Consulting Services

Interested in consulting services to put the ideas and practices found in the book More on the Bottom Line to work in your company?

I can help you make meaningful changes to how you do business, to build a better bottom line, and to create a more stable and sustainable company.

Ogden Management consulting services primary areas of focus:

CHECKLIST:
 Lay the groundwork for successful negotiations.
 Price isn’t the only consideration.
 Writing on the wall.
 Focus on points of negotiation other than price.
 Battle vendor fatigue.
 Challenge a new account manager arriving on the scene.
 Leave the door open.
 Negotiate service contracts.
 Negotiate contract renewal.
 Negotiate pricing.
CHECKLIST:
 Create project scopes to define the purpose and value of the projects. Make clear why this project has been chosen to move forward.
 Create a team. Who can help you get this work done, and how can you make it worth their while?
 Create a simple project schedule.
o Create a list of the tasks and milestones of the project.
o Break the tasks into small bites to measure progress more easily.
o Define the owner of each task.
o Set up the list in priority order.
o Set a reasonable date for completion of each task.
o Add a column for status to the schedule.
 Share the project list with your team members.
 Update the list every day.
 Never let a day go by that you do not knock off at least one small bite of the project. Keep focused on the highest priority work, and do not allow yourself to be randomized throughout the day.
 Check in with owners of tasks frequently to get updates. Remove any roadblocks they are facing. Provide the tools and information they need to get the work done.
 Create momentum. Make your project visible to keep mind share high and to engage others in the project.
 Plan how you will carve out the time to do these projects. Where does this project fall in relation to other projects? Make the prioritization clear to all team members so they know they are working on the right project.
 Stay nimble – If you hit a brick wall, change course, find another path, or move to another project rather than invest too much time in one project that’s going nowhere fast.
CHECKLIST:
 Identify target projects.
 Play out the likely scenarios.
 Determine the desired outcome of the project.
 Run a pilot program for more significant projects.
 Create visibility and buy-in for the targeted projects.
 Measure results and regroup to target next projects.
CHECKLIST:
 Manage your meetings.
 Avoid meeting overload.
 Run productive meetings.
 Set a meeting agenda.
 Follow-up on meeting outcomes.
 Take ownership.
 Unclutter schedules.
 Consider opportunity costs.
 Employ a monthly project list.
 Control randomization.
 Cycle back.
CHECKLIST:
 Leverage the honeymoon period with vendors and service providers.
 Make a bigger pie: Three simple ways to make the ‘pie’ bigger so everybody wins.
 Take advantage of price control opportunities.
 Negotiate on much more than the price for the best outcome.
 Create structure using well-defined vendor management documents.
CHECKLIST:
 Establish a travel policy.
 Appoint a travel manager.
 Avoid the ‘good buddy travel plan’.
 Focus on targeted travel.
 Choose in-person and/or virtual trips.
CHECKLIST:
 Audit your bills.
 Review contracts and agreements.
 Shop for communications/IT/webhosting cost reductions.
 Manage employee benefits costs.
 Cut insurance expenses.
 Contain inventory carrying costs.
 Consider lease vs. buy.
 Manage rent/mortgage expense.
 Decide if you can sell it.
 Scrutinize service costs.
CHECKLIST:
 Define job requirements.
 Create detailed job descriptions.
 Mine for candidates internally.
 Leverage internal references.
 Hire from unexpected places.
 Use temporary employment agencies.
 Tap into university and trade school’ internships.
 Use social media as a recruiting tool.
 Gather leads from trade associations.
 Use online recruiting resources.
 Place a small ‘help wanted’ ad with a big impact.
 Pay attention to first impressions.
 Focus on chemistry.
CHECKLIST:
 Question the base rates.
 Open a business account.
 Join shipper rewards programs.
 Pass it on, or not.
 Consider self-insurance.
 Recover shipping costs for late shipments.
 Consider shipper-supplied packaging and flat-rate shipping.
 Decide if size matters.
 Consider mailers.
 Review periodically to keep costs in check
CHECKLIST:
 Keep customer records current and accurate.
 Establish and document a billing dispute policy and procedure.
 Establish clear A/R policies and procedures.
 Optimize the collection process.
 Conduct proactive and regular account reviews.
 Apply customer payments quickly and accurately.
 Uncover the root causes of late payments.
CHECKLIST:
 Why create a business budget?
 Consider engaging expert help.
 Find your sweet spot.
 Create a budget.
 Develop your revenue assumptions.
 Determine fixed, variable, and discretionary expenses.
 Compile your assumptions.
 Calculate your variances (actual numbers vs. budgeted numbers.)
 Plan capital purchases.
CHECKLIST:
 Consider expert help.
 Why create a cash flow analysis?
 A guide to help you work through the cash flow analysis.
 Understand how to use the cash flow analysis to protect your company.
 21 strategies to prevent or manage cash shortages.
CHECKLIST:
Create a salary structure worksheet.
 Take variable rates into consideration.
 Plan the compensation transitions.
 Create strategies to realign compensation of overpaid employees.
 Create strategies to realign compensation of underpaid employees.
 Consider how Amazon does it.
 Create alignment.
 Implement reward systems.
 Deliver unexpected and random rewards.
 Establish performance goals for incentive programs.
 Promote retention.
 Design stairway goals to meet your transitional plan.
CHECKLIST:
 Set high expectations – an IQ test.
 Provide a carefully crafted employee manual.
 Leverage opportunities to test and develop untapped talent – opportunity knocks.
 Consider adding an employee loan program.
 Create incentive programs that drive results.
CHECKLIST:
 Teach your staff to seek mutual benefit.
 Tap into surprising opportunities.
 Start the behavioral shift – a sample script.
 Get your team involved.

Here’s how I work:

Contact me and include a brief description of your area of interest, and a link to your website.
I’ll contact you to set up a phone call or virtual meeting.
We’ll discuss how we might work together to improve your company.
If we decide there’s a good fit, I’ll forward a consulting agreement including an outline of the project, a non-disclosure, and a non-compete for your review and execution.

Let’s get started.