"The worst crime against working people is a
company that fails to operate at a profit." Samuel Gompers
"Profits, like sausages... are esteemed most by those
who know least about what goes into them." Alvin Toffler
There are over 5 million “micro” businesses in the United States alone. The U.S. Government defines a micro business as one having 20 employees or less. These businesses have been the primary source of new jobs for the last 20 years, far outperforming employment gains at large companies. New business start-up rates are hitting record numbers but so are small business failure rates.
The more conservative estimates, based on government records of tax returns, place the small business failure rate at around 50% within the first five years of operation, a shocking number. Add to this the number of small businesses which are under-performing, that is, producing profit rates so low as to make certificates of deposit and money market investments an attractive alternative to being in business.
Most entrepreneurs are skilled at the products they make and the services they provide and they often doing so much better than larger companies. The problem is not lack of technical expertise but simply inexperience with successful management skills and practices. The good news is these skills and practices are readily available to entrepreneurs and can be easily learned without formal education.
You don’t need to re-invent the wheel by starting from scratch! The Institute has proven, inexpensive Profit and Expense Control systems and procedures you can put in place quickly and easily!
In this section we will show you these tools are a series of e-books, called QuickStart Operating Procedures® . You can download them today and begin using them immediately!
Here's what some of our clients, engaged in widely different businesses all over the country, said about our QuickStart Operating Procedures®:
T e s t i mo n i a l
"(You) showed us how to budget, track and account for variances… I have been completely satisfied…" D. Mayer (Ohio Office Products Co)
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T e s t i mo n i a l
"With the tools provided… we have a way to price and track our product.
I was very pleased…" J. Yang (Virginia Custom Woodworking Co.)
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To see actual excerpts from our QuickStart Operating Procedures® Click Here
| Break-Even Point; How to Caculate it, How to Use It. This 10 page e-book (OP-41) and accompanying Excel Workbook (S-3) show you how to: |
• Determine Break-Even from Common Income Statement Data
• Calculate Break-Even for a Day, Week, Month or Year
• Calculate Break-Even for a Department, Location or Division
• Use Break-Even in “What-If” Planning Scenarios
• Bonus: Includes an MS Excel® Worksheet (S-3) that Calculates Break-Even from Basic Statement Data and Automatically Provides Table of Profitability at Different Sales, Fixed and Variable Cost Levels
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$77 |
Learn about the Institute's QuickStart Training Classes® that include our QuickStart Operating Procedures |
| Budgeting; My Profit Plan This Year. This 14 page e-book (OP-42) and accompanying Excel Workbook (S-4) show you how to: |
• Establish Profit as An Objective
• Quickly Build Baseline Data from Past Results
• Integrate Budget with Strategic Marketing and Business Plans
• Integrate Annual and Monthly Budget Forecast
• Establish a quick Monthly Variance Report
• Bonus: Includes an integrated, 3-Worksheet Excel® Workbook (S-4) with automated Annual/Monthly Budget Formats and Variance Report
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$127 |
Learn about the Institute's QuickStart Training Classes® that include our QuickStart Operating Procedures |
| Financial Statements, How to Organize and Use Them to Manage Profit. This 13 page e-book (OP-43) shows you how to: |
• Understand the Importance of a Chart of Accounts
• Organize Your COA for Your Needs, Not Your CPA’s Convenience
• Link Pricing, Budgeting and Tracking Systems
• Includes Example of Re-Organized Charts of Account
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$67 |
Learn about the Institute's QuickStart Training Classes® that include our QuickStart Operating Procedures |
| Pricing Techniques; Relate Them to Bottom Line Profit. This 14 page e-book (OP-45) and accompanying Excel Workbook (S-8) show you how to: |
• Understand the Importance of Monitoring Profit Margins
• Establish Sales Price Based on Four Components
• Identify and Recover Overhead Costs
• Link Product, Service or Order Profit to Bottom Line Goals
• Use Margin Instead of Markup for Best Control
• Review Profit Margins by Product, Service or Location
• Bonus: Includes an integrated, MS Excel® Workbook (S-8) to automate calculations
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$117 |
Learn about the Institute's QuickStart Training Classes® that include our QuickStart Operating Procedures |
| Labor Cost and Labor Burden; How to Measure and Track Total Labor Costs. This 10 page e-book (OP-46) and accompanying Excel Workbook (S-5) show you how to: |
