Fads have inevitably entered the business scene, but have vanished into oblivion even before they could make their mark. Some of them, even while having materialistic approaches and huge initial support, could survive no longer than a year. The list may be endless, but the recent ones and those that still linger on include: sensitivity training, quality circles, e-business, self-managed teams and a host of others. But is there a relevance of this debate regarding Six Sigma? Does it mean that the time for Six Sigma’s exit from the scene is near? Experts and those who are thoroughly trained are not blinking an eye in support of Six Sigma, but there is always another side to the story.

This article attempts to provide a pragmatic account of the relevance of Six Sigma to business processes today.

Arguments Against Six Sigma

Editor Scott M. Paton of Quality Digest, talks about Six Sigma when writing on ISO 9001:2000. He writes in agreement that Six Sigma is a fad, “Six Sigma. The latest management fad has so captivated corporate America that there’s little time to devote to lowly standards compliance.” He suggests that it may not live much longer, citing its grandiose and lofty ideals. He alleges that ‘it is not serious enough to get the real work done.’

Another detractor, an author and COO at Spectra Logic Corporation in Boulder, Colorado, Scott Dalgeish, is more vocal in his disagreement of Six Sigma. His argument is that Six Sigma is a repackaged quality tool like many that have come and gone. He believes firmly and expresses openly that he believes that Six Sigma has been detrimental to businesses including his profession.

The main arguments given in support that Six Sigma is a fad are two:

1. The relationship which ASQ is entered into was with a single consultant, when they launched Six Sigma

2. Some terminologies are owned and trademarked by certain companies.

It needs to be said that these types of criticisms of Six Sigma are mostly made by those people and companies that are more resistant to change of any kind. More realistically, the quality improvements that are made and that have been documented through the use of Six Sigma statistical tools cannot be refuted.

Arguments In Favor Of Six Sigma

The foundation of this more practical side of the argument lies on the premise that the principles of economy have not died but carried through even when much is made out of the “new economy”. The notion that with every change one needs to learn everything afresh and shift priorities to suit the new principles grossly damages productivity and resources. One must keep in mind the huge investments made in technology in the 1990s, and the ’snail paced’ recovery of the stock market and business overall.

Quality lives in the hands of people who are empathetic of the advantages of Six Sigma and not with those whose attitudes compel them to decry Six Sigma just because it shares commonality with earlier statistical quality tools. Six Sigma invigorated quality by transforming bottom lines positively, company after company. Some of the cynical views against Six Sigma appear to have been triggered by companies that have looked at quality in theory, and not based on results.

Companies are talking of quality, more and more, because Six Sigma, whose tools were created and perfected over nearly a century, has electrified the business environment and customers, which are the ultimate benefactors of its results.

It seems everywhere you go these days, at least in the US, the conversations are about the price of gasoline.

No wonder, since it’s broken the $3.00 a gallon barrier and is causing a lot of people real hardships.

I’m old enough to remember the gas lines of the 1970’s when a similar situation occurred. At that time, I had a production services company in New England, in partnership with a man named, Irving Goldmacher.

In addition to being one of the two smartest people I’ve known - my wife, Georgia, being the other - Irving was a fascinating person. I could probably write a book about him.

One day, in the midst of soaring gas prices, Irving went out and bought a new Caddilac, a car that was known to have low gas mileage.

I asked him if he had lost his mind, buying a gas guzzling car when gas prices were at an all time high.

“James,” he answered, “if the price of gas goes up, I’ll just figure out how to make more money. I’m not going to live my life worrying about the price of gasoline.”

Talk about a prosperity mindset! What a great outlook. Irving knew he was capable of creating whatever income he wanted, no matter what was going on around him.

This is the real key to living a prosperous life. Be in control of your income.

First, realize that your income comes from God and is not dependent on the economy. If you believe otherwise, you’re in for a challenging time.

Then, develop additional streams of income to supplement whatever else you’re doing. If you have a job, this might mean starting a part-time business.

If you’re already in business, it may mean adding new revenue streams to your existing products or services. Whatever your path, it is crucial to have more than one channel of income.

