ensure your best performers are receiving a higher percentage of allocated raise dollars.
Let’s look at the performance appraisal document again and see the dimension scores and look at this example:
Let’s say there are 7 dimensions that are being scored and for dimension one the employee received a score of 3, dimension two a score of 3, dimension three a score of 4, and so on.
Dimension one         Score = 3          Dimension two         Score = 3
Dimension three      Score = 4           Dimension four        Score = 3
Dimension five         Score = 5           Dimension six         Score = 3
Dimension Seven     Score = 4            Total score =   25
What you want to do is total the scores.  In this particular example if you add up the dimension scores you get a total score of 25 out of a possible 35 (7 dimensions X 5 points). Now if you take that score of 25 and divide it by 7 (the number of dimensions) you get an average score of 3.5 – (25/7 = 3.5).   This is the score that will determine the employee’s percentage merit increase.  Next, you want to do this on all of your employees and come up with a list of average scores.
Ok we’ve got the scores but how do you tie those scores to raises? Let’s go through an example.  Let’s say (for the sake of easy math) that you have:
11 employees each making $10/hour you budgeted 3.5%  for raises which generates a pool of merit increase dollars of $8,008 (.035X$228,800). The $228,800 comes from 11 employees X 2080 hours X $10/hour = a salary budget of $228,800. Now lets also say that you have determined that the average performance appraisal scores (3.0) will receive a 3.5% increase – and those scoring below average will receive less, those scoring above will receive more.
Now let’s look at what this might look like: As you can see from the example below, there are 11 employees listed, a, b, c, etc.  The next column shows their average scores as well as an overall average score for all employees.  Now in the next column, you can see the percent increase that was awarded to each employee based on the predetermined criteria. Some employees received as low as 2% increase and the higher performers received as high as 4.5% increase which translates into a raise of $416 for the poor performers but more than twice as much, $936 for the higher performing employees.  Now if you total what all of these increases add up to, you’ll see that these pay increases will cost the organization $8,008 which ends up being exactly what was budgeted  -$8008.
This is an oversimplified example to demonstrate how this can be done.  Obviously when there are dozens or even hundreds of employees this scenario would look much different. It is common for larger organizations to allocate the raise percentages to the individual department and allow managers to award raises specifically to their own area. Another thing to remember is the importance of organizational culture and communicating clearly with all employees about their raise increases. The higher performers should be aware that they received a higher percentage but the lower performers should also be told that they received less because of their performance scores.  This should serve as an encouragement for the good performers and possibly a wake-up call for the under performers .And lastly, it doesn’t matter how high the raise percentage is, most employees don’t think it’s enough and that is just something you need to be aware of and not get overly concerned with.  Statistics show most people don’t think they are paid for what they think they are worth and that organizations have unlimited resources for salaries – we know that’s not true
Advantages and Disadvantages of Performance Appraisals Employees, as well as managers, often question why organizations do employee performance appraisals. Anyone who has ever been on the receiving end of a performance appraisal could argue why they perceive it to be ineffective and a complete waste of time. Employees often feel unjustly assessed, and managers often go through a forced annual process to comply with job expectations. This doesn’t make it easy for either party. So what exactly is a performance appraisal?
A performance appraisal is an evaluation done on an employee’s job performance over a specific period of time. It is the equivalent of a report card on an employee and how their manager assessed their performance over the prior year. Anyone who has worked in more than one department or at more than one organization can attest to the fact that not all performance appraisal processes are the same. The varying systems and processes are all over the map. Unfortunately, some are done so poorly that they are not only designed to fail, but also to create a negative experience for both the manager as well as the employee.
So why do organizations do performance appraisals? There are many varying opinions on the subject of performance appraisals and why they are done.
Some organizations do performance appraisals because they feel obligated to do them – because everyone else does. Other organizations do performance appraisals to make sure they have a piece of paper in the employee’s file – in case they ever need to do corrective action.
THE SUCCESS  OF ANY Business Revolves Around Three Components: 
INCOME: money received for providing services and goods.
EXPENSES: the costs incurred in providing those services and goods.
PROFITS: the financial gain that is the difference between the amount earned and the amount spent in buying, operating, producing or providing something. 
BUSINESS OWNERS must create a Value Driven Business. Value is what drives every successful business. You must define the value of your business, as well as your Business Goals and Objectives.
Being a Club Owner is not a part time Job.  Your major responsibilities is the operation and organization of your business, managing your employees and dealing with your clients! Ownership is about priorities and sound business practices. For a Business to succeed it MUST have an Intelligent Business Plan that will create a profit yielding business! A Business cannot run on love alone. Your passion is important but it's all about income and expenses. 
TAXES: Get a handle on Taxes. We all hate to do them but you should know what it’s all about. Even using an Accountant. TAX BASICS: the amount that you or your business  will pay in annual taxes depends on several factors: The legal form of your business, how much money it made during the year, what your expenses were, how sharp your accountant is and how much mpney you personally know abuot the tax system.   
DEDUCTIONS:  You can deduct "ordinary and necessary" business expenses to reduce your taxable income:
travel, inventory, labor costs ARE THEIR LOOPHOLES:Entertainment, Expenses: 50%-any activity that relates  to your business. Keep gppd records and receipts and be able to prove that the expenses was actually related to the business. Also write whom you were with on the receipt before filling it away. Travel, Automobile, Business,
Loses, Loans & Credit Cards, Professional Associaions (USAIGC),Business gifts, Bank Charges, Magazines & books, Loses due to theft, Loses due to commissions paid, website development, parking & tools, Seminars, Bus fare, Charity.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sole Properietots, Partners, LLC and Corpurations can pass thrpogh charitable contributions to the Owners's personal tax return.  C-Corporations may claim  charitable deductions for themselves. C-Corpurations .
Taxes, Sales Tax on items that you buy for the business are deductions. Fule & Exercise taxes are often over looked deductions. Property Tax and local taxes are deductable. .
Employment property tax and local assements are deductable, Property Tax and Local Assessments are deductable,
Employment taxes dthat you pay are all deductible, although these self-employment tax paid by individual is not deductible, although these self-employment tax paid by ibdicidual is not deductible, and neither ID Federal income tax paid. PS: Keep good records.  Keep all receipts. Keep track of mileage.
EMPLOYEE TAXES Go hand in hand when hired. Employees need to fill our a Feferal W-4 form and immigration naturalization. Employees need to fill out service form 1-9. As you pay them you wil need to deduct a variety of taxes from theor paychecks. Social Security: Taxes (Alsl knoen as FICA), must be withheld and paid to the Federal Government.Medicare must be withheld. You need to match and pay nthis amount.

UNEMPOYMENTT TAX. Nedd to be withheld, match, and pay this tax. 
State Income Taxes are withheld. W-2 and 1099 made easier. These are withheld.  Weather you are an Independent, or a Business with employees and hire Contractors, 1099 and W-2S
Weather you are an Independent, ot a Business with employees and hire contractors, 1099 and W-2'S are part of your life and probaly confusing at that. Good news: check GREATLAND.COM - They are the leader in 1099 and W-2's are part of your lfe and probaly a confusing part. Good news: reporting with all of the other forms and software you made to take what is often reporting with all of the other forms and software you made to take what is oftem reporting with all of the other forms and software you may need to take what is often a confusing issue and make it much simpler.
Taxes and Payroll are not easy issues for must small businesses, which is why most small businesses often outsource this task. Taxes and Payroll are not easy issues for most small business owners which is why businesses often
outsource this task.
Sales Tax. 5 states in the USA have no sales tax: DE,NH, Montana, Oragon and parts od Alasaka.
Tax Deasline: Aptil 15 Deadline: 
CORPIRATIONS FILE RETURNS WITHIN 2.5 MONTHS OF THEIR END OF THEIR FIRST FISCAL YEAR.
QUARTERY ESTIMATED TAXES ARE DUE FOUR TIMES A YEAR.
APRIL 15-JUNE 15 – SEPTOMER 15 – JANUARY 15
SALES TAX DUE QUARTERLY OR MONTHLY, DEPENDING ON WHAT STATE YY ARE IN.
EMPLOYEES TAXES MAY BE DUE WEEKLY, MONTHLY, DEPENDING ON THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES YOU HAVE. QUARTERLIES SHOULD BE PAID BY ANY SMALL BUSINESS THAT EXPECTS TO PAY AT LEAST $500IN TAXES FORV THE YEAR.YOU ARE SUPOISED TOPAY EIHER 90% OF THE TAX YOU EXPECT TO OWE OVER 100 PER CEBT OF THE PREVIOUS YEARS TAXES.

PROPERTY TAX: IF YOU OWN PROPERTY.
IF YOU LEASE PROPERTY YOU MAY BE REQUIRED TO PAY PROPERTY TAX. IN SOME LEASES THE OWNER PAYS RGE BAE-YEARS TAXES-AN AMOUNT EQUAL TO THAT OWNED THE YEAR BEFORE THE LEASE WAS SIGNED-AND THE LEASE (YOU PAYs ANY INCREASES. IN MOST PLACES THE OWNER PAYS THE BAE-YEAR TAXES-AND AMOUNT EQUAL TO THAT OWNED THE YEAR BEFORE THE LEASE WAS SIGNED-AND THE LEASE (YOU PAY ANY INCREASES. IN MOST PLACES, THE TAX RATE ON COMMERCIAL PROPERTY IS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN ON RESIDENTAL PROPERTY. 
CHECK TO SEE IF YOU HAVE TO PAY ANY INCREASES. IN MANY PLACIES, THE TAX RATE ON COMMERCIAL PROPERTY IS SIGNIFICANTY HIGHER THAN ON RESIDENTAL PROPERTY.
TAX TIP: ALL SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WANT TO SAVE OF THEIR TAXES. THE QUESTION IS HOW!
THERE ARE MANY STRATEGIES YOU CAN ADOPT TO HELP REDUCE YOUR TAX BITE. YOU MUST TAKE ACTION SOON. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL DECEMBER 31!
AS A IAIGC FAMILY OF CLUB OWNERS WE MUST COME TOGETHER AND LEARN FROM ONE FROM ONE ANOTHER TO HELP GROW OUR BUSINESSES COLLECTIVEY 
Strong businesses that are built on Strong Business Practices and driven by Value, succeed! The Class student is your key to financial success. Let’s Grow Our Businesses and Sport Togetherr.  
GYMNASTIC CLUB OWNERS PRIMARY FUNCTION: RUNNING A BUSINESS THAT TEACHES GYMNASTIC SKILLS AS WELL AS OTHER INCOME PRODUCING ACTIVITIES. 
SMART CLUB OWNERS Will DO Any of These 5 Things
1. Engaged employees are 17% more productive and 21% more profitable. 
Maintain clear and consistent communication During this time of upheaval, employees have more on their mind than day-to-day activities, which can cause them to lose focus. To keep them grounded at work, maintain a constant and open line of communication -- whether through regular updates over email or Slack, or semi-regular townhall meetings. This allows employees to keep productivity high and reassures them during an uncertain period
2. Create connection with employees & parents 
Maybe a diary that is shared daily with the employees for the first three months. 
In the detail your perspective on the business landscape as well as anecdotes about how the things are working.
3. Upskill your employees Successful upskilling, or reskilling, focuses on innovation and is seen as both a technology and human capital investment. Mohamed Kande, PwC's U.S. and Global Advisory Leader, shared, "When it comes to innovation it can't come from just leadership, it comes from
every body"A few key areas to upskill employees include relevant emerging technologies, investing platforms, and the cloud. "This enables companies to deliver a better digital experience to customers and ensure employees have the ability to use these newly-implemented platforms to drive true value," Kande said. Kande also recommended looking into new technologies for training, like virtual reality, which was found to improve employee's confidence in new skills by 340%. 
4. Lead with empathy Unhealthy stress can wreak havoc on everyone, inhibit productivity, and lead to detached employees. "When an employee is showing signs that they're struggling in some way, the best thing a manager can do is encourage them to discuss any fears or concerns, empathize with what they're experiencing and help them outline what needs to be done to address the challenges head-on, "This is what good humans do for each other and it strengthens the employee-manager relationship, which is essential to fostering long-term engagement and high performance,"
5. Redeploy your workforce to give customers more value?
Unhealthy stress can wreak havoc on everyone, inhibit productivity, and lead to detached employees. "When an employee is showing signs that they're struggling in some way, the best thing a manager can do is encourage them to discuss any fears or concerns, empathize with what they're experiencing and help them outline what needs to be done to address the challenges head-on,"  "This is what good humans do for each other and it strengthens the employee-manager relationship, which is essential to fostering long-term engagement and high performance,"  
DEFINITION OF ENTERPOUR: A PERSON WILLING TO TAKE A RISK WITH MONEY TO MAKE MONEY. 
DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES?  ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS: 
YES= 5 points, NEED HELP = 3 points, FOLLOW SOMEONE ELSE=  1 Point 
1. ARE YOU A SELF-STARTER?  2. DO YOU NEED HELP?  WOULD YOU RATHER FOLLOW THE LEAD?
2. ARE YOU A LEADER: YES. WITH HELP. NO.
3. CAN YOU & YOUR FAMILY LIVEE WITHOUT A REGULAR PAYMENT?  YES, RATHER NOT, NO
4. COULD YOU FIRE SOMEONE WHO REALLY NEEDED THE JOB YOUR BUSINESS PROVIDED?
5.ARE YOU WILLING TO WORK 60 HOURS A WEEK? 7. ARE YOU SELF CONFIDENT?
6. CAN YOU LIVE WITH UNCERTAINLY? 9. CAN YOU STICK WITH IT? 
7. ARE YOU CREATIVE?   ARE YOU COMPETITIVE?
8. DO YOU HAVE THE WILL POWER & SELF-DISCIPLINE  NEEDED? 
9. ARE YOU INDIVIDUALISTIC OR GO ALONG WITH THE CROWD? 
10. CAN YOU LIVE WITHOUT STRUCTURE?  15. DO YOU AVE MANY BUSINESS SKILLS?
11. ARE YOU FLEXIBLE AND WILLING TO CHANGE COURSE WHEN THIGS ARE NOT GOING YOUR WAY? 
12. DO YOU HAVE EXPERIENCE IN THE BUSINESS YOU ARE THINKING OF STARTING? 
13. COULD YOUCOMPLETELY PERFORM MULTIPLE BUSINESS TASKS (accounting, sales, marketing, …..)
14. CAN YOU JUDGE MULTIPLE TASKS? 
15. ARE YOU WILLING TO HUSTLE FOR CLIENTS & CUSTOMERS? 
16.HOW DO YOU HANDLE PRESSURE? 
