While many economic indicators remain strong, the U.S. economy is still giving business owners plenty to think about. The nation’s gross domestic product unexpectedly contracted in the first quarter of 2022. Rising inflation is on everyone’s mind. And global supply chain issues persist, spurred on by events such as the COVID-19 lockdowns in China and […]
Category: Project Management
Need Extra Hands? Try Local Companies
If your not-for-profit is trying to fulfill its mission with less volunteer help these days, you’re not alone. A December 2021 Gallop poll found that although donating to charity has largely returned to pre-pandemic levels, volunteering was still down. Only 56% of survey respondents said they’d volunteered in the past year, compared with 64% in […]
AI For Small To Midsize Businesses Isn’t Going Away
Artificial intelligence (AI) has made great inroads into certain sectors of the U.S. economy. However, it hasn’t reached many small to midsize businesses (SMBs) in a major way … yet. In 2021, AI analysis firm Unsupervised published a survey of 520 SMB owners that found 48% of them still found AI too cost prohibitive. Forty […]
The ABCs Of Activity-Based Costing
Revenue and expenses, as reported on your company’s income statement, have limited usefulness to people inside the organization. Managers often need information presented in a different format in order to make operational and strategic decisions. That’s where activity-based costing comes into play. This costing system is commonly used in the manufacturing and construction sectors to […]
4 Tips For Rebuilding Your Operating Reserves
The COVID-19 pandemic has driven home many lessons for nonprofits, perhaps none so much as the importance of operating reserves. If your nonprofit is among those organizations with dramatically depleted — or nonexistent — reserves, here are some steps you can take to remedy the situation. 1. Achieve buy-in. It sometimes can be difficult to […]
Should You Invest In Custom Software?
Contractors are regularly urged to buy the latest and greatest high-tech solutions, but no software tool is perfect. Off-the-shelf products don’t always provide the specific functionality needed or “play well” with other systems, forcing employees to engage in redundant and potentially error-ridden practices. All this hassle might lead some contractors to consider engaging an outside […]
Infrastructure Projects: A Review Of Bidding Methods For Federal Contracts
With the signing of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in late 2021, things are looking up for federal construction projects in the months and even years ahead. If your company is considering getting in on the action, but perhaps unfamiliar with the road to get there, the journey will begin as most jobs do […]
Is It Time To Upgrade Your Accounting System?
Timely financial data is key to making informed business decisions. Unfortunately, it’s common for managers to struggle with their companies’ accounting systems to get the information they need, when they need it. Often, it takes multiple, confusing steps to enter and extract data specific to customers and/or projects. Businesses and accounting software solutions evolve over […]
Opening A New Location Calls For Careful Planning
The U.S. economy has been nothing short of a roller-coaster ride for the past year and a half. Some industries have had to overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges, while others have seen remarkable growth opportunities arise. If your business is doing well enough for you to consider adding a location, both congratulations and caution are in […]
Even Nonprofits Can Benefit From AI Technology
You might think that artificial intelligence (AI) is just about using computers to perform complex tasks that otherwise would require human intelligence. That’s part of AI. But several technologies fall under the AI umbrella, including machine learning, natural language processing (NLP) and robotic process automation. Here’s how tools such as these can help nonprofits cut […]