For a list of resources to help you increase your income, visit http://www.jimdonovan.com/resources.html

Jim Donovan is the author of several best-selling personal growth books, published in eighteen countries. Having ridden the roller coaster of financial hardship and wanting to share what helped him change his own situation, he has just released a new CD program, “Making Friends WIth Your Money.” Learn more at www.MakeFriendsWithMoney.com

Property Index have a range of properties for sale in Spain, from villas to apartments.

Despite the fact that the Property Index online service is really a recent company, (they were set up in March 2007), they have very quickly advanced to expert status. De facto, they are a fairly hassle-free company fully concentrated on offering expert advice to any individual dedicated to buy property across the globe. They affirm to offer you assistance to locate just what’s looked for swiftly and, even better, without pain. Real estate is available wherever you want these days, one of the most called for areas being estate for sale in Spain. It should really be easy as one-two-three to write up the splendid real property available in Spain, the explanation for hunting for properties here is a combination of the houses and apartments on the market and the option to live between such a sprightly populace.

It’s one of the truly popular regions these days, and in view of the scenic beauty and the weather that surrounds you all year long, how could you be wrong. Real estate in Spain is rich in history, this part of the world has been and still is home to a good many indigenous nations. Just 20 years ago there’d be just a small number of English keen on real property in Spain. Ask any individual who has chosen to remove to Spain and they’ll tell you the same. There’s many people who would tend to view it as a plain rage and others tend to view it as a close to a fixation. People keen on relocating to this region range from young families looking for a challenge to elderly people meaning to settle down and enjoy themselves.

Do bear in mind, however, that there could well be situations when acquiring real property abroad — expectably there will be hundreds of disparate, sometimes conflicting, procedures whether strategising, calling in or finalising. If you miss out on one single procedure that is liable to definitely bring about overwhelming situations as well as, more importantly, a financial trouncing. Obviously and expectably with this popular destination, real property could well be high priced in this region and that is purely due to the expanding market demand. Nonetheless the patron patently is quite spoilt in terms of choice in such a region full of shiny vista. Truly it’s able to offer the whole enchilada one might feasibly desire, etc.

You may be in Mail Order, Direct Mail, or you may be a local merchant with 150 employees; whichever, however or
whatever—you’ve got to know how to keep your business alive
during economic recessions. Anytime the cash flow in a business,
large or small, starts to tighten up, the money management of
that business has to be run as a “tight ship.”

Some of the things you can and should do include protecting
yourself from expenditures made on sudden impulse. We’ve all
bought merchandise or services we really didn’t need simply
because we were in the mood, or perhaps in response to the
flamboyancy of the advertising or the persuasiveness of the
salesperson. Then we sort of “wake up” a couple of days later and find that we’ve committed hundreds of dollars of business funds for an item or service that’s not essential to the success of our own business, when really pressing items had been waiting for those dollars.

If you are incorporated, you can eliminate these “impulse
purchases” by including in your by-laws a clause that states:
“All purchasing decisions over (a certain amount) are contingent
upon approval by the board of directors.” This will force you to
consider any “impulse purchases” of considerable cost, and may
even be a reminder in the case of smaller purchases.

If your business is a partnership, you can state, when faced with a buying decision, that all purchases are contingent upon the approval of a third party. In reality, the third party can be your partner, one of your department heads, or even one of your suppliers.

If your business is a sole proprietorship, you don’t have much to worry about really, because as an individual you have three days to think about your purchase, and then to nullify that purchase if you think you don’t really need it or can’t afford it.

While you may think you cannot afford it, be sure that you don’t
“short-change” yourself on professional services. This would
apply especially during a time of emergency. Anytime you commit
yourself and move ahead without completely investigating all the
angles, and preparing yourself for all the contingencies that may arise, you’re skating on thin ice. Regardless of the costs
involved, it always pays off in the long run to seek out the
advice of experienced professionals before embarking on a plan
that could ruin you.

As an example, an experienced business consultant can fill you in on the 1244 stock advantages. Getting eligibility for the 1244 stock category is a very simple process, but one with tremendous benefits to your business.

The 1244 stock encourages investors to put equity capital into
your business because in the event of a loss, amounts up to the
entire sum of the investment can be written off in the current
year. Without the “1244″ classification, any losses would have to be spread over several years, and this, of course, would greatly lessen the attractiveness of your company’s stock. Any business owner who has not filed the 1244 corporation has in effect cut himself off from 90 percent of his prospective investors.