SCORING: 80-100  -YOU HAVE IT : SCORING: 60-79 NOT A NATURAL BUSINESS OWNER: 
BELOW 60: TRY WORKING FOR SOME ONE
EMPLOYEES: Engaged employees are 17% more productive and 21% more profitable. 
Engaged  Employees  CONSISTENTLY  2. Engaged employees are your strongest asset. In times of disruption, this is even more true.  3. Engaged employees consistently out perform their colleagues by solving new problems, innovating, and creating new customers. Engaged employees are 17% more productive and 21% more profitable. companies prioritize engaging employees to create sustained growth. Make sure you have a workforce that isn't distracted can be difficult to achieve, but it must be core to your business strategy to remain competitive. 
INCOME STREAMS: GYMNASTIC LESSONS, PRE-SCHOOL GYMNASTICS CLASSES, EARLY CHILDHOOD MOVEMENT EDUCATION, FITNESS PROGRAMS, CHEERLEADINF, COMPETITIVE GYMNASTICS AND TEAMS.  THE SUCCESS OF ANY BUSINESS REVOLVES AROUND THREE Around COMPONENTSINCOME: money received for providing services and goods. EXPENSES: the costs incurred in providing those services and goods. PROFITS: the financial gain that is the difference between the amount earned and the amount spent in buying, operating, producing or providing something.
BUSINESS OWNERS must create a Value Driven Business. Value is what drives every successful business.
You must define the value of your business, as well as your Business Goals and Objectives.
Being a Club Owner is not a part time Job.  Your major responsibilities is the operation and organization of your business, managing your employees and dealing with your clients! Ownership is about priorities and sound business practices. For a Business to succeed it MUST have an Intelligent Business Plan that will create a profit yielding business! A Business cannot run on love alone. Your passion is important but it's all about income and expenses. It's ALL Business! The primary function of the USAIGC & IAIGC is to support our Gymnastic Owners by developing strong, successful Businesses Practices, Income Streams, Educational Programs and an International Competitive Program. The USAIGC/IAIGC was created to support our Club Owners develop the necessary tools to succeed. 
Club Owners must establish: Sound Business Practices, Educational Planning, Staff Education, Lesson Plans, Professional Development, Workshops, understanding Child Development, Motor Skills and the Skills associated with teaching. Pre-School children that have educational value.  
As an Independent Club Owners Association, Our Club Owners must work together in developing strong
healthy business models. WE must build our Gymnastic base together. The mentality of trying to put another club out of business is senseless. Good businesses survive. Bad businesses fail. Collectively we ALL can increase our businesses by providing “strong educationally sound programs” that have value for our students and provide a meaningful educational experience. This is what will "grow" your business.
Student Retention Rate is the success of any Gymnastic Club/School. As an Owner, YOU and YOUR Staff must conduct worthwhile educational programs that will impact the overall physical and mental development of your students. This is the value of service you provide. You teach more that "just gymnastic skills". As a Club Owner I felt that my Staff's teaching was not just about skills! It was about life's most important lesson; Learning how to handle success and failure! How To Accomplishing a task
A GOOD OWNER/LEADERWILL DOES ANY OF THESE 5 THINGS
1. Maintain clear and consistent communication
2. Create connection with employees & parents 3. Upskill your employees
4. Lead with empathy 5. Redeploy your workforce to give customers more value
Engaged employees are 17% more productive and 21% more profitable. 
Engaged employees are your strongest asset. In times of disruption, this is even more true. 
Engaged employees consistently outperform their colleagues by solving new problems, innovating, and creating new customers. Engaged employees are 17% more productive and 21% more profitable. companies prioritize 
engaging employees to create sustained growth. Make sure you have a workforce that isn't distracted can be difficult to achieve, but it must be core to your business strategy to remain competitive. 
NOT EASY RUNING A BUSINESS, ESPECIALLY A GYMNASTIC CLUB!
Business Owners: A Person willing to take a RISK To Make Money!
Do You Have What It Takes? Answer These Questions.
YES= 5 points, NEED HELP = 3 points, FOLLOW SOMEONE ELSE=  1 Point 
1. ARE YOU A SELF-STARTER?  2. DO YOU NEED HELP?  WOULD YOU RATHER FOLLOW THE LEAD? 2. ARE YOU A Leader: YES. with help. NO. 3. can you and your family live without a regular payment?
YES, rather not, No. 4 COULD YOU FIRE SOMEONE WHO REALLY NEEDED THE JOB YOUR BUSINESS PROVIDED? 
5. ARE YOU WILLING TO WORK 60 HIURS A WEEK? ARE YOU SELF-CONFIDENT?
6. CAN YOU LIVE WITH UNCERTAINLY? 
7. CAN YOU STICK WITH IT?  
7. ARE YOU CREATIVE?  COMPETITIVE?
8. DO YOU HAVE THE WILL POWER & SELF-DISCIPLINE  NEEDED? 
9. ARE YOU INDIVIDUALISTIC OR GO ALONG WITH THE CROWD? 
10. CAN YOU LIVE WITHOUT STRUCTURE?  
11. DO YOU AVE MANY BUSINESS SKILLS? 
12. ARE YOU FLEXIBLE AND WILLING TO CHANGE COURSE WHEN THIGS ARE NOT GOING YOUR WAY? 
13. DO YOU HAVE EXPERIENCE IN THE BUSINESS YOU ARE THINKING OF STARTING? 13. COULD YOUCOMPLETELY PERFORM MULTIPLE BUSINESS TASKS (accounting, sales, marketing, …..)
14.CAN YOU JUDGE MULTIPLE TASKS? 
15. ARE YOU WILLING TO HUSTLE FOR CLIENTS & CUSTOMERS? 
16.HOW DO YOU HANDLE PRESSURE? 
SCORING: 80-100  SCORING: YOU HAVE IT, 60-79 NOT A NATURAL BUSINESS OWNER,
BELOW 60: TRY WORKING FOR SOMEONE ELSE
WHAT ARE YOUR INCOME STREAMS:
Gymnastic Lessons, Pre-School Gymnastic Classes, Early Childhood Movement Education, Warrior/Fitness Programs, Cheerleading, Competitive Gymnastics and Gymnastic Teams.
BUSINESS OWNERS 
MERIT PAY INCREASE
Justification for merit increase is important because of the financial investment the pay increase represents. 
Merit increases can have a significant impact on an organization’s payroll cost over the span of perhaps decades that an employee works for an organization. 
Example: let’s say you have two employees and each makes $10 per hour. Employee A receives a merit increase of 2% and employee B receives a 5% pay increase. The 2% increase is equivalent to $416 for the year and 5% equals $1040 for the year more than double.  Multiply that times ten years and the employee who receives the higher increase will cost the organization much more over that ten year period of time. Now let’s say employee A gets 2% a year every year for ten years and the employee B gets 5% every year for ten years and this is what it looks like:
As you can see employee B, who received the 5% increases over the course of ten years, cost the organization $42,392 more than employee A. Now do the math for the higher earners in your organization and the difference can be staggering.  This is why it is so important to have a structured performance management process that helps to control costs and justifies merit increases for those employees who perform well.
Managing employee performance
and help to control biases associated with managing employees and provides the framework for rewarding strong performers while identifying poor performers.
MERIT RAISES BASED ON:
A performance appraisal document is a key tool used in assessing performance.  When employees are scored on dimensions of performance, and those scores are tied to percentage increases, good performers get rewarded with a higher percentage of the pot.
Scoring the performance appraisal form and then tying the scores to raise distribution is an objective way to ensure your best performers are receiving a higher percentage of allocated raise dollars.
Let’s look at the performance appraisal document again and see the dimension scores and look at this example:
Let’s say there are 7 dimensions that are being scored and for dimension one the employee received a score of 3, dimension two a score of 3, dimension three a score of 4, and so on.
Dimension one         Score = 3
Dimension two         Score = 3
Dimension three       Score = 4
Dimension four         Score = 3
Dimension five          Score = 5
Dimension six           Score = 3
Dimension Seven      Score = 4
Total score =                 25
What you want to do is total the scores. In this particular example if you add up the dimension scores you get a total score of 25 out of a possible 35 (7 dimensions X 5 points). Now if you take that score of 25 and divide it by 7 (the number of dimensions) you get an average score of 3.5 – (25/7 = 3.5). This is the score that will determine the employee’s percentage merit increase.  Next, you want to do this on all of your employees and come up with a list of average scores. Ok, we’ve got the scores but how do you tie those scores to raises? Let’s go through an example. Let’s say (for the sake of easy math) that you have:
-11 employees each making $10/hour
-you budgeted 3.5%  for raises which generates a pool of merit increase dollars of $8,008 (.035X$228,800). The $228,800 comes from 11 employees X 2080 hours X $10/hour = a salary budget of $228,800.
Now let’s also say that you have determined that the average performance appraisal scores (3.0) will receive a 3.5% increase – and those scoring below average will receive less, those scoring above will receive more.
Now let’s look at what this might look like: As you can see from the example below, there are 11 employees listed, a,b,c,etc.  The next column shows their average scores as well as an overall average score for all employees.  Now in the next column, you can see the percent increase that was awarded to each employee based on the predetermined criteria. Some employees received as low as 2% increase and the higher performers received as high as 4.5% increase which translates into a raise of $416 for the poor performers but more than twice as much, $936 for the higher performing employees.  
Now if you total what all of these increases add up to, you’ll see that these pay increases will cost the organization $8,008 which ends up being exactly what was budgeted  -$8008.
This is an oversimplified example to demonstrate how this can be done.  Obviously when there are dozens or even hundreds of employees this scenario would look much different. It is common for larger organizations to allocate the raise percentages to the individual department and allow managers to award raises specifically to their own area. Another thing to remember is the importance of organizational culture and communicating clearly with all employees about their raise increases. The higher performers should be aware that they received a higher percentage but the lower performers should also be told that they received less because of their performance scores.  This should serve as an encouragement for the good performers and possibly a wake-up call for the under performers .And lastly, it doesn’t matter how high the raise percentage is, most employees don’t think it’s enough and that is just something you need to be aware of and not get overly concerned with.  Statistics show most people don’t think they are paid for what they think they are worth and that organizations have unlimited resources for salaries – we know that’s not true
Advantages and Disadvantages of Performance Appraisals
Employees, as well as managers, often question why organizations do employee performance appraisals.
Anyone who has ever been on the receiving end of a performance appraisal could argue why they perceive it to be ineffective and a complete waste of time. Employees often feel unjustly assessed, and managers often go through a forced annual process to comply with job expectations. This doesn’t make it easy for either party.
So what exactly is a performance appraisal? A performance appraisal is an evaluation done on an employee’s job performance over a specific period of time. It is the equivalent of a report card on an employee and how their manager assessed their performance over the prior year. Anyone who has worked in more than one department or at more than one organization can attest to the fact that not all performance appraisal processes are the same. The varying systems and processes are all over the map. Unfortunately, some are done so poorly that they are not only designed to fail, but also to create a negative experience for both the manager as well as the employee.
So why do organizations do performance appraisals?
There are many varying opinions on the subject of performance appraisals and why they are done.
Some organizations do performance appraisals because they feel obligated to do them – because everyone else does. Other organizations do performance appraisals to make sure they have a piece of paper in the employee’s file – in case they ever need to do corrective action. successful organizations understand the importance of incorporating performance appraisals into their performance management process and strategy. They use this tool to encourage, engage, and develop their talent pool.
Advantages of Performance Appraisals
Documentation: A PA provides a document of employee performance over a specific period of time.  It’s a piece of paper that can be placed in an employee file.
Structure: This process creates a structure where a manager can meet and discuss performance with an employee.
It forces the uncomfortable conversations that often need to happen.
Feedback: Employees crave feedback, and this process allows a manager the opportunity to provide the employee with feedback about their performance and discuss how well the employee goals were accomplished. It also provides an opportunity to discuss employee development opportunities.
Clarify Expectations: Employees need to understand what is expected of them and the PA process allows for a manager to clarify expectations and discuss issues with their employee.
Annual Planning: It provides a structure for thinking through and planning the upcoming year and developing employee goals.
Motivation: The process should motivate employees by rewarding them with a merit increase and as part of a comprehensive compensation strategy.
Disadvantages of  Performance  Apraisals
Creates Negative Experience: If not done right, the performance appraisal can create a negative experience for both the employee as well as the manager. Proper training on processes and techniques can help with this.
Time Consuming: Performance appraisals are very time consuming and can be overwhelming to managers with many employees. I’ve known managers who were responsible for doing an annual PA on hundreds of employees.
Natural Biases: Human assessment are subject to natural biases that result in rater errors. Managers need to understand these biases to eliminate them from the process.
Waste of Time: The entire process can be a waste of time if not done appropriately. Think about the time investment when the end result is negative. It is time wasted on all fronts.
Stressful Workplace:  Performance appraisals can create stressful work environments for both employees and managers. Proper training can help to reduce the stress involved in the process.
Finally, performance appraisals are only as good as the performance management system it operates within.  
Organizations that only do performance appraisals for the sake of doing them are wasting their time.
But organizations that incorporate performance appraisals into a comprehensive performance management system and use them to implement business goals have an advantage for accomplishing their goals and ultimately their strategic plan.5 Step Process for Developing a Strategic Plan
Step 1:  Write a Vision StatementA Vision Statement is a statement (typically 2-3 sentences) that gives the reader (and more importantly, the organization) a mental picture of what the organization hopes to become or what the organization hopes to achieve.
It is important to understand where an organization is going before it can develop a strategic plan for how to get there.
The value of a vision statement is that is gives leadership and employees a shared goal.
