Hey Where are My Margins & Why Don't I Drive a Maserati?

Susan Rust

Your sales look great on paper. So why aren't you driving a Maserati and vacationing in Capri?

It's easy to get Drupal work (though getting more competitive every year) but running an Agency is hard. Getting operations and profit under control is a business owner's number one prioirity and headache! We'll explore the HUGE difference between running a cashflow business and a profitable one. With two turnarounds under by belt in the past three years and half a dozen more before that, let me share stories of how I bombed and what worked out well. I'll share strategies for hiring, firing, measuring and implementing tools while containing costs.

GROWING a business is not the same as SCALING a business. A business that SCALES has value (think your golden parachute) a business that only GROWS is worth a multiple of its receivables. If you scale, you get to drive a Maserati!

This is a bigger picture of operations so a broader business view than Train Wrecks I and 2. If you're a company from 1-40 people and trying to figure out where your money is, you'll get some nice takeaways. Bring your thorniest biz issues. Your takeaways:

  • Getting your CEO role right
  • Getting the Right People on the Bus in the Right Seats
  • An Optimal Service Mix
  • The Right Process
  • The Right Tools for Data-Driven Ops
  • Measuring for Margins
  • Understanding Cashflow vs. Profit
  • Sales/Estimating/Costing: Selling to the Service
  • Development: Touched on very lightly. See DrupalCon Amsterdam if you want more on running development profitably.

It's a lot to cover in one session. We'll get into the nitty gritty of how to make money in any business. This will be a fun session and I'm a good presenter, so no yawning here. Let's get your dream car in the works!

Session Track

Business

Experience Level

Intermediate

Drupal Version

When & Where

Time: 
Thursday, 12 May, 2016 - 14:15 to 15:15
Room: 
280-281