Ceptara

Eliyahu Goldratt published The Goal in 1984 describing the Theory of Constraints (TOC), a process of on-going improvement. It was read by millions, cited by hundreds but remains a minor part of the quality body of knowledge.

Running a business or organization is hard work.  It can sometimes seem like all we do is react to the next crisis and hope that we're making money and making a difference.

There is a better way!  There's no magic wand that you wave, no silver bullet.  Running an organization takes passion, focus, diligence and faith.  And it takes a systematic approach in making sure that you're building a better stronger business.

• The customer experience is king: design, execute, monitor and adjust (Plan-Do-Check-Act).
• Cost savings come in the oddest places, leave no stone unturned. 
• Know your limits and use experts to help, such as a mentor, coach or consultant.

In keeping with my series about how we’re not as far along as we think, I’d like to talk about a few major faux pas I’ve seen recently.  One was at a famous and large retailer, Walmart.  The other is visible from my backyard.

There are many things to consider when improving your sales and marketing efforts. I focused on three topics which I felt were most important for the business district. 

Small businesses have a unique sense of reality.  If they don't do the work, they can't make payroll, people lose confidence, and the business immediately feels the impact.  At Ceptara, we're also a small business and we feel your pain.  It's challenging to find, keep and motivate customers.  It's difficult to work efficiently and effectively so the business maximizes its profitability and people can take vacation.

Download this deck to learn about how Ceptara can help you in your small business...

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Ceptara's Organizer is an Outlook 2007 or later add-in designed to help you achieve greater personal effectiveness by focusing attention on your personal objectives through the creation and management of projects and tasks.

System Requirements

The Organizer for Outlook 2007+ works on PCs running Windows XP or Vista and Microsoft Office Outlook 2007.

Look at any continuous improvement philosophy, and at its heart you will find standardization. When people don’t perform a process the same way each and every time, quality suffers, lead times are erratic (and long), and productivity is hamstrung. No operation can prosper without stable processes that can deliver consistent results.

Established in 2002 and headquartered in the Greater Seattle Washington area, Ceptara is a private, employee owned business focused on providing management consulting, coaching, training and tools to organizations and knowledge workers to help them achieve their goals effectively.

In business since 2002, Ceptara has helped product and services companies find and implement creative solutions that control costs and drive higher revenues. Let our seasoned managers, lean six sigma experts and certified project managers help you hone your focus and create stronger ROI for your company.

Download our Fast Facts to get a glimpse at everything Ceptara can offer. [Link]

The real value in creating a business plan is not the plan itself, but rather the journey of creating it.  The act of planning your business requires you to first create it in your mind (while it's still cheap) before spending a single dollar.  It facilitates a thorough thought process in considering facts such as, potential market, start up costs, and execution processes.