To facilitate a visioning session:Get the visionaries in a room.
Ask them to close their eyes and describe the mental picture they see when the organization has reached its optimal state.
Document thoughts that describe the picture on a flip chart. Come to agreement on all that is described.
Take some time to wordsmith or play with the wording until it describes the thoughts accurately.
Example Vision Statement
“ABC Dry Cleaners will be the premier professional laundryof the metropolitan area by providing unmatched customer service and cleaning services that exceed the competition”.
Step 2:  Write a Mission Statement
A Mission Statement is an explanation of why an organization exists and the path it will take to achieve its vision.
Mission statements are typically shorter than a vision statement but not always and are organization specific.
This is a statement that describes what the organization is passionate about and why it exists.
To facilitate the mission statement process:
Have the group look at vision statement and begin the process to brainstorm a mission statement.
Go around the room and have everyone give a brief description (5-7 words) describing their thoughts and document their answers on a flip chart. Once everyone has put their ideas down, look for similarities and usually a natural statement will flush itself out. Reword and refine the statement until everyone agrees that it reflects the mission of the organization.
Example Mission Statement “We exist to “help our customers care for and extend the life of their clothes investment”.
Step 3:  b 1. Budget Allocation. The strategy should include the organization’s approach to allocating compensation dollars into salary and benefits. This budget allocation will determine how much of the total compensation budget will be spent on salary and what percentage will be spent on benefits and other incentives. For example, for a budget of $1000 for compensation, if 90% is salary and 10% is benefits, you need to determine how that 10% is spent – one scenario might be – 7% on health benefits, 2% on retirement savings and 1% on tuition reimbursement. Allocating specific budget dollars to pay and benefits can help control labor, health care, and other miscellaneous benefit costs.
2.  Develop Salary Ranges Develop salary ranges to ensure employee pay is competitive with other organizations.  To be competitive, it is important to benchmark similar jobs within the same industry and to create a pay structure. Salary ranges can be developed internally by conducting research or utilizing sites like salary.com or payscale.com to determine average salaries in a particular geographic area. Smaller organizations often pay a vendor to help develop salary ranges, whereas larger organizations may have the HR resources to conduct the research internally. Regardless, it is important to look at all jobs and determine what work is done, how the job is slotted, and establish salary ranges that match all job descriptions.
3.  Salary Audits Markets change, therefore it is important to perform routine salary audits to ensure salary ranges reflect current compensation trends in a particular industry. When performing an audit, the goal is to determine how competitive are those particular jobs and what is the external market demanding. Ask the question, is it a growing or dying profession?
It is important to pay attention to market changes and to stay current because failing to keep up with the competition can lead to the loss of valuable employees.---------
4.  Benefit Package: Many organizations use benefit packages, in addition to salary, to attract and retain employees. Their goal is to be competitive with health, retirement, tuition reimbursement and other benefits because they understand that it can be the determining factor for a job candidate who is deciding whether to accept a position with an organization, or an employee who is considering leaving. For instance, I know employees who have stayed with organizations because the benefits were too good to walk away from.
5.  Performance Management System. It is important to have a structured performance management process to ensure employees are meeting corporate objectives and are assessed on a regular basis.
This process should include the development of annual goals, annual performance appraisals, and a structured process for coaching and mentoring employees.
Compensation strategies can positively influence employee engagement and improve employee productivity.
6.  Legal Compliance A well-defined compensation strategy will incorporate legal requirements to ensure the organization is in compliance with all federal and state laws.
The goal is to eliminate natural biases made in hiring decisions and ensure compliance with DOL FLSA laws such as minimum wage, overtime pay, or Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay.
7.  Structured Administration
Structure is important. Develop an annual review process, salary audit, raise process timeline, and make sure someone is responsible for all compensation areas. A comprehensive compensation strategy can be the foundation for creating an environment that recognizes and rewards employee performance and helps to establish a strong culture of employee engagement.
Organizations are only as successful as their approach to hiring the right people, setting clear expectations, managing performance, and recognizing and rewarding employees for a job well done.
The Compensation Handbook might be additional help for you and a great resource to add to your library!
A gap analysis is a process an organization goes through to identify the gaps between its current state and what it hopes to achieve – its vision. To do a gap analysis, simply look at where the organization is and compare it to where it hopes to be.This process typically involves a step of researching data outside the organization as well as taking a good hard look at data within the organization.
Examples of gaps an organization might look at would be: Financials, Internal Process/Systems, Public Relations
Customer Satisfaction and Quality of products/service (these are also considered Critical Success Factors).
Example of organization’s current state: 
Customer Satisfaction scores of 65 - Profit margin 1% - 10% of market share - 10% return on poor quality cleanings Step 4:  Write SMART Goals Write SMART goals for 2-3 years out (some organizations choose to go shorter or longer depending on the organization).
Example Organizational Goals:

1. By 20xx ABC Dry Cleaner will have a customer satisfaction score of 85
2. By 20xx ABC Dry Cleaner will have a profit margin of 5%
3. By 20xx ABC Dry Cleaner will have a 25% market share
4. By 20xx ABC Dry Cleaner will have less than 2% return for poor quality cleanings
   Now, this is where the rubber meets the road.
   Goals are a wonderful thing to have but unless they are implemented, and someone is held accountable through a structured performance management process, they are nothing more than words on a piece of paper.
   To give goals some teeth, they need to be taken down to the department and ultimately the employee level. This means identifying who will get it done.
   Example Goal Document
   Step 5:  Monitor Progress Goals should be monitored at least on a quarterly basis.
   This can be as simple as asking the responsible person to give a status update on their goals for the quarter.
   It is very important that this is done because all organizations are so busy today that the day-to-day responsibilities can sometimes get in the way of completing long-term goals.
   Once a year the strategic plan and goals should be reviewed and updated to reflect current market conditions and changes to ensure that goals are focused on the current state of the organization.
   Use the goal document to keep track of goal completion status. Talk about goals at every staff meeting to ensure everyone understands its priority.Many organizations don’t create a strategic plan because the process intimidates them. However, any size organization can map out a plan if they solicit the help of a trainedfacilitator and commit the time and resources to doing it. Does your organization have a strategy and plan? 

PRIMARY FUNCTION OF IGC: 
Support Club Owners & Develop Necessary Tools For Club Owners To Succeed BY Developing Strong, Successful Business Practices, Income Streams, Educational Programs & And OUR International Competitive Gymnastic Program.
Educational Planning: Staff ,Lesson Plans, Professional Development, Workshops, Understanding Child Development, Motor Skills, Any skills associated with teach in Pre-School Children that Have Educational Value
Support Club Owners & Develop Necessary Tools For Club Owners To Succeed BY Developing Strong, Successful Business Practices, Income Streams, Educational Programs & And OUR International Competitive Gymnastic Program.
Educational Planning: Staff ,Lesson Plans, Professional Development, Workshops, Understanding Child Development, Motor Skills, Any skills associated with teach in Pre-School Children that Have Educational ValueThe Sharing of information, thoughts, ideas and suggestions concerning the world of business and finance. I am not a degreed financial or legal professional. I was a Gymnastic Club Owner and still own businesses that have the highest business mortality rate in the most challenging of cities. I learned more from a business that failed then those that are extremely successful. Being a Gymnastic Club Owner was the most difficult business to run because it was close to my heart.  The person who taught everything was my accountant.
USAIGC CLUB OWNERS  – CHECK YOUR INSURANCE COVERAGE.
WHO WILL PAY FOR THE PANDEMIC? HUNDREDS OF BUSINESS WILL BE SUEING THEIR INSURERS FOR REFUSING TO COVER LOSES STEMMING FROM THE PANADEMIC. MORE THAN A TRILLION DOLLARS MAY BE AT STAKE. THE QUESTION I ASK IS:  DO YOU HAVE BUSINESS INTERRUPTION INSURANCE?ONLY 40% OF US COMPANIES HAVE BUSINESS INTERRUPTION INSURANCE. IT MAY BE TIME TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS INSURANCE FOR THE FUTURE.  IF YOU GO IN THIS DIRECTIN MAKE SURE YOUR POLICY CONTAIN CLAUSES THAT  SPECIFICALLY LOOSE RESELTING FROM VIRUSES. THIS BENEFIT STARTED IN 2006 WITH STARS.HAVE YOUR LAWYER READ THIS TYPE OF INSURANCE POLICY TO ELIMINATE LOOPHOLES.SOME ATTORHEYS ARGUE THAT THE CORONAVIRUS SHOULD BE DEFINED AS A PHYSICAL EVENT AND THEREFOORE  BE COVERED, LIKE ASBESTOS AND LEGIONNAITES DISEASE. INSURANCE COMPANIES HAVE 770 BILLUON DOLLARS IN RESERVE.
FREE BUSINESS RESOURCES
www.usatoday.com/money/smallbusiness/front.htm 
SMALL BUSINESS ONLINE COMMUNITY
HUFFINGTON POST SMALL BUSINESS - www.TheSelfEmployed.com Business Insider, www.SBA.gov, 
www.SCORE.org Business on Main, www.MeALLBiz.com MrALLBlZ.com
Small Business Administration- www.sba.gov
Eastablished in 1953. The SBA provides financial, technical, and management assistance to people who want to start, grow and run a business. MarketingProfs - www.marketingproofs.com  One of the best marketing sites on the Internet. It is an aggreagator of everyone else's marketing stuff, it generates new content from its network of marketing professors and professionals. Find: marketing articles, blogs, case studies, events and online seminars. Most of the info is accessible with no fee. Premium Membership $49.00 per year.
WSJ Enterpreneur - www.wsj.com/entrepreneur Provides comprehensive set of online resources for businsses. Great articles and business-plan tools. Center for Business Planning - www.businessplans.org 
Provides free business planning guidelines, which include articles and templates on things such as: cash-flow statement, mission statement and financial ratios. You can find checklists, segmenting your market, pricing and strategic marketing. Kaufman Foundation  eVenturing - wwweventuring.org
Devoted to growing a business. Finance & Accounting, HR, Sales & Marketing, Products, Ervices, Operations, and the enterpreneur. Sponsors a monthly newsletter. 
Mind Tools - www.mondtools.com 100 essential life, career and management skills - free. It also offers self-development courses and e-classes taught by experts (not free)
SCORE - www.score.org Service Corps of Retired Executives - Counselors to America's to America's Small Business
Answer Questions, give advice and share their wisdom and experience. Has a 24/7 counseling service and has offices nation-wide. 
USAIGC/IAIGC Business Brief  Personal Finance: Retirement Using Your Business
You must prepare for Retirement. Savings in some type of Retirement Fund is paramount. It's a concept business owners have a difficult time planning for. Many believe that they will sell their business and live off the proceeds. This as I stated in a previous Business Brief (below) can be a huge assumption. Many businesses simply cannot be sold and others end up being sold for far less than expected because of unrealistic expectations of business worth.
INVEST IN THE FUTURE Business Owners take a lot of risk in their professional lives because much of their net worth is tied up in one asset (65-85%), their business. Therefore you as business owners must use your saved money to work for you. Invest conservatively and diversify, assets that are liquid, have low volatility and generate income and are generally an entrepreneur's best bet. Corporate bonds that can be sold quickly or are held to maturity and mutual funds that are invested in equities and pay dividends are "safe bets".
Avoid bonds because when interest rates rise the bonds lose value.
BUY THE BUILDING: Owners who own their building should hold the real estate in a separate company from the business for rent-related purposes and to limit liability. Owning your building gives you the added bonus of No landlord and the possibility of a dream tenant, YOU! Owning your building gives you options when you are are close to retirement:
(1) sell the business & building (2) sell the business and keep the building allowing you to collect rent/income from a new occupant.
KNOW YOUR BUSINESS WORTH. If selling your business is part of your retirement plan, it is essential that you start tracking its value long before you plan to sell. Hire professionals to calculate the current value of your company, then determine how much money you will need to live the lifestyle you want. More importantly think about whether you will be able to increase the value of your business enough to match your retirement numbers. Pay attention to what the industry doing? What direction is it going in?
Do you know what your business is worth? I have a saying, your business is only worth what the buyer is willing to pay and if you do not own the building you are behind the eight-ball because it is the landlord who controls the space your business is in and your future. Owning your building gives you options: (1) sell the building for market value, remember not everyone wants to open a Gymnastic Club, (2) sell the business and not the building and collect rent as the landlord, (3) sell the business and the building as a package. Your decision will be based on your own personal finances and your plans for the future. How do you determine what your business is worth? By getting a valuation of your Business by Professionals. There are three basic approaches:
-Asset Approach: typically used in distressed situations for sale of defunct businesses. Your company's value is calculated by adding up its tangible and intangible assets. This is not the position you want to be in.
-Income Method: is a buyer relying on the present value of the businesses expected cash flow. This method is normally used for high-growth sectors like technology not the gymnastic club business.
-Market Approach: the most common way to value a healthy business is an valuation based on a multiple of the company's past earnings, usually the last 12 months of (EBITDA) earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. IF this amount equaled $1 million dollars and you choose a multiple of 5, you have a valuation of $5 million. 
-Picking a Multiple: multiples can vary widely. Experts' tend to compare "comps", or the multiple of earnings at which comparable businesses have been selling to choose a multiple that is realistic for your business.
Your potential buyer will figure heavily in the size of the multiple. Is the buyer from the gymnastics world or someone from outside the gymnastic world? Is it a person who has vision and sees an upside in your location (not the business)? Example: a commercial building in SoHo was worth $50-75 million, two floors 2500 square feet each equaling 5000 square feet of space with no air rights'. A sneaker Company bought the building for 151 million dollars! They wanted a presence in SoHo. So, I go back to my opening remarks: "your business is worth what the buyer is willing to pay" but you need to think about the future no matter what your age BUSINESS PROCEDURES Writing Business Policies and Procedures helps ensure “product quality” because regardless of the business the product is only as good as the process the service delivers to the customer.  In our Gymnastics World your service is the teaching of Gymnastics Skills and any other programs which have a benefit for a child/student/team member.

