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Michiel Jonker Articles

Written by: Michiel Jonker

Your Pricing Strategy and Business Plan (2) - Click To Read Article
How to deal with cost conscious consumers. When writing your business plan, you are obviously going to do some financial forecasts, get projected sales out etc. Ipso facto you will have to deal with the issue of pricing your products or services. In one of my previous articles I have dealt with general pricing principles. In this article I will deal with pricing your products or services with cost conscious consumers in mind.

Your business plan should indicate your risk appetite - Click To Read Article
It is important to determine your risk tolerance while busy writing your business plan. It will establish your attitude towards profit erosion and tell investors if you are serious to protect the profit that you will generate by pursuing your business opportunities. By establishing your risk appetite, you will also know to which extent you should and are willing to protect your profits. As a result, you will also profit from your business risks!

What is your business plan’s ethical statement on profit? - Click To Read Article
What is your stand on money and, more specifically, profit? This is an important question as it will determine how you write your business plan but also how you set the tone of your business plan. And your business plan will determine your company’s future (i.e. either business success… or failure). So, what do you think about profit? Allow me to discuss my opinion.

A case for a business plan - September, 11’s lesson for small and medium business owners - Click To Read Article
Many of us know the story of Morgan Stanley, the global financial services firm and largest tenant in the World Trade Center, who lost ONLY 6 out of its 2,700 employees on September, 11. But did you ever wonder why? Why only 6 employees (including Morgan Stanley’s head of security)? And what on earth can this story tell us about business plans?

Your Business Plan and Profit Protection Planning - Click To Read Article
In your business plan you need to establish ("set the tone") for a firm company culture of profit protection planning. Part of implementing the profit protection methodology in your business, is the use of two survival techniques. The first technique is used to pinpoint business risks (i.e. the profit erosion agents in- and outside a business); and the second technique is used to counteract these business risks. In this article we will look at a high level case study.

Business Survival and Success - Click To Read Article
What is your business objective during this recession - business survival or success? In this article we will see that you are in business to succeed. However, if you cannot survive the recession, you would, obviously, not be able to succeed. We will also look at the business solution that you need to implement to accomplish both.

A sinking "Titanic" Business - Click To Read Article
Perseverance is one of the main requirements for a small or medium business owner who wants to be successful in today's complex business world. However, it will not help you as business owner to persevere while sailing a sinking "Titanic," full of holes (i.e. threats/risks in- and outside your business eating away your profit)...

The Toyota lesson, risk management and your business plan - Click To Read Article
Small business owners need to pay attention to the disastrous decision of Toyota to ask its suppliers to cut cost by 30% over the next three years. Most probably this is the reason for the acceleration nightmare issue surrounding many Toyota vehicles right now. Small entrepreneurs should learn from this and make a decision on their business ethics and management principles while writing or re-visiting their business plans. What is your standpoint on cost cutting – especially essential expenses? Be careful, as your attitude towards this important issue might result in great success or huge losses… or even failure!

You can succeed without a Business Plan BUT... - Click To Read Article
Many to-be-entrepreneurs correctly state that there are successful businesses today that haven’t started out with a business plan. Reebok is but one example. Though this might be true, there are stronger arguments for writing a business plan than not...

Your Business Plan and Pricing Strategy - Click To Read Article
You need to consider your pricing strategy when writing your business plan. Pricing is one of the crucial decisions you would ever make in business.

Business systems and planning - Click To Read Article
I am constantly startled by the fact that there are businesses out there with the most simple products/services AND who are making money like you won't believe it!

Business strategies in difficult times - Click To Read Article
The only thing in life that stays unchanged is change... This is especially true in business today. The business milieu around the globe has become significantly more complex than it was a hundred years ago. To survive, grow and succeed, there are many more internal and external pitfalls (risks) a business owner has to deal with today.

Another reason for a business plan - Click To Read Article
It is logical, and a standard practice, for an entrepreneur to develop a business plan for his/her new business venture. As a matter of fact, it is impossible to obtain venture capital or a loan from the bank without a business plan...

The employee complaints department... - Click To Read Article
Your employees need clear direction, policies and reporting channels from you as business owner to tell you the truth about your business... and maybe they just tell you where the black hole in your business is, sucking up your profits!

Profit Car - Click To Read Article
A business without profits is like a vehicle without wheels... But unlike a car bought from a dealer, which already has wheels, a startup business has to make its profits (wheels) bit by bit - until it reaches such momentum (hopefully!) that it starts growing and growing and growing...





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