If your business can improve profitability the rewards include more money in the bank and a higher value for your business as well as greater peace of mind and the feeling of a job well done. Lower profits than you think you should be earning will lead to the opposite outcomes and a lot less fun. So, what can you do to improve your profitability?

Good management information

To improve profitability you have to know how well you are doing to begin with and this is not possible without having good, regular, consistent, prudent management information.

Make sure you’ve got the information you need.

Control costs – improve profitability

Most businesses will spend most money on people and premises, so start there and make sure you are getting good value for money from these resources. T

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The purpose of innovation is important, very important. So, if creativity is in imagining new things and making them happen, is creativity good? Of course it is! Surely the history of human progress leads us to an assertive “yes”. Can creativity be bad? Of course creativity it can! The k

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Gas prices are one issue on the campaign trail. Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich even said if he got into office he would be able to lower gas prices.

Can he really do that? 

Economist Lane David, a professor at IU South Bend, is skeptical. He says President Nixon tried price control and the result was huge lines, rotating days when people were allowed to get gas, and a gas shortage.

David claims gas prices are so high right now because of supply and demand. Though many would disagree, they would say speculators are a big part of the problem.

But the United States imports more than half the oil it uses. David says the only way to bring prices down is to become less dependent on the rest of the world.

“Let the market work these issues out and let the market respond,” David said. “It may be painful for a while – I am not excited about paying $5 or $6 a gallon. But if t

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It’s clear that mobile phones, specifically smartphones such as the iPhone, are one of the most cutting edge marketing platforms available to brands. The importance of this platform can’t be underestimated. A recent whitepaper by Coremetrics, included some interesting statistics highlighting just how important marketers are starting to treat the mobile platform. Of the 250 marketers surveyed, just over 80 per cent said they thought the return on investment on mobile marketing would be higher this year.  As if to highlight the importance of this channel, the mighty Google has launched a new product called “Mobilize” that makes it easier for companies to create high quality mobile commerce sites.      

Despite the enthusiasm of marketers around mobile, the Coremetrics research makes it clear that many are still not prepared to invest in mobile. 57.5 per cent

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Despite the continued shaky economy, family-owned businesses are enthusiastic about their prospects for 2012, new research shows.

Conducted by the nonprofit organization Family Enterprise USA, the study revealed family firms are particularly optimistic when it comes to hiring in the coming year.

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The state that lost population during the 2010 census results may be stopping that trend. New numbers from the annual population census show fewer people appear to be leaving Michigan. Experts credit an improving economy which means more jobs.

For about the last 3 years there has been improvement in migration patterns, meaning less people are leaving Michigan for other states. The data is compiled by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget.

The graph shows Michigan’s net migration has gotten back up to the average level.

http://www.michigan.gov/document/cgi/cgi_census_ch_netmig6011_374952_7.pdf

So what does this all mean?

And are those numbers showing up in southwest Michigan?

Employees at at least one Modineer plant in Niles are making car parts for companies like Ford and General Motors. 

“We primarily do window panels and seat components,” says COO Mike Stesiak as he walks into their automotive division.

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Sheryl Sandberg, the company’s chief operating officer, today announced that 50,000 small businesses in the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy will have the chance to claim up to £80 of ad credits to use on Facebook.

How companies can access the offer has not yet been revealed. A spokesperson told BusinessZone.co.uk that the details will be announced during the coming weeks.