Writing business policies and procedures help to:-ensure product quality, ensures consistency in practice helps to maintain product quality/gymnasts learning/progress and the benefits that go with learning gymnastics. A Club Owners Policies set the expectation for employee’s behaviors and the Business Procedures outlines the steps for it.
Reasons to Writing Business Policies and Procedures:
1.  Articulation of Required Steps A procedure should lay out the required steps to perform job tasks or provide a service to a customer. For example, for a waiter who serves in a restaurant, the service should be delivered by introducing themselves, making eye contact with the customer, offering the most popular menu items, ensuring all drinks are topped off when half-filled and ensuring food quality meets the customer’s expectations.Detailing the procedure for delivering great service to customers is what contributes to a great service/learning environment. 
2.  Performance Measures Procedures should be used as a tool to measure an employee’s performance by determining if the process was followed appropriately. For example, a procedure for a receptionist answering the telephone should include a tracking of how often the receptionist answers the phone using a telephone script. For Gymnastics an example of Performance would be CLASS RETENTION & GROWTH. The Goal for every club owner is to provide excellent service which should increase your bottom line.
3.  Process Consistency When procedures are followed, there is consistency in practice for work processes. This helps to ensure that things are done the same way, every time and that all steps are followed. When steps get skipped it creates an inconsistent process that then creates variations in product or service quality.
4.  Serve as a Training Tool Employee training is one of the most valuable investments any organization can make.  When employees receive thorough training and detailed job descriptions, they are prepared to complete job tasks.
5 Benefits of Employee Training
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1. Recruitment: When prospective employees assess an organization to determine if it is a good fit, they look at the employee benefit package.
2. Business Advantage: Employee skills current in order to be competitive. Keeping up with changing software programs, technology changes, customer service skills or leadership trends are examples of competitive advantages organizations can have with a well trained work force. Gymnastics: a professional individual, dress appropriately, knowledge of teaching the skill level, good personality, good communication skills and an ability to teach multi-levels in the same class when necessary
3. Employee Morale: Most employees stay satisfied in a job for a period of time and then look for growth opportunities.  Employee who continually develop their professional skills or pursue higher education, are hopeful that there will be career advancement opportunities in their future.  This can also help employees remain positive and contribute to the vision of the organization.4. Employee Contributions: Employees who are in school often bring back what they learn to the organization and apply learned concepts to the job. This offers value to the organization and provides for real life application for the student.  It is definitely a win-win for both.5. Employee Retention: This kind of policy should be considered carefully. Training impact has on an organization’s recruitment, retention and employee morale.
It is one of the most valuable investments any organization can make.  When employees receive thorough training and detailed job descriptions, they are prepared to complete job tasks. Using policies and procedures as part of employee training helps to ensure that there is consistency in practice and reinforces global expectations.  For example, a review of policy and procedures should be included in a new employee orientation process
6.  Incorporates Worker Experience: Policies and procedures build off of those who have been performing the job tasks and documents work methods of experienced employees.  It also incorporates lessons learned and best practices to ensure quality products and services in addition to safety and legal compliance.
7.  Training Refresher Having a written policy and procedure manual can be used as a tool to help train employees and serves as a reminder of procedure steps and expectations.
8.  Foundation for Process Improvement: When policies and procedures are reviewed and employees, customers and quality data is considered in the review, it can serve as a great template for improving what is done and can help to improve current processes. Other Things to Remember: Policies and procedures need to be reviewed and updated at least annually to make improvements and keep them current. Employees need initial training on procedures but should have continuous refreshers to inform them of changes in practice and to remind them of expectations for following procedures. Records should be kept in employee files to document training. Policies and procedures should be consistently reviewed for its effectiveness and to ensure that what is being done in practice is adding value. Most procedures should have checklists that simplify the process and serve as a reminder for employees.
As organizations grow it is important to put those things in writing that the organization values and deems important.  Doing so in a detailed policy and procedure manual, that is shared with employees, can help to ensure that products and services maintain the high quality that customers expect.
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USAIGC-IAIGC: An International Competitive Program on all Competition Levels i
A CHANCE to increase your Club membership. 
OWNERS set the Example of Ethical and Honest Behavior for your Employees to follow. 
This means working within the Rules of your Organization, not breaking the law, and treating people fairly and honestly. 
People make Ethical Choices on the Job Every Day
IGC Mandatory 100% Club Background Check Names Posted on our Website 
Free CLUB Website Posting.  Free Competition Sanctions* Host Clubs Keep All Fees* 
*IGC Head Tax Per Gymnast. 
Being a Club Owner is not a part time Job. Your major responsibility is your business operation. Ownership is about priorities and sound business practices. For a Business to succeed it MUST have an Intelligent Business Plan that creates a profit yielding business! 
A Business cannot run on love alone. Passion is important but it's all about income and expenses  
Taxes: 
Get a handle on Taxes. We all hate to do them, but you should know what it’s all about. Even if using an Accountant. 
Tax Basics: the amount that you or your business will pay in annual taxes depends on several factors: 
Legal Form of your business. How much money it made during the year, what your expenses were, how sharp your accountant is.
How Much you personally know about the tax system: 
-Deductions: You can deduct "ordinary and necessary" 
-Business expenses to reduce your taxable income: travel, inventory, labor costs. Loopholes, Entertainment Expenses = 50%- any activity that relates to your Business. 
Keep: Good Records and Receipts to provide that the expenses were actually related to Business. Write whom you were with on the Receipt before filing it away. 
TRAVEL, AUTOMOBILE, BUSINESS LOSES, The Necessary Tools for Club Owners 
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Business Owners must create a Value Driven Business. 
Value is what drives every successful business. 
Define the value of your business, as well as your Business Goals and Objectives. The Success Of any Business Revolves Around Three Components: 
Income: money received for providing services and goods.
Expenses: the costs incurred in providing those services and goods.
PROFITS: the financial gain that is the difference between the amount earned and the amount spent in buying, operating, producing or providing something.
Success is BY Developing Strong, Successful Business Practices, Income Streams, Educational Programs & OUR International Competitive Gymnastic Program which should help gymnasts select an IGC Club that provides an opportunity to compete around the World.
Educational Planning: Staff Lesson Plans, Professional Development, Workshops. 
Staff that Understands Child Development, Motor Skills, any skills associated with 
Pre-School Children that Have Educational Value
A Club Owner can ONLY Increase Business by providing “Strong Educationally sound Programs "THAT" HAVEA VALUE FOR OUR STUDENTS AND PROVIDE A MEANINGFUL EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES. 
THIS IS WHAT WILL GROW YOUR BUSINESS. NOT LEVELS & SCORES
MISSION STAREMENT: An explanation of why your organization exists and the path it will take to achieve its vision. Mission statements are typically shorter than a vision statement but not always and are organization specific. This statement describes what the organization is passionate about and why it exists. To facilitate the mission statement process. Brainstorm your mission statement. 
The Mentality of trying to put a club out of business is senseless 
GOOD BUSINESES SURVIVE. BAD BUSINESSES FAIL.
Compensation Hand book great resource to add to your library!
Employee Compensation based on the Experience they Provide To Our Gymnasts. 
At the end of the day, it is the customer who pays salaries. Employees compensated based on their ability to meet customer requirements. Use customer satisfaction data. to 
Managing YOUR Business: High Ethical Standards -honesty-integrity-impartiality-fairness. Loyalty-dedication-responsibility, accountability. Set the Example for your Staff. Evaluate circumstances through the appropriate filters: such as culture, laws, policies, circumstances, relationships, politics, perception emotions, values, bas and religion. 
Ethical behavior starts with each person. As an Employee Just because someone else is doing something that’s unethical (mortally wrong) or illegal (legally wrong). Doesn’t mean that you should do it too. When you believe ethically what-ever your position within an organization, others will follow your example and behave ethically, too. And, if you practice ethical conduct, it will reenforce and perhaps improve your own ethical standards. 
Developing a Strategic Plan Write a Vision Statement: 
2-3 sentences. The goal is to give your business a mental picture of what your business hopes to become or what the organization hopes to achieve. As an owner you must understand where your business is going before you can develop a strategic plan for how to get there. The value of a vision statement is that is gives leadership and employees a shared goal. Example:  ABC Dry Cleaners will be the premier professional laundry of the metropolitan area by providing unmatched customer service and cleaning services that exceed the competition.” 
determine.  Effective Compensation Strategy
Managing YOUR Business High Ethical Standards -honesty-integrity-impartiality -fairness
Loyalty-dedication-responsibility -accountability. Setting the example for Others 
Evaluate circumstances through the appropriate filters. 
Filters include things such as culture, laws, policies, circumstances, relationships, politics, perception emotions, values, bas and religion Ethical behavior starts with each person.  just because someone else is doing something that’s unethical (mortally wrong) or illegal (legally wrong)- Doesn’t mean that you should do it too.  When you believe ethically what-ever your position within an organization. Others will follow your example and behave ethically, too. And, if you practice ethical conduct, it will reenforce and perhaps improve your own ethical standards.  As A Leader, It’s Up to You to Set A Good Example of Ethical and Honest Behavior For your Employees to Follow. This Means Working within The Rules of Your Organization, not breaking the law, and treating people fairly and Honestly. People make Ethical Choices on the Job Every Day- How Do You Make Yours.
Staff MUST EXCEL adding to those special touches to create a memorable experience for all gymnasts. You want your parents to promote your business to family and friends by talking about the great experience. 
Those consumers who sustain and grow businesses
Customer Service and Quality of Service. This is the most important area for business owners. Why? A Loyal customer base is important because it is those consumers who sustain and grow businesses. Organizations that understand the importance of happy customers, need to think strategy in order to build a loyal customer base. Successful organizations have learned that there is a difference between attracting customers, keeping customers and developing loyal customers. Devoted customers are not only loyal to the organization, but also serve as advocates and help to solicit new customers by sharing their positive experiences. We can all relate to a good service experience.  The question becomes, was that experience good enough for us to tell others about it!
Organizations that understand the importance of happy customers, need to think strategy
in order to build a loyal customer base. 
Successful organizations have learned that there is a difference between attracting customers, keeping customers and developing loyal customers. Devoted customers are not only loyal to the organization, but also serve as advocates and help to solicit new customers by sharing their positive experiences. We can all relate to a good service experience. The question becomes, was that experience good enough for us to tell others about it?  Staff MUST EXCEL adding to those special touches to create a memorable experience for all gymnasts. You want your parents to promote your business to family and friends by talking about the great experience their children have in your program.
Improve Your Cash Flow 
Cash Flow is nothing more than the net result of the money that comes into your organization. Suggestions Below Will Help You Better Manage Your Money.
Manage Your Accounts Receivable. If you are not keeping a close eye on your accounts receivable, you’re missing a terrific opportunity to improve your cash flow and the health of your business. No matter how much you love your customers – and businesses do love their customers, some of them invariably don’t understand how important it is that you they pay their bills on time. A day or two late usually isn’t a big deal. A month or two always is a big deal. As soon as customers get in the habit of paying latte, getting them to pay on time can be almost impossible. You must identify your late payers as soon as you can and then take steps to get them to pay promptly.
Spell Out All Payment Policies so Parents Fully Understand them and Include your
Refund Policies: Late Payments Makeups, Give Payment Discounts For Payment in Full For: ½ OR Term Full Semester. Something that the parent feels is a GOOD DEAL! NO REFUNDS on Semester Programs. 
-Follow Up On Late Payments. By Note. By E-Mail or Snail Mail or Phone. 
Do Not Let A Parent Go Longer Than 30 Days – IF That Long. 
Keep Track of Expenses: 
Reduce the Amount Of Money That Flows Out Of Your Organization By Managing Your Expenses. Spend Money When You Absolutely Have To. Sometimes New Purchases Can Be Held Off. 
Do Project Cash Inflows and match them with your cash Outflows. 
Project Cash Inflow with Outflow. 
Spend Money You Absolutely Have To. 
Protect Cash Inflows T0 Match with Outflows. Spend Money Only When You Have To And Match That Up With Your Cash Out flows=Amount Of Your Income Stream Determines Payments.
Managing Your Accounts Receivable If you are not keeping a close eye on your accounts receivable, you’re missing a terrific opportunity to improve your cash flow and the health of your business. No matter how much you love your customers – and businesses do love their customers, some of them invariably don’t understand how important it is that they pay their bills on time. A day or two late usually isn’t a big deal. A month or two always is a big deal. As soon as customers get in the habit of paying late, getting them to pay on time can be almost impossible. You must identify your late payers as soon as you can and then take steps to get them to pay promptly. Spell Out All Payment Policies So Parents Fully Understand them. 
Include Refund Policies, Late Payments, Makeups
Give Payment Discounts For in Full or Half Term Semester Payments. Give Something that the parent feel is a GOOD DEAL!      NO REFUNDS on Semester Programs.   Follow Up on Late Payments with Note, E-Mail, Snail Mail or Phone. 
Do Not Let A Parent Go Longer Than 30 Days – IF That Long.  KEEP TRACK OF EXPENSES
Reduce the Amount of Money That Flows Out Of Your Organization By Managing Your Expenses. Spend Money When You Absolutely Have To. Sometimes New Purchases Can Be Held Off. Do You Project Cash Inflows and Match Them with Your Cash Outflows? Project Cash Inflow with Cash Outflow?  You MUST Protect Cash Inflows to Match With Outflows.  Spend Money Only When You Have to Match That Up with Your Cash Outflows. The Amount Of Your Income Stream Determines Payments.
6 Things You Can Do To Influence Customer Loyalty
1. Solicit Customer Feedback.  A great customer experience is what brings consumers back. The only way to know how a customer perceived an experience is to ask them. Solicit customer feedback and make sure that customer satisfaction is one of the critical success factors or your organization. Feedback can come from surveys. Share data with all levels of the organization. All should be aware of customer requirements as compared to customer feedback. Help employees understand the requirements and how the feedback tells the experience story. These efforts result in satisfied customers and satisfied customers can turn into loyal customers. Customer feedback should be interpreted and used to develop strategy. This strategy should then be used to develop organizational business goals that are used to determine employee goals. Goals should be based on meeting and exceeding customer requirements. Employees should be held accountable for performance that supports customer satisfaction.