Particularly when sales are down, you must be “hard-nosed” with
people trying to sell you luxuries for your business. When
business is booming, you undoubtedly will allow sales people to
show you new models of equipment or a new line of supplies; but
when your business is down, skip the entertaining frills and
concentrate on the basics. Great care must be taken however, to
maintain courtesy and allow these sellers to consider you a
friend and call back at another time.

Your company’s books should reflect your way of thinking, and
whoever maintains them should generate information according to
your policies. Thus, you should hire an outside accountant or
accounting firm to figure your return on your investment, as well as the turnover on your accounts receivable and inventory. Such an audit or survey should focus in depth on any or every item within the financial statement that merits special attention. in this way, you’ll probably uncover any potential financial problems before they become readily apparent, and certainly before they could get out of hand.

Many small companies set up advisory boards of outside
professional people. These are sometimes known as power Circles,
and once in place, the business always benefits, especially in
times of short operating capital. Such an advisory board or power circle should include an attorney, a certified public accountant, civic club leaders, owners or managers of businesses similar to yours, and retired executives. Setting up such an advisory board of directors is really quite easy, because most people you ask will be honored to serve.

Once your board is set up, you should meet once a month and
present material for review. Each meeting should be a discussion
of your business problems and an input from your advisors
relative to possible solutions. These members of your board od
advisors should offer you advice as well as alternatives, and
provide you with objectivity. No formal decisions need to be made either at your board meeting, or as a result of them, but you should be able to gain a great deal from the suggestions you
hear.

You will find that most of your customers have the money to pay
at least some of what they owe you immediately. To keep them
current, and the number of accounts receivable in your files to a minimum, you should call them on the phone and ask for some kind of explanation why they’re falling behind. if you develop such a habit as part of your operating procedure, you’ll find your invoices will magically be drawn to the front of their piles of bills to pay. While maintaining a courteous attitude, don’t hesitant, or too much of a “nice guy” when it comes to collecting money.

Something else that’s a very good business practice, but which
few business owners do is to methodically build a credit rating
with their local banks. Particularly when you have a good cash
flow, you should borrow $100 to $1,000 from your banks every 90
days or so. Simply borrow the money, and place it in an interest bearing account, and then pay it all back at least a month or so before it’s due. By doing this, you will increase the borrowing power of your signature, and strengthen your ability to obtain needed financing on short notice. This is a kind of business leverage that will be of great value to you if or whenever your cash position becomes less favorable.

By all means, join your industry’s local and national trade
associations. Most of these organizations have a wealth of
information available on everything from details on your
competitors to average industry sales figures, new products,
services, and trends.

If you are given a membership certificate or wall plaque, you
should display these conspicuously on your office wall. Customers like to see such “seals of approval” and feel additional confidence in your business when they see them.

Still another thing often overlooked: If at all possible, you
should have your spouse work in the business with you for at
least three or four weeks per year. The important thing is that
if for any reason you are not available to run the business, your spouse will be familiar with certain people and situations about your business. These people should include your attorney,
accountant, any consultants or advisors, creditors and your major suppliers. The long-term advantages of having your spouse work four weeks per year in your business with you will greatly
outweigh the short-term inconvenience. Many couples share
responsibility and time entirely, which is in most cases even
more desirable.

Whenever you can, and as often as you need it, take advantage of
whatever free business counseling is available. The Small
Business Administration published many excellent booklets,
checklist and brochures on quite a large variety of businesses.
these publications are available through the U.S.Government
printing office. Most local universities, and many private
organizations hold seminars at minimal cost, and often without
charge. You should also take advantage of the services offered by your bank and local library.

The important thing about running a small business is to know the direction in which you’re heading; to know on a day-to-day basis your progress in that very direction; to be aware of what your competitors are doing and to practice good money management at all times. All this will prepare you to recognize potential problems before they arise.

In order to survive with a small business, regardless of the
economic climate, it is essential to surround yourself with smart people, and practice sound business management at all times.

Dominic Ferrara - Owner of Small Business Marketing Secrets. Do you need help for your business? We can help at http://www.small-business-marketing-info.com