Last month, I offered some tips on reducing the cost of remote communication, such as letters, e-mails and telephone calls. Meetings are another source of inflated communication costs. Make a list of all meetings you held last year. If you can’t track this, adjust your reporting and tracking systems. READ MORE
Denise Norberg-Johnson
Financial Columnist
Denise Norberg-Johnson is a former subcontractor and past president of two national construction associations. She may be reached at ddjohnson0336@sbcglobal.net.
Articles by Denise Norberg-Johnson
December 2007
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Last month, we introduced the NECA Financial Performance Report (FPR) and began reviewing the data within it. Let’s continue with some additional measures of profitability. READ MORE
November 2007
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If you haven't taken your company’s financial pulse recently, it’s time to review your system for analyzing financial information. The 2006 Financial Performance Report (FPR), compiled by the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) from financial data reported by electrical contractors for the 2005 fiscal year, provides a wealth of information to get you started. READ MORE
October 2007
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You may know accountants follow generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), but you may not know how the GAAP evolved. The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) periodically reviews the principles that govern the objectives of financial reporting, recognition and measurement and the elements of financial statements. Here is a quick summary. READ MORE
September 2007
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You might have heard horror stories of partnerships ruining companies. That is why most electrical contracting companies are officially organized as corporations, not partnerships. However, corporations may be surprised to find a silent partner at the end of the day. This partner is government obligation, and if you are not aware of its existence, you may find yourself in your own horror story. READ MORE
July 2007
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Part 1 of this series outlinedsome possible reasons for deciding to sell your business, the concept of fair market value and some factors that will influence the potential value of your company in a sale. To maximize value, you should concentrate on future economic benefits such as profit, cash flow, dividends and other forms of potential return on investment, not on company history. READ MORE
May 2007
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Part 1, deciding to sell
When you open a business, the first thing you should decide is when you intend to sell it and for how much. For most electrical contractors, this directly conflicts with the purpose for which the business exists—to provide future security for family and employees. Yet Michael Gerber adamantly offers this advice in his book “The E-Myth Contractor. READ MORE