2. Customer Service Business Systems and processes are how services are provided: Customer Complaints and issues that may arise. The goal of quickly addressing customer issues and complaints done right, service recovery programs can turn an angry customer into a loyal one!
3. Process Improvement: Broken processes have a direct impact on the customer experience.  A structured quality management program can help develop solutions to systemic problems that affect the customer experiences. This is done by continually trying to improve the way products and services are delivered to the customer.
Use quality tools to create flow charts of the current process, then work to eliminate steps in the process that don’t add value to the customer.
4. Employees need to understand the importance of providing a great service experience. Managing for a great client experience should be incorporated into the day-to-day operational processes of the organization. What this means is training and holding employees accountable for adhering to established customer service standards.
5. Owners should Coach Employees on appropriate behaviors. Employees Compensation Based On The Experience They Provide To Our Gymnasts. At the end of the day, it is the customer who pays salaries. Employees compensated based on their ability to meet customer requirements. Use customer satisfaction data to determine. Effective Compensation Strategy
6.There should be measures in place to assess employee influence on customer satisfaction. Scores that should also be reflected in the annual performance appraisals. Example, an organization should have customer satisfaction goals that are tied to performance pay. If the organization meets those goals it is reflected in the annual merit increase
10 Steps To Creating And Managing A Small Business Budget
1. Strategic Plan Every organization, no matter the size should know why it exists and what it hopes to accomplish. This is articulated through a written 
Vision and Mission Statement. A Strategic Plan is HOW the organization plans to achieve its mission. The first step in the budgeting process is having a written strategic plan.  This ensures that organizational resources are used to support the strategy and development of the organization. 
Simply put – budget toward the vision.
2. Business Goals Annual business goals are the steps an organization takes to implement its strategic plan and it is these goals that need to be funded by the budget. Goals need to be developed and there needs to be accountability for achieving goals. This is typically the responsibility of the management team, board, or business owner. The budget provides the financial resources to achieve goals .For example, if your organization has outgrown its facility, and there is an objective to increase space, there must be dollars budgeted to expand or move business operations.
3. Revenue Projections Revenue projections should be based on historical financial performance, as well as projected growth income. The projected growth may be tied to organizational goals and planned initiatives that will initiate business growth. For example, if there is a goal to increase sales by 10%, those sales projections should be part of the year’s revenue projections.
4. Fixed Cost Projections Projecting fixed costs is simply a matter of looking at the monthly predictable costs that do not change. Employee compensation costs, facility expenses, utility costs, mortgage or rent payments, insurance costs, etc. Fixed costs do not change and are a minimal expense that needs to be funded in the budget. For example, if there are open staff positions, the cost to fill those positions should be part of fixed cost projections.
5. Variable Cost Projections Variable costs are costs that fluctuate from month to month, supply costs, overtime costs, etc. These are expenses that can and should be budgeted and controlled. For example, if higher Christmas sales drive overtime costs temporarily, those costs should be budgeted.
6. Annual Goal Expenses Goal related projects should also be given budgets. 
Each initiative should have projected costs associated with the goals. This is where the cost of implementing goa ls are incorporated into the annual budget. Projections of costs should be identified, laid out, and incorporated into the departmental budget responsible for completing the goal. For example, if the sales department aims to increase sales by 10%, costs associated with the increased sales (additional marketing materials, travel, entertainment) should be incorporated into that budget.
7. Target Profit Margin Every organization, whether they are for-profit or not-for-profit, should have a targeted profit margin.  Profit margins allow for returns for the business owner or investors.  Not-for-profit organizations use their profit margins to reinvest into the facilities and development of the organization.  Profits are important for all organizations, and healthy profit margins are a strong indicator of an organization’s strength.
8. Board Approval The governing board, president, owner, or head of the organization should approve the budget and keep current with budget performance.  
Again, similar to your personal finances, the owner should be reviewing monthly financial statements for the following reasons.
To monitor budget performance.
To be familiar with all expenditures.
To safeguard the organization against misappropriation of funds or employee fraud.
9. Budget Review
A budget review committee should meet monthly to monitor performance against goals. This committee should review budget variances and assess issues associated with budget overages. It is important to do this every month, so there can be a correction to overspending or modify the budget if needed. Waiting until the end of the year to make corrections could hurt the final budget outcome.
10. Dealing With Budget Variances
Budget variances should be reviewed with the responsible department manager, and questions should be raised as to what caused the variance.
Sometimes unforeseen situations arise that cannot be avoided, so it is also important (just like your personal budget) to have an emergency fund to help with those
unplanned expenditures.
For example, if the HVAC system suddenly goes down and needs to be replaced, this would be a budget variance that needs to be funded.
Good budgeting processes can help develop and advance an organization, while sloppy budgeting and monitoring budgets can blindside an organization and affect its long-term financial health and viability. finally, without customers, there are no revenues to the budget.  For this reason, strategic plans and budgets should be targeted at one thing and one thing only – the customer. This is why it is imperative to identify who your customers are, find out what they want, and budget dollars to put systems and processes in place to meet their needs and exceed their expectations. Isn’t that what we are all trying to do?
If you would like to learn about budgeting for a small business, I love the Dummy books, Small Business Financial Management Kit For Dummies might be a great reference for you!
Budget Allocation. The strategy should include the organization’s approach to allocating compensation dollars into salary and benefits. This budget allocation will determine how much of the total compensation budget will be spent on salary and what percentage will be spent on benefits and other incentives. For example, for a budget of $1000 for compensation, if 90% is salary and 10% is benefits, you need to determine how that 10% is spent – one scenario might be – 7% on health benefits, 2% on retirement savings and 1% on tuition reimbursement. Allocating specific budget dollars to pay and benefits can help control labor, health care, and other miscellaneous benefit costs.
Develop Salary Ranges Develop salary ranges to ensure employee pay is competitive with other organizations.  To be competitive, it is important to benchmark similar jobs within the same industry and to create a pay structure. Salary ranges can be developed internally by conducting research or utilizing sites like salary.com or payscale.com to determine average salaries in a particular geographic area. Smaller organizations often pay a vendor to help develop salary ranges, whereas larger organizations may have the HR resources to conduct the research internally. Regardless, it is important to look at all jobs and determine what work is done, how the job is slotted, and establish salary ranges that match all job descriptions.
Salary Audits Markets change, therefore it is important to perform routine salary audits to ensure salary ranges reflect current compensation trends in a particular industry. When performing an audit, the goal is to determine how competitive are those particular jobs and what is the external market demanding. Ask the question, is it a growing or dying profession? It is important to pay attention to market changes and to stay current because failing to keep up with the competition can lead to the loss of valuable employees.--------Benefit Package: Many organizations use benefit packages, in addition to salary, to attract and retain employees. Their goal is to be competitive with health, retirement, tuition reimbursement and other benefits because they understand that it can be the determining factor for a job candidate who is deciding whether to accept a position with an organization, or an employee who is considering leaving. For instance, I know employees who have stayed with organizations because the benefits were too good to walk away from.
Performance Management System. It is important to have a structured performance management process to ensure employees are meeting corporate objectives and are assessed on a regular basis. This process should include the development of annual goals, annual performance appraisals, and a structured process for coaching and mentoring employees. Compensation strategies can positively influence employee engagement and improve employee productivity.
Legal Compliance A well-defined compensation strategy will incorporate legal requirements to ensure the organization is in compliance with all federal and state laws. The goal is to eliminate natural biases made in hiring decisions and ensure compliance with DOL FLSA laws such as minimum wage, overtime pay, or Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay.
Structured Administration Structure is important. Develop an annual review process, salary audit, raise process timeline, and make sure someone is responsible for all compensation areas. A comprehensive compensation strategy can be the foundation for creating an environment that recognizes and rewards employee performance and helps to establish a strong culture of employee engagement.
Organizations are only as successful as their approach to hiring the right people, setting clear expectations, managing performance, and recognizing and rewarding employees for a job well  done.
Compensation Handbook might be additional help for you and a great resource to add to your library!
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DOLLARS & CENTS! LOYAL CUSTOMERS.  Impact of a loyal Customer/Gymnast Program.  Monthly Payment vs. Package Program. Let's look at the Restaurant Business and apply the procedures for or Club Owners.
Fill in your number$ Restaurant: A Customer who frequents 6 times a year contributes $300 ($50 X 6 visits) to the bottom line. A customer comes 52 times a year (once a week!) at $50 each visit, could be worth $2,600! 
Now imagine threw in some extra special occasion visits (when they bring a a friend for gymnastics vs. parents or clients to a restaurant and you can gain significant dollars to your bottom line! 
Build Customer Loyalty!!!  Customer Service A loyal customer base is important because it is those consumers who sustain and grow your businesses. Organizations that understand the importance of happy customers, need to think strategy in order to build a loyal customer base.  Successful organizations have learned that there is a difference between attracting customers, keeping customers and developing loyal customers. 
Devoted customers are not only loyal to the organization, but also serve as advocates and help to solicit new customers by sharing their positive experiences. We can all relate to a good service experience.  The question becomes, was the experience you provide good enough for us to tell others about it? Think of a special restaurant that you go to. The staff is excellent and they add those special touches to create a memorable experience. That is the kind of organization that I would tell my family and friends about because I want them to have the same great experience.
Dollars and Cents of a Loyal Customer APPLY TO A GYMNASTIC CLUB/PARENTS" 
If you wonder about the impact of a loyal customer, look at this example A customer who frequents a restaurant 
6 times a year may contribute $300 ($50 X 6 visits) to the bottom line. But a loyal customer that comes in once a week can be much more! Imagine that customer comes 52 times a year at $50 each visit, that customer could be worth $2,600! Now ,imagine if you threw in some extra special occasion visits (when they bring the kids, parents or clients) and you can gain significant dollars to your bottom line! Just something to think about.
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LOYAL CUSTOMERS. DOLLARS & CENTS! Impact of a loyal Customer/Gymnast in the restaurant/club business 
Monthly Payment vs. Package Class Program. Club Owners Fill in your number$
Restaurant breakdown: A Customer who frequents 6 times a year contributes $300 ($50 X 6 visits) to the bottom line. A customer comes 52 times a year (once a week!) at $50 each visit, could be worth $2,600! Now imagine if you threw in some extra special occasion visits (when they bring a a friend for gymnastics vs. parents or clients to a restaurant and you can gain significant dollars to your bottom line! 
Build Customer Loyalty!!!Customer Service: A loyal customer base is important because it is those consumers who sustain and grow businesses. Organizations that understand the importance of happy customers, need to think strategy in order to build a loyal customer base. Successful organizations have learned that there is a difference between attracting customers, keeping customers and developing loyal customers. Devoted customers are not only loyal to the organization, but also serve as advocates and help to solicit new customers by sharing their positive experiences. We can all relate to a good service experience. The question becomes, was the experience you provide good enough for us to tell others about it? Think of a special restaurant that you go to. The staff is excellent and they add those special touches to create a memorable experience. That is the kind of organization that I would tell my family and friends about because I want them to have the same great experience.
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The Dollars and Cents of a Loyal Customer – Think Gymnastic Parents
If you wonder about the impact of a loyal customer, look at this example. A customer who frequents a restaurant 6 times a year may contribute $300 ($50 X 6 visits) to your bottom line. But a loyal customer that comes in once a week can be much more! Imagine that customer comes 52 times a year at $50 each visit, that customer could be worth $2,600! Now imagine if you threw in some extra special occasion visits (when they bring the kids, parents or clients) and you can gain significant dollars to your bottom line! Just something to think about.
1. Budget Allocation. The strategy should include the organization’s approach to allocating compensation dollars into salary and benefits. This budget allocation will determine how much of the total compensation budget will be spent on salary and what percentage will be spent on benefits and other incentives. For example, for a budget of $1000 for compensation, if 90% is salary and 10% is benefits, you need to determine how that 10% is spent – one scenario might be – 7% on health benefits, 2% on retirement savings and 1% on tuition reimbursement. Allocating specific budget dollars to pay and benefits can help control labor, health care, and other miscellaneous benefit costs.
2.  Develop Salary Ranges Develop salary ranges to ensure employee pay is competitive with other organizations.  To be competitive, it is important to benchmark similar jobs within the same industry and to create a pay structure. Salary ranges can be developed internally by conducting research or utilizing sites like salary.com or payscale.com to determine average salaries in a particular geographic area. Smaller organizations often pay a vendor to help develop salary ranges, whereas larger organizations may have the HR resources to conduct the research internally. Regardless, it is important to look at all jobs and determine what work is done, how the job is slotted, and establish salary ranges that match all job descriptions.
3.  Salary Audits Markets change, therefore it is important to perform routine salary audits to ensure salary ranges reflect current compensation trends in a particular industry. When performing an audit, the goal is to determine how competitive are those particular jobs and what is the external market demanding. Ask the question, is it a growing or dying profession? It is important to pay attention to market changes and to stay current because failing to keep up with the competition can lead to the loss of valuable employees.--------
4.  Benefit Package: Many organizations use benefit packages, in addition to salary, to attract and retain employees. Their goal is to be competitive with health, retirement, tuition reimbursement and other benefits because they understand that it can be the determining factor for a job candidate who is deciding whether to accept a position with an organization, or an employee who is considering leaving. For instance, I know employees who have stayed with organizations because the benefits were too good to walk away from.
5.  Performance Management System. It is important to have a structured performance management process to ensure employees are meeting corporate objectives and are assessed on a regular basis.
This process should include the development of annual goals, annual performance appraisals, and a structured process for coaching and mentoring employees. Compensation strategies can positively influence employee engagement and improve employee productivity.
6.  Legal Compliance A well-defined compensation strategy will incorporate legal requirements to ensure the organization is in compliance with all federal and state laws. The goal is to eliminate natural biases made in hiring decisions and ensure compliance with DOL FLSA laws such as minimum wage, overtime pay, or Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay.
7.  Structured Administration
Structure is important. Develop an annual review process, salary audit, raise process timeline, and make sure someone is responsible for all compensation areas. A comprehensive compensation strategy can be the foundation for creating an environment that recognizes and rewards employee performance and helps to establish a strong culture of employee engagement. Organizations are only as successful as their approach to hiring the right people, setting clear expectations, managing performance, and recognizing and rewarding employees for a job well done.