• Include All the Costs Associated with an Employee
• Determine Net Productive Hours Worked
• Communicate Total Compensation Package to Employees
• Easily Determine Labor Cost “Burden” by Employee, Department or Company as a Whole
• Use Total Labor Cost Data in Your Pricing System
• Bonus: Includes an integrated, 3-Worksheet MS Excel® Workbook (S-5) with easy tracking and automated Labor Burden Calculator
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$97 |
Learn about the Institute's QuickStart Training Classes® that include our QuickStart Operating Procedures |
| Accounts Receivable; Managing Credit and Collections. This 16 page e-book (OP-47) and accompanying Excel Workbook (S-6) show you how to: |
• Set Up a Proven Credit Approval Process
• Set Customer Credit Limits and Integrate it With QuickBooks
• Manage Risk Exposure to Large Companies
• Perform Professional Collection Procedures
• Deal Professionally With Slow/No Pay Customers
• Set Goals for A/R Aging and Monitor Performance
• Bonus: Includes an MS Excel® Workbook (S-6) that Calculates Average Age of Receivables and Payables from basic QuickBooks Data
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$77 |
Learn about the Institute's QuickStart Training Classes® that include our QuickStart Operating Procedures |
| Overhead; How to Measure, Track and Control It. This 10 page e-book (OP-48) shows you how to: |
• Understand What Is and What Is Not Overhead
• Use Zero-Based Budgeting to Control Overhead
• Determine Overhead Rate
• Determine Overhead Factor
• Use Overhead Factor in Pricing
• Several O/H Factor and Pricing Examples Included
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$47 |
Learn about the Institute's QuickStart Training Classes® that include our QuickStart Operating Procedures |
| Cash Flow; Short Term Cash Flow Management Made Easy. This 10 page e-book (OP-49) and accompanying Excel Workbook (S-7) show you how to: |
• Delegate Responsibility for Forecasting
• Anticipate Shortages and Surpluses Over a Six Week Period
• Account for Special Cash Situations Expected or Needed
• Easily Forecast or Adjust for Payments Different from Customer Terms
• Easily Adjust Vendor Payment Dates to Optimize Cash Flow
• Bonus: Includes an integrated, 3-Worksheet MS Excel® Workbook (S-7) with automated Receivables, Payables and Summary Sections. Potential for QuickBooks import link.
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$127 |
Learn about the Institute's QuickStart Training Classes® that include our QuickStart Operating Procedures |
| Inventory; Setting Goals and Controlling Stock levels. This 16 page e-book (OP-50) shows you how to: |
• Understand Basic Inventory Control Terms
• Target Realistic Inventory Levels
• Easily Calculate the Cost of Carrying Inventory
• Set and Adjust Re-Order Points
• Conduct Easy Physical Inventories
• Manage the Quality of Inventory
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$67 |
Learn about the Institute's QuickStart Training Classes® that include our QuickStart Operating Procedures |
| Accounting; Understanding the Basics - A Primer. This 27 page e-book OP-51) shows you how to: |
• View Financial Statements in Simple Terms
• Use Basic Components of Statements for Good Management
• Establish a Simple Chart of Accounts
• Provides Additional References for Those Wishing to go Deeper
• Provides a Handy Quick Reference Guide
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$67 |
Learn about the Institute's QuickStart Training Classes® that include our QuickStart Operating Procedures |
| Cash Receipts and Disbursements. This is a 16 page e-book (OP-53) that shows you how to: |
• Establish Controls on Petty Cash
• Recognize 100 Ways Cash Can Disappear in a Retail Situation
• Put Controls in Place to Overcome Cash Shortages
• Avoid Abuses in Employee Discount Systems
• Includes a Petty Cash Voucher Form
• Additional References Provided
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$77 |
Learn about the Institute's QuickStart Training Classes® that include our QuickStart Operating Procedures |
| QuickBooks®; Getting Started with the Basics. This 15 page e-book (OP-54) shows you how to: |
• Choose Between Versions Most Suited for Your Business
• Review and Consider Service Plans
• Set Up Initial System Parameters (Easy-Step Interview)
• Select a Start-Up Date and Gather Appropriate Information
• Easily Set Up Chart of Accounts
• Use “Classes” to Your Advantage
• Interface With Your Accountant |
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$57 |
Learn about the Institute's QuickStart Training Classes® that include our QuickStart Operating Procedures |
| Cash Flow; Annual Cash Flow Projection. This 9 page e-book (OP-55) shows you how to: |
• Understand the Difference Between Cash Flow and Profitability
• Anticipate Changes that Affect Cash Flow
• Forecast Cash Flow 12 Months Ahead
• Bonus: Includes an MS Excel® Worksheet that Automates Cash Flow Calculation by Month
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$77 |
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