Turning Expenses into Revenues (Part 2)

I shared how new capabilities can be used to generate revenue in new markets here:



But this isn't the only way. Not everything is a capability to be sold.

Here are more ideas...
There are many expenses that aren't capabilities, but things you can't escape as a part of doing business.

If systems are created to process the output or waste of these processes, sometimes you can mitigate costs or even turn them into a profit.

For example:
1. We got a lot of boxes, so we starting bailing the cardboard and selling it.
2. We got a lot of pallets, so we de-nailed them and sold it for rustic wood projects (we found a shop that wanted it locally)
3. We had extra office space and so allowed local people to rent out an office for a daily rate.
4. There was inevitably bad parts that were to expensive to ship back to the supplier, so we brought these to the scrapyard to sell.
There are lots of ways to lower costs if you are shrewd.

They come from two main sources:
1. Capacity to utilization
2. Valuable Waste

If you have extra of something, you might be able to sell/rent.

If someone values something you do not, there may be opportunity to sell.

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More from @joshuamschultz

1 Apr
Turning expenses into revenue is a great way to

1. lower costs and raise margins
2. expand the business
3. develop capabilities
4. grow market share

Here is how it works....
There is a great cycle that really led my supply chain companies for over 10 years

- next level of customer requires service which requires new investment
- new investment increases our capabilities
- new capabilities allow us to capture new types of customers
- repeat
The problem with this cycle is the investment needed. This can often be quite high for a small business.

Here is a way to handle that...
Read 13 tweets
30 Mar
You can't be all things to all people.

This shows up in business models and strategy all the time.

Trying to get all customers who might buy your product is a sure way to get almost none of them.

Starting with customer motives can help isolate a winning strategy
If the customer you want to serve has many options, doesn't care about quality, and has the means to acquire market information (know all prices), you are serving a cost-focused customer

This means...
... your marketing is focused on how you are cheaper than elsewhere.

Your operational strategy is to run as lean as possible.

Your sourcing and procurement are looking for consolidation and discounts wherever possible.
Read 10 tweets
29 Mar
Survival in small business is about adapting.

Feedback is essential for knowing what you may need to change.

One of the key aspects to my small biz operating system is implementing mechanisms to

- collect
- analyze
- act on

feedback from

- customers
- suppliers
- employees
Customer feedback can be elicited from:
- emails
- phone conversations
- interactions
- surveys
- submissions/requests

These help you know how the market is shifting, new needs, possible future strategies.
Supplier feedback can be elicited from:
- quality issues
- root cause meetings
- emails
- site visits
- audits
- surveys

These help you can better utilize your supply base, help them make more money/margin, collaborate, reduce errors, & create a better partnership
Read 7 tweets
2 Mar
Proximity is a key ingredient in streamlining anything.

Everything has a switching cost. The closer two things are, generally, the lower the switching cost.

Here are some business ways to use this idea, and some alternative ways to think about "proximity".
1. Locational Proximity

The obvious one is how close one task is to another. The closer you can put similar or consecutive tasks, the faster they can be performed using fewer resources.
2. Similarity Proximity

When looking to streamline a process, put like pieces together.

If entering invoices, enter info related to the payment or in an adjacent screen at the same time... even if not needed until a later step.

Its easier to do while you are already there.
Read 4 tweets
1 Mar
Data can be thought of as water.

It is flowing through your company.

Many companies can't harness it and use it because of their culture, not their tech literacy.

Some things to consider...
Data is flowing and moving.

The more you capture, the more energy you have to use.

However, this is only potential energy.
Keeping all of it creates a lake in your organization.

This ends up just being a stationary body of potential.

You don't need a lake to use water to power things, you just need a constant and focused stream.
Read 15 tweets
17 Feb
There is a User Experience concept that goes something like this...

Each screen should have one purpose.

This can be widely applied to small business operational setups...
Too many screens clutter and confuse the user.

Good UX makes the software intuitive and simple, flowing from one action to the next, with little friction
A great head of operations should always be looking to reduce friction for everyone.

The customers
The suppliers
The workers.
Read 5 tweets

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