Compensation Handbook might be additional help for you and a great resource to add to your library!
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11 Mistakes Business Owners Make1.  Don’t have a defined mission, vision, and values statement. Every organization should spend time clarifying why it exists and what it hopes to accomplish. This is done by spending the time to articulate and write a mission, vision, and values statement It doesn’t matter if it is the dry cleaner, neighborhood restaurant, or Gymnastic Club. Every organization needs to have an articulated focus that provides a shared direction for decision making and employee performance. 2.  Fail to plan. Strategy and planning is critical to the success of any organization. Whether large or small, every business needs a plan. This involves taking time at least once a year to review strategy and goals and make sure the organization moves in the direction initially intended. There is an old saying, “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. ”  There is a lot of truth in that statement!3. Don’t write goals. Goals are how plans are achieved, and if goals are not developed, written down with assigned accountability, they will be difficult to accomplish. Business Goals should be written as part of the overall organizational strategy, and each goal should have someone assigned to them with very specific timeline expectations. 4. Don’t create an operating budget. Budgeting is something that should be done once a year and used to fund the plan and goals.  Organizations that don’t budget can be successful. Organizations that don’t budget can be successful.  However, the budgeting process determines how resources are managed and help to achieve targeted growth because budget dollars are allocated to only those things that improve and grow the business.5.  Don’t hold people accountable.
When goals are written, it is essential to assign responsibility for completing them. When organizations don’t hold people accountable for completing goals and performing basic job responsibilities, they are mismanaging the organization’s resources. When employees are on the payroll and aren’t held accountable for their job responsibilities, they are, in essence, taking money out of the organizational coffer without providing value in return.
Managing employee performance is critical to the success of all organizations – and employee JOB DESCRIPTIONS and goals are the first steps in that process.6.  Don’t anticipate market changes. The last couple of years has been a hard lesson for many organizations. Things can change quickly, and the market can shift seemingly overnight. It is essential to keep an eye on changing trends in things like technology, customer requirements, or financial viability. It is easy to get distracted with the day-to-day job tasks and lose sight of rapid market change. Make sure you keep a pulse on your industry and try to see what new trends are on the horizon.  Talk to your customers and learn from them.7.  Don’t take the time to understand customer requirements. Customers pay the bills, so organizations need to figure out what the customer   wants and put systems and processes in place to meet their needs. One way to better understand what the customer wants is to survey them. There are lots of survey software available. All too often, organizations build products and services based on what they “think’ the customer wants.  Talk to customers, survey them and continuously try to learn about changing expectations. This is an essential step in growing a solid customer base.8.  Don’t consider employees to be their most important customer group. Employees are among the most important customer groups because they are the organization’s hands and feet. And, when businesses don’t put employee-friendly policies and processes in place, they are risking alienating those individuals that interact with their customers. When employees are given clear job expectations, the tools, and training to do their job and are rewarded for performing well, they are more likely to be happy at work, which directly affects the customer experiences.  Every organization should work to improve employee engagement and create environments that employees can thrive in and enjoy.9.  Don’t communicate with employees and customers. Communication, or lack thereof, is a universal problem in most organizations.  There can never be too much communication, and successful organizations have structured processes to manage communication with both employees and customers. Creating transparent organizations that continually share information results in customer loyalty as well as an environment that employees enjoy working in.10.  Don’t continuously look for ways To improve. Continuous improvement is how organizations develop and enhance products and services.  The process by which those products and services are delivered should always be reviewed to identify improvement opportunities. Whether it is a process to manufacture a product or a process of delivering a service to the customer, looking for ways to continuously improve is important. 11.  Don’t celebrate successes. Many organizations get so bogged down with the daily grind that they forget to stop and acknowledge how far they’ve come.  Celebrating successes not only recognizes progress but also encourages employees and improves engagement. Running and growing a small business is a challenging endeavor. However, organizations that strive to create systems and processes that routinely look at how the organization is performing, identify ways to improve how things are done while planning to improve the employee and customer experience will ultimately 
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Managing YOUR Business High Ethical Standards -honesty-integrity-impartiality -fairness-Loyalty-dedication-responsibility -accountability -Setting the Example for Others-Evaluate circumstances through the appropriate filters. Filters include things such as culture, laws, policies, circumstances, relationships, politics, perception emotions, values, Bias and religion Ethical behavior starts with each person. just because someone else is doing something that’s unethical (mortally wrong) or illegal (legally wrong) Doesn’t mean that you should do too. When you believe ethically what-ever your position within an organization, others will follow your example and behave ethically, too. And, if you practice ethical conduct, it will reenforce and perhaps improve your own ethical standards. As A Leader, It’s Up to You to Set A Good Example of Ethical and Honest Behavior For Your Employees to Follow.
This Means Working within The Rules of Your Organization, not breaking the law, and treating people fairly and Honestly. People make Ethical Choices On The Job Every Day- How Do You Make Yours?
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What Should Merit Raises Be Based On? Justification for a merit increase is important because of the financial investment the pay increase represents.  Merit increases can have a significant impact on an organization’s payroll cost over the span of perhaps decades that an employee works for an organization. For example, let’s say you have two employees and each makes $10 per hour.  Employee A receives a merit increase of 2% and employee B receives a 5% pay increase.  The 2% increase is equivalent to $416 for the year and 5% equals $1040 for the year – more than double.  Multiply that times ten years and the employee who receives the higher increase will cost the organization much more over that 10  year period of time. Now let’s say employee A gets 2% a year every year for ten years and the employee B gets 5% every year for ten years and this is what it looks like: As you can see employee B, who received the 5% increases over the course of ten years, cost the organization $42,392 more than employee A.  Now do the math for the higher earners in your organization and the difference can be staggering.  This is why it is so important to have a structured performance management process that helps to control costs and justifies merit increases for those employees who perform well. Managing employee performance can help to control biases associated with managing employees and provides the framework for rewarding strong performers while identifying poor performers.
Merit Pay Increase Based On: performance appraisal document is a key tool used in assessing performance.  
When employees are scored on dimensions of performance, and those scores are tied to percentage increases, good performers get rewarded with a higher percentage of the pot. Scoring the performance appraisal form  and then tying the scores to raise distribution is an objective way to ensure your best performers are receiving a higher percentage of allocated raise dollars. Ok, let’s look at the performance appraisal document again and see the dimension scores and look at this example: Let’s say there are 7 dimensions that are being scored and for dimension one the employee received a score of 3, dimension two a score of 3, dimension three a score of 4, and so on.
Dimension one       Score = 3          Dimension two        Score = 3
Dimension three     Score = 4          Dimension four       Score = 3
Dimension five       Score = 5           Dimension six        Score = 3
Dimension Seven    Score = 4    Total score =   25
What you want to do is total the scores.  In this particular example if you add up the dimension scores you get a total score of 25 out of a possible 35 (7 dimensions X 5 points).  Now if you take that score of 25 and divide it by 7 (the number of dimensions) you get an average score of 3.5 – (25/7 = 3.5).   This is the score that will determine the employee’s percentage merit increase.  Next, you want to do this on all of your employees and come up with a list of average scores. Ok, we’ve got the scores but how do you tie those scores to raises? Let’s go through an example.  Let’s say (for the sake of easy math) that you have:
11 employees each making $10/hour you budgeted 3.5% for raises which generates a pool of merit increase dollars of $8,008 (.035X$228,800). The $228,800 comes from 11 employees X 2080 hours X $10/hour = a salary budget of $228,800. Lets also say that you have determined that the average performance appraisal scores (3.0) will receive a 3.5% increase – and those scoring below average will receive less, those scoring above will receive more. Now let’s look at what this might look like: As you can see from the example below, there are 11 employees listed, a,b,c,etc.  The next column shows their average scores as well as an overall average score for all employees.  Now in the next column, you can see the percent increase that was awarded to each employee based on the predetermined criteria. Some employees received as low as 2% increase and the higher performers received as high as 4.5% increase which translates into a raise of $416 for the poor performers but more than twice as much, $936 for the higher performing employees.  Now if you total what all of these increases add up to, you’ll see that these pay increases will cost the organization $8,008 which ends up being exactly what was budgeted $8008. This is an oversimplified example to demonstrate how this can be done.  Obviously when there are dozens or even hundreds of employees this scenario would look much different. It is common for larger organizations to allocate the raise percentages to the individual department and allow managers to award raises specifically to their own area. Another thing to remember is the importance of organizational culture and communicating organizational culture and    clearly with all employees about their raise increases. The higher performers should be aware that they received a higher per-centage but the lower performers should also be told that they received less because of their performance scores.  This should serve as an encouragement for the good performers and possibly a wake-up call for the under performers and lastly, it doesn’t matter how high the raise percentage is, most employees don’t think it’s enough and that is just something you need to be aware of and not get overly concerned with.  Statistics show most people don’t think they are paid for what they think they are worth and that organizations have unlimited resources for salaries – we know that’s not true
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Advantages and Disadvantages of Performance Appraisals Employees, as well as managers, often question why organizations do employee performance appraisals. Anyone who has ever been on the receiving end of a performance appraisal could argue why they perceive it to be ineffective and a complete waste of time. Employees often feel unjustly assessed, and managers often go through a forced annual process to comply with job expectations. This doesn’t make it easy for either party. What that exactly is a performance appraisal? A performance appraisal is an evaluation done on an employee’s job performance over a specific period of time. It is the equivalent of a report card on an employee and how their manager assessed their performance over the prior year. Anyone who has worked in more than one department or at more than one organization can attest to the fact that not all performance appraisal processes are the same. The varying systems and processes are all over the map. Unfortunately, some are done so poorly that they are not only designed to fail, but also to create a negative experience for both the manager as well as the employee. So why do organizations do performance appraisals? There are many varying opinions on the subject of performance appraisals and why they are done. Some organizations do performance appraisals because they feel obligated to do them – because everyone else does. Other organizations do performance appraisals to make sure they have a piece of paper in the employee’s file – in case they ever need to do corrective action 
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A Good A Leader/OWNER  Will DO Any of These 5 Thing Engaged employees are 17% more productive and 21% more profitable. Engaged employees are your strongest asset. In times of disruption, this is even more true. Engaged employees consistently outperform their colleagues by solving new problems, innovating, and creating new customers. Engaged employees are 17% more productive and 21% more profitable. companies prioritize engaging employees to create sustained growth. Make sure you have a workforce that isn't distracted can be difficult to achieve, but it must be core to your business strategy to remain competitive. Here are a few ways to do it in the coronavirus age.
-Maintain clear and consistent communication
During this time of upheaval, employees have more on their mind than day-to-day activities, which can cause them to lose focus. To keep them grounded at work, maintain a constant and open line of communication -- whether through regular updates over email or Slack, or semi-regular town hall meetings. This allows employees to keep productivity high and reassures them during an uncertain period. Connect with employees & parents Laurie Schultz, President & CEO of Galvanize, kept a CEO diary that she shared daily with employees for the first three months of the outbreak. In the diary, she detailed her perspective on the business landscape as well as anecdotes about how the outbreak was affecting her personally. For example, Schultz shared in one entry, "As terrible as this situation is, I do find myself feeling very bonded with the world as we unite together to do the right thing." Schultz said, "People want to feel safe and secure. Daily, authentic and human communication allows you to build trust -- reassuring people through regular check-ins -- rather than having them fill in the blanks."
3. Upskill your employees Successful upskilling, or reskilling, focuses on innovation and is seen as both a technology and human capital investment. PwC's U.S. and Global Advisory Leader, shared, "When it comes to innovation it can't come from just leadership, it comes from everybody." A few key areas to up skill employees include relevant emerging technologies, investing platforms, and the cloud. "This enables companies to deliver a better digital experience to customers and ensure employees have the ability to use these newly-implemented platforms to drive true value," Also recommended looking into new technologies for training, like virtual reality, which was found to improve employees confidence in new skills by 340%  4. Lead with empathy Unhealthy stress can wreak havoc on everyone, inhibit productivity, and lead to detached employees. "When an employee is showing signs that they're struggling in some way, the best thing a manager can do is encourage them to discuss any fears or concerns, empathize with what they're experiencing and help them outline what needs to be done to address the challenges head-on," said Billie Hartless CHRO of Mitll . "This is what good humans do for each other and it strengthens the employee-manager relationship, which is essential to fostering long-term engagement and high performance," Heartless said. Redeploy your workforce to give customers more value Redeploying your workforce is one way to engage employees. Yet you need to be strategic in how you do this. For instance, you should focus on redeploying employees to give more value to your customers. "The first step is determining how value is defined for each customer." For instance, is value related to lower cost? Is it related to a more holistic set of services or better experience? When value is defined, decisions can be made to positively impact customers and deploy talent in areas that will drive change in specific areas and for the organization as a whole. "By following these tips to engage your workforce, you can improve the productivity and profitability of your organization. Though it can be tough with a distributed workforce, the key is to come back to providing consistent communication, improving manager engagement, and offering new opportunities to learn. And always remember to put your people before profit. As Schultz shared, "Our focus has been on employees first, customer retention second, and then financials on the belief that the first two will lead to success on the financial front." A Good A Leader Will DO Any of These 5 Things: Engaged employees are 17% more productive and 21% more profitable. Engaged employees consistently are your strongest asset. In times of disruption, this is even more true. Engaged employees consistently outperform   their colleagues by solving new problems, innovating, and creating new customers. Engaged employees are 17% more productive and 21% more profitable. companies prioritize engaging employees to create sustained growth. Make sure you have a workforce that isn't distracted can be difficult to achieve, but it must be core to your business strategy to remain competitive. Here are a few ways to do it in the coronavirus age.
1. Maintain clear and consistent communication During this time of upheaval, employees have more on their mind than day-to-day activities, which can cause them to lose focus. To keep them grounded at work, maintain a constant and open line of communication -- whether through regular updates over email or Slack, or semi-regular town hall meetings. This allows employees to keep productivity high and reassures them during an uncertain period.
