Category: Business

Islands in Your Company: How to Identify Them

Pamela Ayuso March 25, 2019

At Celaque, we are organized by function. We have six different departments that are structured according to the work that needs to be executed. As we strengthen the organization, we continue to place each role and responsibility within the different departments. We make sure that every operation within the company is within the purview of one of the departments and is part of that group’s systems and processes. Because each department has its own processes and uses the same company-wide systems, it makes adding one more item more efficient.

As we move forward, I have been finding islands of roles/responsibilities that have been operating independently of the departments. Inevitably, in these islands parallel processes have also been developed that don’t fall within each of the department’s main processes. The extra procedures entail an additional effort because they fall outside of the system.

Maintaining a Successful Professional Work-Life Balance

Pamela Ayuso March 18, 2019

In a growing company, the amount of work is endless. Often there is work that has accumulated and needs to get done immediately. Other times, everything might be caught up and working well. Things can always be better, however, even when everything is up-to-date, and the sky is the limit to the many improvements that can be implemented within a company.

Any entrepreneur, business owner, and company leader knows how difficult it is to let go of work at the end of the day. Our thoughts and worries don’t just go away the minute we walk through the front door at home. With today’s ubiquitous technology, it is very easy for work to start seeping into our spaces outside of our work hours.

Self-Discipline: The Personal Quality that will Expand Your Business

Pamela Ayuso March 11, 2019

Self-discipline is an often-overlooked trait that is vital for professional growth. It is one of those virtues without which our careers can never reach their full potential. Anything that is worthwhile takes work and dedication. According to Merriam-Webster, its definition is:

Correction or regulation of oneself for the sake of improvement

Self-discipline is often uncomfortable and unpleasant. It usually involves sacrificing in the present for an action that will move you closer to reaching a goal such as implementing a new system by a deadline or writing a chapter of your book. The word itself can even have a military ring to it because it requires perseverance through the challenges we face. However, the only way to sustainably get to where we want to go is through following the rules and doing the work.

Without self-discipline, we would never get anywhere.

This is Our Monthly Accounting Close Process

Pamela Ayuso March 4, 2019

One of the central processes in any business is the monthly accounting close stage. Each month the financial books must be reviewed to ensure everything has been accounted for properly. If a specific process is not strictly followed, the consequences can be very painful for a company. There are always differences or accounts that need to be reconciled, and if strict vigilance is not maintained, the differences may slowly mount, and reconstructing prior transactions will be a lot more difficult. Recurrent accounting processes will also help you detect errors and when an action can be taken to correct any nascent issues. Taking care of the company’s numbers will ensure that all the hard work you have put in in other areas of the company will be accurately portrayed.

Over time, my company, Celaque, has developed a set of documents that we prepare on a monthly basis to ensure our accounting is always as flawless as possible.

Metrics and How They Can Benefit Your Business

Pamela Ayuso February 25, 2019

Creating dashboard metrics for every part of a business is one of the best uses of your time as a business leader; they will give you an overview of the current state of every important part of your business. Metrics provide the key parameters that show you where your company is headed such as the number of sales or prospects in the pipeline or the amount the company is spending on monthly basis.

These metrics, however, shouldn’t just be limited to the standard values that come to mind when we refer to these types of indicators. They can also include the parameters that are crucial to your company and more specifically, your industry. Some of these indicators may not even be used by other similar companies–they might be your special formula and what makes your company unique.

How to Implement New Ideas for Your Growing Business

Pamela Ayuso February 18, 2019

Ideas tend to appear out of nowhere. They are often ephemeral and fragile, difficult to catch, and if not properly handled, might leave, never to return. Working with these incoming ideas can either be straightforward or not so simple.

To begin with, if ideas are not saved in any manner, they disappear. They can be like sand falling in between our fingers, irretrievable. Other times, the idea is simply the seed for more creation. The very act of recording it can inspire even more ideas.

Throughout my career, I have attempted to devise a system for working with ideas. While this system will always be a work in progress, the one I have been utilizing has helped me begin to organize my thoughts and promote my creativity.

The Structure of Your Business Can Define Your Success: This Is How

Pamela Ayuso February 11, 2019

There are several ways to organize a company; you may choose to organize by function, by business unit, which is common in larger organizations, or by using a flatter structure. Whatever model works best for your company, it’s important that the structure be intentionally designed and not just a haphazard arrangement of functions that have been organized just to get the work distributed. Every role and function in a company should be included, and nothing should be left out.

That an organization should be meticulously crafted might seem obvious to a professional who works in a well-ordered corporate structure. However, for a growing company, the complexity is immense as workloads increase. What should go where? Who should do what? These are the types of questions that a newer company is constantly confronting to make sure all the work is done well and efficiently. Often, these questions are asked when it’s too late, and a problem has arisen, such as an activity that should have been completed and wasn’t or something that wasn’t finished on time.

The Important Role of Entropy in a Business

Pamela Ayuso January 28, 2019

I’ve been reading Steven Pinker’s book, Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism and Progress. I highly recommend this book if you are interested in learning more about how our civilization has progressed throughout the ages and how it can relate to your business.

One of the principles Pinker explores is entropy, also known as disorder, a concept that is useful for any business leader. He describes entropy in the statistical sense, whereby it is more probable than not that something will become disorganized and not be in an ordered state.

Business Processes and How to Maintain Them

Pamela Ayuso January 21, 2019

The one downside to working with processes is that they require maintenance. People move on to different roles or companies, the way the work is done changes and regulations are modified: variation is a constant in business. For processes to remain relevant, a business must plan and prepare for change.

I am reminded of this fact more than ever. We are currently doing an overhaul of all our processes to reorganize them by department and function. As we reclassify the processes, we are also questioning the overall design by department and improving each task. Because we are reprogramming everything for the entire company, it has transitioned into a major project.

Reflecting on Last Year and Setting Goals for the New Year

Pamela Ayuso January 7, 2019

As the year comes to an end, it’s always a useful exercise to take some time to review the past year and all its events. Reflecting on what happened during the year, what you accomplished, and what could have been done better will bring closure to the year and will also provide the space for valuable learning. It’s also a good idea to take some time to review the past before thinking about the year ahead.

When you are ready to close the chapter of the prior year, you can move on to the future. Start with a clean slate, and create what you want in the following year. Anything goes: it’s your future. Don’t worry if the goals seem too lofty–with deliberate planning and execution, anything is possible.