Tools of the Trade: An Introduction

Since I started this blog several months ago, we've talked extensively about many subjects related to running a modern small business, but almost all of it has been focused in some way or another on web design. We've talked about why businesses need a site, methods and design philosophy for the building the site itself, how to write good content, how to market yourself, and what makes good social media content.

Starting this week, in my new Tools of the Trade series, we're going in a slightly different direction. For those who don't know, I worked as a Business Analyst and Project Manager for 20 years before I started Whistler IT Solutions. My job was to help companies streamline and optimize their operations, which included making custom reports, automating mundane tasks, reviewing and updating processes, and creating other custom software solutions to improve the level of information managers had access to and help them make better decisions. A lot of the skills and methods I used to help these big companies improve their operations are actually transferable to smaller companies, and the goal of the Tools of the Trade series is to share these tools with other small business owners, to help them make improvements of their own.

Each week, on Thursday, I'll post a new article in the series, covering a specific method or tool used by Project Managers. We'll talk about how it works, what it's good for, and how you can apply it to your own business to help you make better decisions, or improve your company's accuracy, efficiency, or time management. I may share some examples or mock scenarios, depending on the nature of the tool we're discussing.  I think you'll be surprised how useful and transferable these skills turn out to be, no matter what industry your company is in, or how big or small you are. So be sure to tune in to this blog or my Facebook page every Thursday for the newest article. See you then!