2. Create connection with employees & parents Laurie Schultz, President & CEO of GALVANIZE kept a CEO diary that she shared daily with employees for the first three months of the outbreak. In the diary, she detailed her perspective on the business landscape as well as anecdotes about how the outbreak was affecting her personally. For example, Schultz shared in one entry, "As terrible as this situation is, I do find myself feeling very bonded with the world as we unite together to do the right thing." Schultz said, "People want to feel safe and secure. Daily, authentic and human communication allows you to build trust -- reassuring people through regular check-ins -- rather than having them fill in the blanks." 3. Up-skill your employees Successful up-skilling, or re-skilling, focuses on innovation and is seen as both a technology and human capital investment. PwC's U.S. and Global Advisory Leader, shared, "When it comes to innovation it can't come from just leadership, it comes from everybody." A few key areas to up-skill employees include relevant emerging technologies, investing platforms, and the cloud. "This enables companies to deliver a better digital experience to customers and ensure employees have the ability to use these newly-implemented platforms to drive true value," Kande also recommended looking into new technologies for training, like virtual reality, which was found to improve employees confidence in new skills by 340%  
4. Lead with empath Unhealthy stress can wreak havoc on everyone, inhibit productivity, and lead to detached employees. "When an employee is showing signs that they're struggling in some way, the best thing a manager can do is encourage them to discuss any fears or concerns, empathize with what they're experiencing and help them outline what needs to be done to address the challenges head-on," said Billie Hartless CHRO of Mitel  
This is what good humans do for each other and it strengthens the employee-manager relationship, which is essential to fostering long-term engagement and high performance,". Redeploying your workforce is one way to engage employees. Yet you need to be strategic in how you do this. For instance, you should focus on redeploying employees to give more value to your customers. "The first step is determining how value is defined for each customer." For instance, is value related to lower cost? Is it related to a more holistic set of services or better experience? When value is defined, decisions can be made to positively impact customers and deploy talent in areas that will drive change in specific areas and for the organization as a whole. "By following these tips to engage your workforce, you can improve the productivity and profitability of your organization. Though it can be tough with a distributed workforce, the key is to come back to providing consistent communication, improving manager engagement, and offering new opportunities to learn and always remember to put your people before profit. As Schultz shared, "Our focus has been on employees first, customer retention second, and then financials on the belief that the first two will lead to success on the financial front."
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1. Budget Allocation. The strategy should include the organization’s approach to allocating compensation dollars into salary and benefits. This budget allocation will determine how much of the total compensation budget will be spent on salary and what percentage will be spent on benefits and other incentives. For example, for a budget of $1000 for compensation, if 90% is salary and 10% is benefits, you need to determine how that 10% is spent – one scenario might be – 7% on health benefits, 2% on retirement savings and 1% on tuition reimbursement. Allocating specific budget dollars to pay and benefits can help control labor, health care, and other miscellaneous benefit costs.
2.  Develop Salary Ranges Develop salary ranges to ensure employee pay is competitive with other organizations.  To be competitive, it is important to benchmark similar jobs within the same industry and to create a pay structure. Salary ranges can be developed internally by conducting research or utilizing sites like salary.com or payscale.com to determine average salaries in a particular geographic area. Smaller organizations often pay a vendor to help develop salary ranges, whereas larger organizations may have the HR resources to conduct the research internally. Regardless, it is important to look at all jobs and determine what work is done, how the job is slotted, and establish salary ranges that match all job descriptions.
3.  Salary Audits Markets change, therefore it is important to perform routine salary audits to ensure salary ranges reflect current compensation trends in a particular industry. When performing an audit, the goal is to determine how competitive are those particular jobs and what is the external market demanding. Ask the question, is it a growing or dying profession? It is important to pay attention to market changes and to stay current because failing to keep up with the competition can lead to the loss of valuable employees.--------
4.  Benefit Package: Many organizations use benefit packages, in addition to salary, to attract and retain employees. Their goal is to be competitive with health, retirement, tuition reimbursement and other benefits because they understand that it can be the determining factor for a job candidate who is deciding whether to accept a position with an organization, or an employee who is considering leaving. For instance, I know employees who have stayed with organizations because the benefits were too good to walk away from.
5.  Performance Management System. It is important to have a structured performance management process to ensure employees are meeting corporate objectives and are assessed on a regular basis.
This process should include the development of annual goals, annual performance appraisals, and a structured process for coaching and mentoring employees.Compensation strategies can positively influence employee engagement and improve employee productivity.
6.  Legal Compliance A well-defined compensation strategy will incorporate legal requirements to ensure the organization is in compliance with all federal and state laws.
The goal is to eliminate natural biases made in hiring decisions and ensure compliance with DOL FLSA laws such as minimum wage, overtime pay, or Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay.
7.  Structured Administration Structure is important. Develop an annual review process, salary audit, raise process timeline, and make sure someone is responsible for all compensation areas. A comprehensive compensation strategy can be the foundation for creating an environment that recognizes and rewards employee performance and helps to establish a strong culture of employee engagement.
Organizations are only as successful as their approach to hiring the right people, setting clear expectations, managing performance, and recognizing and rewarding employees for a job well done. The Compensation Handbook might be additional help for you and a great resource to add to your library!
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What Should Merit Raises Be Based On? Justification for a merit increase is important because of the financial investment the pay increase represents.  Merit increases can have a significant impact on an organization’s payroll cost over the span of perhaps decades that an employee works for an organization. For example, let’s say you have two employees and each makes $10 per hour.  Employee A receives a merit increase of 2% and employee B receives a 5% pay increase.  The 2% increase is equivalent to $416 for the year and 5% equals $1040 for the year – more than double.  Multiply that times ten years and the employee who receives the higher increase will cost the organization much more over that ten-year period of time. Now let’s say employee A gets 2% a year every year for ten years and the employee B gets 5% every year for ten years and this is what it looks like:
As you can see employee B, who received the 5% increases over the course of ten years, cost the organization $42,392 more than employee A.  Now do the math for the higher earners in your organization and the difference can be staggering.  This is why it is so important to have a structured performance management  process that helps to control costs and justifies merit increases for those employees who perform well.
Managing employee performance can help to control biases associated with managing employees and provides the
framework for rewarding strong performers while identifying poor performers.
MERIT RAISES BASED ON: A performance appraisal document is a key tool used in assessing performance.  When employees are scored on dimensions of performance, and those scores are tied to percentage increases, good performers get rewarded with a higher percentage of the pot. Scoring the performance appraisal FORM and then tying the scores to raise distribution is an objective way to ensure your best performers are receiving a higher percentage of allocated raise dollars. Ok, let’s look at the performance appraisal document again and see the dimension scores and look at this example: Let’s say there are 7 dimensions that are being scored and for dimension one the employee received a score of 3, dimension two a score of 3, dimension three a score of 4, and so on.
Dimension one       Score = 3          Dimension two         Score = 3
Dimension three      Score = 4         Dimension four        Score = 3
Dimension five         Score = 5         Dimension six         Score = 3
Dimension Seven     Score =          Total score =   25
What you want to do is total the scores.  In this particular example if you add up the dimension scores you get a total score of 25 out of a possible 35 (7 dimensions X 5 points). Now if you take that score of 25 and divide it by 7 (the number of dimensions) you get an average score of 3.5 – (25/7 = 3.5).   This is the score that will determine the employee’s percentage merit increase.  Next, you want to do this on all of your employees and come up with a list of average scores. Ok, we’ve got the scores but how do you tie those scores to raises? Let’s go through an example.  Let’s say (for the sake of easy math) that you have:
-11 employees each making $10/hour
you budgeted 3.5% for raises which generates a pool of merit increase dollars of $8,008 (.035X$228,800). The $228,800 comes from 11 employees X 2080 hours X $10/hour = a salary budget of $228,800.
Now let’s also say that you have determined that the average performance appraisal scores (3.0) will receive a 3.5% increase – and those scoring below average will receive less, those scoring above will receive more. Now let’s look at what this might look like: As you can see from the example below, there are 11 employees listed, a, b, c, etc.  The next column shows their average scores as well as an overall average score for all employees.  Now in the next column, you can see the percent increase that was awarded to each employee based on the predetermined criteria. Some employees received as low as 2% increase and the higher performers received as high as 4.5% increase which translates into a raise of $416 for the poor performers but more than twice as much, $936 for the higher performing employees.  Now if you total what all of these increases add up to, you’ll see that these pay increases will cost the organization $8,008 which ends up being exactly what was budgeted $8008.This is an oversimplified example to demonstrate how this can be done.  Obviously when there are dozens or even hundreds of employees this scenario would look much different. It is common for larger organizations to allocate the raise percentages to the individual department and allow managers to award raises specifically to their own area. Another thing to remember is the importance of organizational culture and communicating clearly with all employees about their raise increases. The higher performers should be aware that they received a higher per-centage but the lower performers should also be told that they received less because of their performance scores.  This should serve as an encouragement for the good performers and possibly a wake-up call for the under performers. And lastly, it doesn’t matter how high the raise percentage is, most employees don’t think it’s enough and that is just something you need to be aware of and not get overly concerned with.  Statistics show most people don’t think they are paid for what they think they are worth and that organizations have unlimited resources for salaries – we know that’s not true
Advantages and Disadvantages of Performance Appraisals Employees, as well as managers, often question why organizations do employee performance appraisals Anyone who has ever been on the receiving end of a performance appraisal could argue why they perceive it to be ineffective and a complete waste of time. Employees often feel unjustly assessed, and managers often go through a forced annual process to comply with job expectations. This doesn’t make it easy for either party.
So what exactly is a performance appraisal? A performance appraisal is an evaluation done on an employee’s job performance over a specific period of time. It is the equivalent of a report card on an employee and how their manager assessed their performance over the prior year. Anyone who has worked in more than one department or at more than one organization can attest to the fact that not all performance appraisal processes are the same. The varying systems and processes are all over the map. Unfortunately, some are done so poorly that they are not only designed to fail, but also to create a negative experience for both the manager as well as the employee.
So why do organizations do performance appraisals? There are many varying opinions on the subject of performance appraisals and why they are done. Some organizations do performance appraisals because they feel obligated to do them – because everyone else does. Other organizations do performance appraisals to make sure they have a piece of paper in the employee’s file – in case they ever need to do corrective action  
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6 Things You Can Do To Influence Customer Loyalty
1. Solicit Customer Feedback.  A great customer experience is what brings consumers back. The only way to know how a customer perceived an experience is to ask them. Solicit customer feedback and make sure that customer satisfaction is one of the critical success factors or your organization. Feedback can come from surveys. Share data with all levels of the organization. All should be aware of customer requirements as compared to customer feedback. Help employees understand the requirements and how the feedback tells the experience story. These efforts result in satisfied customers and satisfied customers can turn into loyal customers. Customer feedback should be interpreted and used to develop strategy. This strategy should then be used to develop organizational business goals that are used to determine employee goals. Goals should be based on meeting and exceeding customer requirements. Employees should be held accountable for performance that supports customer satisfaction.
2. Customer Service Business Systems and processes are how services are provided: Customer Complaints and issues that may arise. The goal of quickly addressing customer issues and complaints done right, service recovery programs can turn an angry customer into a loyal one!
3. Process Improvement: Broken processes have a direct impact on the customer experience.  A structured quality management program can help develop solutions to systemic problems that affect the customer experiences. This is done by continually trying to improve the way products and services are delivered to the customer.
Use quality tools to create flow charts of the current process, then work to eliminate steps in the process that don’t add value to the customer.
4. Employees need to understand the importance of providing a great service experience. Managing for a great client experience should be incorporated into the day-to-day operational processes of the organization. What this means is training and holding employees accountable for adhering to established customer service standards.
5. Owners should Coach Employees on appropriate behaviors. Employees Compensation Based On The Experience They Provide To Our Gymnasts. At the end of the day, it is the customer who pays salaries. Employees compensated based on their ability to meet customer requirements. Use customer satisfaction data to determine. Effective Compensation Strategy
6.There should be measures in place to assess employee influence on customer satisfaction. Scores that should also be reflected in the annual performance appraisals. Example, an organization should have customer satisfaction goals that are tied to performance pay. If the organization meets those goals it is reflected in the annual merit increase.
Developing a Strategic Plan      Write a Vision Statement: 
2-3 sentences. The goal is to give your business a mental picture of what your business hopes to become or what the organization hopes to achieve. As an owner you must understand where your business is going before you can develop a strategic plan for how to get there. The value of a vision statement is that is gives leadership and employees a shared goal. Example: ABC Dry Cleaners will be the premier professional laundry of the metropolitan area by providing unmatched customer service and cleaning services that exceed the competition.” 
Your Mission Statement: An explanation of why an organization exists and the path it will take to achieve its vision. Mission statements are typically shorter than a vision statement but not always and are organization specific. This statement describes what the organization is passionate about and why it exists. To facilitate the mission statement process: Brainstorm your mission statement...
Customer Service and Quality of Service. This is the most important area for business owners. Why? A Loyal customer base is important because it is those consumers who sustain and grow businesses. Organizations that understand the importance of happy customers, need to think strategy in order to build a loyal customer base. Successful organizations have learned that there is a difference between attracting customers, keeping customers and developing loyal customers. Devoted customers are not only loyal to the organization, but also serve as advocates and help to solicit new customers by sharing their positive experiences. We can all relate to a good service experience.  The question becomes, was that experience good enough for us to tell others about it? 
Staff MUST EXCEL adding to those special touches to create a memorable experience for all gymnasts. You want your parents to promote your business to family and friends by talking about the great experience their children have in your program.
LOYAL CUSTOMERS. DOLLARS & CENTS! 
Impact of a loyal Customer/Gymnast in the restaurant/club business 
Monthly Payment vs. Package Class Program.
Club Owners Fill in your number$.
Restaurant breakdown: A Customer who frequents 6 times a year contributes $300 ($50 X 6 visits) to the bottom line. 
A customer comes 52 times a year (once a week!) at $50 each visit, could be worth $2,600! Now imagine if you threw in some extra special occasion visits (when they bring a a friend for gymnastics vs. parents or clients to a restaurant and you can gain significant dollars to your bottom line!
Build Customer Loyalty!!!
Customer Service A loyal customer base is important because it is those consumers who sustain and grow businesses. Organizations that understand the importance of happy customers, need to think strategy in order to build a loyal customer base. Successful organizations have learned that there is a difference between attracting customers, keeping customers and developing loyal customers. Devoted customers are not only loyal to the organization, but also serve as advocates and help to solicit new customers by sharing their positive experiences. We can all relate to a good service experience. The question becomes, was the experience you provide good enough for us to tell others about it? Think of a special restaurant that you go to. The staff is and they add those special touches to create a memorable experience. That is the kind excellence of organization that I would tell my family and friends about because I want them to have the same great experience.
The Dollars and Cents of a Loyal Customer – Think Gymnastic Parents
If you wonder about the impact of a loyal customer, look at this example.
A customer who frequents a restaurant 6 times a year may contribute $300 ($50 X 6 visits) to your bottom line. But a loyal customer that comes in once a week can be much more! Imagine that customer comes 52 times a year at $50 each visit, that customer could be worth $2,600. Now imagine if you threw in some extra special occasion visits (when they bring the kids, parents or clients) and you can gain significant dollars to your bottom line! Just something to think about.
Budget Allocation. The strategy should include the organization’s approach to allocating compensation dollars into salary and benefits. This budget allocation will determine how much of the total compensation budget will be spent on salary and what percentage will be spent on benefits and other incentives. For example, for a budget of $1000 for compensation, if 90% is salary and 10% is benefits, you need to determine how that 10% is spent – one scenario might be – 7% on health benefits, 2% on retirement savings and 1% on tuition reimbursement. Allocating specific budget dollars to pay and benefits can help control labor, health care, and other miscellaneous benefit costs.
2.  Develop Salary Ranges Develop salary ranges to ensure employee pay is competitive with other organizations.  To be competitive, it is important to benchmark similar jobs within the same industry and to create a pay structure. Salary ranges can be developed internally by conducting research or utilizing sites like salary.com or payscale.com to determine average salaries in a particular geographic area. Smaller organizations often pay a vendor to help develop salary ranges, whereas larger organizations may have the HR resources to conduct the research internally. Regardless, it is important to look at all jobs and determine what work is done, how the job is slotted, and establish salary ranges that match all job descriptions. 3.  Salary Audits Markets change, therefore it is important to perform routine salary audits to ensure salary ranges reflect current compensation trends in a particular industry. When performing an audit, the goal is to determine how competitive are those particular jobs and what is the external market demanding. Ask the question, is it a growing or dying profession? It is important to pay attention to market changes and to stay current because failing to keep up with the competition can lead to the loss of valuable employees.---------
4.  Benefit Package: Many organizations use benefit packages, in addition to salary, to attract and retain employees. Their goal is to be competitive with health, retirement, tuition reimbursement and other benefits because they understand that it can be the determining factor for a job candidate who is deciding whether to accept a position with an organization, or an employee who is considering leaving. For instance, I know employees who have stayed with organizations because the benefits were too good to walk away from.
5.  Performance Management System. It is important to have a structured performance management process to ensure employees are meeting corporate objectives and are assessed on a regular basis. This process should include the development of annual goals, annual performance appraisals, and a structured process for coaching and mentoring employees. Compensation strategies can positively influence employee engagement and improve employee productivity. 6.  Legal Compliance A well-defined compensation strategy will incorporate legal requirements to ensure the organization is in compliance with all federal and state laws.The goal is to eliminate natural biases made in hiring decisions and ensure compliance with DOL FLSA laws such as minimum wage, overtime pay, or Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay.
7.  Structured Administration Structure is important. Develop an annual review process, salary audit, raise process timeline, and make sure someone is responsible for all compensation areas. A comprehensive compensation strategy can be the foundation for creating an environment that recognizes and rewards employee performance and helps to establish a strong culture of employee engagement. Organizations are only as successful as their approach to hiring the right people, setting clear expectations, managing performance, and recognizing and rewarding employees for a job well done
Compensation Handbook might be additional help for you and a great resource to add to your library!
1. Budget Allocation. The strategy should include the organization’s approach to allocating compensation dollars into salary and benefits. This budget allocation will determine how much of the total compensation budget will be spent on salary and what percentage will be spent on benefits and other incentives. For example, for a budget of $1000 for compensation, if 90% is salary and 10% is benefits, you need to determine how that 10% is spent – one scenario might be – 7% on health benefits, 2% on retirement savings and 1% on tuition reimbursement. Allocating specific budget dollars to pay and benefits can help control labor, health care, and other miscellaneous benefit costs.
2.  Develop Salary Ranges Develop salary ranges to ensure employee pay is competitive with other organizations.  To be competitive, it is important to benchmark similar jobs within the same industry and to create a pay structure. Salary ranges can be developed internally by conducting research or utilizing sites like salary.com or payscale.com to determine average salaries in a particular geographic area. Smaller organizations often pay a vendor to help develop salary ranges, whereas larger organizations may have the HR resources to conduct the research internally. Regardless, it is important to look at all jobs and determine what work is done, how the job is slotted, and establish salary ranges that match all job descriptions.
3.  Salary Audits Markets change, therefore it is important to perform routine salary audits to ensure salary ranges reflect current compensation trends in a particular industry. When performing an audit, the goal is to determine how competitive are those particular jobs and what is the external market demanding. Ask the question, is it a growing or dying profession? It is important to pay attention to market changes and to stay current because failing to keep up with the competition can lead to the loss of valuable employees.--4.  Benefit Package: Many organizations use benefit packages, in addition to salary, to attract and retain employees. Their goal is to be competitive with health, retirement, tuition reimbursement and other benefits because they understand that it can be the determining factor for a job candidate who is deciding whether to accept a position with an organization, or an employee who is considering leaving. For instance, I know employees who have stayed with organizations because the benefits were too good to walk away from.
5.  Performance Management System. It is important to have a structured performance management process to ensure employees are meeting corporate objectives and are assessed on a regular basis.
This process should include the development of annual goals, annual performance appraisals, and a structured process for coaching and mentoring employees.
Compensation strategies can positively influence employee engagement and improve employee productivity.
6.  Legal Compliance A well-defined compensation strategy will incorporate legal requirements to ensure the organization is in compliance with all federal and state laws.
The goal is to eliminate natural biases made in hiring decisions and ensure compliance with DOL FLSA laws such as minimum wage, overtime pay, or Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay.
7.  Structured Administration
Structure is important. Develop an annual review process, salary audit, raise process timeline, and make sure someone is responsible for all compensation areas. A comprehensive compensation strategy can be the foundation for creating an environment that recognizes and rewards employee performance and helps to establish a strong culture of employee engagement. Organizations are only as successful as their approach to hiring the right people, setting clear expectations, managing performance, and recognizing and rewarding employees for a job well done.

IGC OWNER BUSINESS BRIEFS #11 
BUSINESS PRINCIPLES #11.ALL POSTED ON OUR BUSINESS PAGE
1. CONCEPTS CENTRAL TO BUSINESS. BUSINESSES NEED MANAGERS:
2. GYMNASTIC CLUBS MUST HAVE A VALUE FOR YOUR PARENTS & THEIR CHILDEN. 
3. OWNERS MUST HAVE STRONG ORGANIZATION PRACTICES
4 BUSINESSES MUST HAVE A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE, A VALUE FOR GYMNASTS, CONTROL, PROFITABILITY.
5. GYMNASTIC CLUBS TEACH GYMNASTICS LESSONS/SKILLS WHICH INCREASES THE CLUBS VALUE BY PROVIDING SERVICES THAT PARENTS WILL PAY FOR.

ETHICAL PRACTICES: #12
 1. BUSINESSES CREATE VALUE OF SOME KIND TO EXIST. 
2. VALUE IS WHAT CUSTOMERS PAY FOR. CUSTOMERS BUY/PAY FOR THINGS THEY VALUE.
3. A BUSINESS AND ITS OWNERS/MANAGERS MUST CREATE VALUE FOR CUSTOMERS. 
THIS CAN BE DONE IN ALMOST LIMITLESS WAYS BECAUSE HUMAN DESIRES ARE LIMITLESS.
A SINGLE BUSINESS CANNOT SERVE LIMITLESS DESIRES. 
INSTEAD, IT MUST CREATE A SPECIIFIC VALUE IN A SPECIFIC WAY.THIS IS CALLED “THE VALUE PROPOSITION” THE MANNER IN WHICH A PRODUCT OR COMPANY PROPOSES TO DELIVER VALUE TO THE CUSTOMERS. 
BUSINESSES MUST BE ORGANIZE ACCORDINGLY: USING ALMOST A MILITARY APPROACH, WITH STRICT HIERARCHIES, SHARPLY DEFIND DUTIES, AND FORMAL PROTOCAL.
YOU CAN ALSO TAKE A MORE INFORMAL APPROACH, WHICH ALLOWS PEOPLE GREATER LEEWAY AND CREATES A MORE UNSTRUCTURED ENVIRONMENT. 
THE NATURE OF YOUR BUSINESS CAN DETERMINE HOW STRUCTURED OR UNSTRUCTURED A COMPANY IS.
COMPANIES WITH LESS THAN 50 EMPLOYEES USE THE INFORMAL APPROACH. 
REGARDLESS OF WHICH METHOD AN OWNER DECIDES ON THE MANAGERS MUST KEEP THE BUSINESS ORGANIZED. COMPANIES MUST DO SOMETHING BETTER THAN OTHER COMPANIES IN YOUR BUSINESS. 
DOING SOMETHING BETTER CREATES A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE. THAT “SOMETHING” MAY BE ONLY ONE ASPECT OF THE SERVICE, AS LONG AS CUSTOMERS VALUE IT HIGHLY.
EXAMPLES: OFFERING SOMETHING UPON REGISTRATION? 
CREATE PERKS FOR PARENTS/GYMNASTS FOR THE SEMESTER. 
THE GYMNASTIC SHOW CAST AT THE END OF THE YEAR IS A GOOD ONE……..,
DESPITE ADVERTISING CLAIMS   
NO BUSINESS CAN REALLY PROVIDE BOTH HIGH QUALITY, AND LOW PRICES, AT LEAST NOT FOR LONG. 
FYI: YOU CAN OFFER THE HIGHEST QUALITY IN A CERTAIN PRICE RANGE, BUT NOT AT THE LOWEST PRICE. 
OWNERS MUST DECEIDE WHETHER IT WANTS TO BE COMPETITIVE ON QUAITY, PRICE OR SERVICE. 
THINK WHOLE FOODS: CLEAR VALUE & COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE PROVIDING WIDE SELECTION HIGH-QUALITY ORGANIC & NON-ORGANIC PRODUCE, DAILYY WITH EXCELLENT SERVICE
HIGH PRICE, RELATIVE TO OTHER GROCERY CHAINS.

BUSINESS #13 
A “BIG-BOX” STORE  DOES NOT PRETEND TO BE A LUXURY RETAILER, AND VICE VERSA,
BIG BOX STORES COMPETE ON PRICE AND PULL IN BARGAIN HUNTERS.
LUXURY STORES 
COMPETE ON QUALITY AND SERVICE AND ATTRACT CUSTOMERS MOTIVATED BY THOSE CONSIDERATIONS RATHER THAN PRICE CONCERNS. IF A BIG-BOX STORES DISPLAYED DESIGNER CLOTHING AND $400 FOUNTAIN PENS, CUSTOMERS WOULD LAUGH. IF LUXURY STORES DISPLAY DESIGNER COTHING AND $400 FOUNTAIN PENS, CUSTOMERS WILL LAUGH. 
CUSTOMERS WHO CAN AFFORD-HIGH QUALITY WILL BUY FROM THE HIGH-QUALITY COMPANY; 
THOSE WANTING LOW PRICES WILL BUY FROM THE LOW-PRICE COMPANIES.. CUSTOMERS CAN FIGURE THIS OUT. 
STARBUCKS: ATTRACTIVE CAFES, ADDICTIVE COFFEE, & HOSPITALITY AT HIGH PRICE.
CONTROL MEANS NEVER HAVING TO SAY YOU LOST IT AFTER MANAGEMENT DECIDES TO CREATE VALUE.
ORGANIZE YOUR  BUSINESS, AND ESTABLISH A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE, IT MUST CONTROL THE COMPANY.
THIS DOES NOT MEAN RULING WITH AN IRON FIST (ALTHOUGH SOME MANAGERS BELIEVE IT DOES).
RATHER, IT MEANS THAT EVERYONE MUST KNOW THE COMPANY’S GOALS AND BE ASSIGNED TASKS THAT WILL MOVE EVERYONE TOWARD THOSE GOALS. IT ALSO MEANS HAVIG THE RIGHT INFORMATION ON THE VARIOUS PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION AND FINANCIAL PROCESSES 
THOSE THAT ENSURE THAT THE COMPANY PAYS ITS BILLS AND GETS PAID BY CUSTOMERS), 
AND THAT THE COMPANY COMPILES WITH ALL RELEVANT LAWS AND REGULATIONS.
CONTROL ENSURES THAT THE RIGHT MANAGER KNOWS WHAT’S GOING ON AT ALL TIMES. 
CONTROLS ARE BASED MOSTLY ON INFORMATION. 
FOR EXAMPLE, EVERY COMPANY NEEDS FINANCIAL CONTROLS. 
MANAGERS HAVE BUDGETS SO THEY CAN CONTROL THEIR DEPARTMENT’S SPENDING. THEY RECEIVE REGULAR INFORMATION ABOUT THE AMOUNT THEIR DEPARTMENT HAS SPENT AND WHAT IS WAS SPENT ON.
FINANCIAL CONTROLS ENSURE THAT THE COMPANY SPENDS SMARTLY. 
THE CONTROLS ENSURE, RESPECTIVELY, THAT PRODUCT QUALITY IS MAINTAINED, THT THE RIGHT PEOPLE ARE HIRED AT THE RIGHT TIME, AND THAT THE RIGHT MATERIALS ARE PURCHASED AT AREAS ONABLE PRICE. 
CONTROLS, AND THE INFORMATION AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS THAT SUPPORT THEM, ENABLE MANAGERS TO MANAGE