The Importance of Good Business Processes

Are you finding that you spending far too much time on administration or having to repeat parts of some jobs or having to completely redo work?  If the answer to any of these questions is YES, then the chances are very high that you have either bad or outdated or even NO business processes at all.

Should this be a concern?  Only if you want to run an efficient and profitable business plus have more time to spend on non-work activities.

It is our experience from using our Rapid Profit Radar Diagnostic that many businesses either don’t have business processes or their business processes are out of date.  Fortunately, we are experts in both writing new business processes and improving your existing business processes to follow the critical path, thereby improving efficiency and reducing complexity, duplication and rework. The result will be increased profitability and the freeing up of valuable lost hours.

Why are Good Business Processes so important?

1. They remove duplication – increased efficiency.
2. They remove complication – increased efficiency.
3. They reduce rework (waste) – increased efficiency, productivity and profits.
4. They make it easier for your customers to do business with you – increased profits.
5. They make it easier for you to do business with your suppliers – increased profits.

Good business processes are absolutely essential if you want a good, efficient, streamlined and profitable business.

And we’re not afraid to put our money where our mouth is because, if you engage us, Into the Blue offers most mature businesses a Zero-Risk policy… No Improvement – No Fees.

For more information please either reply to this post or email profit@intotheblue.co.nz

Business Planning For Reduced Overhead Costs in 2026

If you actively want to improve your business for 2026 and haven’t already started the process, then right now is the time to start planning for a better, more profitable year ahead!

There are numerous things that Into the Blue NZ Limited can do to help improve your business, including OVERHEAD REDUCTIONS.

When it comes to Profit Improvement options, we have found that many businesses neglect to conduct a full review of their overheads and often end up paying too much for some of them. Moreover, they are often still paying for services that they no longer use, including but not limited to:

1. Insurance on assets the business no longer owns

2. Hire charges on equipment that has been returned to the supplier including:

• Mobile phones for past employees
• Leased company cars for past employees
• Leased computers for past employees

3. Unused rental equipment that has not been returned to the hire company.

4. Landlines that no longer exist

5. Software licenses being paid for software you no longer use

6. Unapproved service provider price increases such as cleaning

In addition to the above there may also be easily avoidable overheads caused by ‘waste’, such as not turning the lights out at night.

It is our experience from using our Rapid Profit Radar Diagnostic that many business owners and senior managers know that their business can perform better – but they just can’t see how to do it, as they are either too close or too emotionally connected to the business, or both.  Fortunately, we are experts in rapidly identifying and finding usually simple solutions and, by initially focussing on quick-win items, profit improvement decisions can be made and implemented in weeks rather than months.

And we’re not afraid to put our money where our mouth is because, if you engage us, Into the Blue offers most mature businesses a Zero-Risk policy… No Improvement – No Fees.

So, if you want to get ahead of the competition and hit 2026 at pace, please get in touch with us now by either replying to this post, emailing profit@intotheblue.co.nz. or, if you are really keen, giving John a call.

Business Planning For Improved Gross Profit / Margin in 2026

If you actively want to improve your business for 2026 and haven’t already started the process, then right now is the time to start planning for a better, more profitable 2026!

There are numerous things that Into the Blue NZ Limited can do to help improve your business, including GROSS MARGIN & GROSS PROFIT IMPROVEMENT.

There are 5 main initiatives to improving your Gross Margin which should lead to an increase in Gross Profits:

• Costing Model Review – a review of your costing model(s) to ensure that both your costs and pricing are up to date. This could lead to a suppler review and or price increases.
• Price increases – this is dependent on your competition and the supply chain. If there is a shortage of your product or services in the market, then this is a very quick and easy way to improve both your gross profit margins and gross profit.
• Increase productivity – producing more for the same labour cost. This can be achieved from improved and streamlined processes and is a rapid way to increase gross profit.
• Reduced waste including rework – This can be achieved from improved processes. It is a very rapid way to improve productivity and gross margins from existing capacity because you only need to do things once.
• Supply Chain Review and Improvement – traditionally accounts for 50%+ of all profit improvement projects. While a complete Supply Chain Review can take some time, there are some very quick high value wins which can be made from initially targeting bad processes and practices. 

It is our experience from using our Rapid Profit Radar Diagnostic that many business owners and senior managers know that their business can perform better – but they just can’t see how to do it, as they are either too close or too emotionally connected to the business, or both.  Fortunately, we are experts in rapidly identifying and finding usually simple solutions and, by initially focussing on quick-win items, profit improvement decisions can be made and implemented in weeks rather than months.

And we’re not afraid to put our money where our mouth is because, if you engage us, Into the Blue offers most mature businesses a Zero-Risk policy… No Improvement – No Fees.

So, if you want to get ahead of the competition and hit 2026 at pace, please get in touch with us now by either replying to this post, emailing profit@intotheblue.co.nz. or, if you are really keen, give John a call on the number in the supporting picture.

Improved Business Planning & Business Processes Equals Improved Efficiency and Profits

I recently met with the Business Owner of a very small niche business that was operated by only the Owner and one employee.  The Owner’s single biggest issue was the number of hours she worked in the business.  Her normal working week was Monday to Saturday, and she rarely finished work before 7.00pm on the weekdays.

After a discussion about her business and how she operated, I was able to come up with several acceptable changes to how she worked, which by implementing she could reduce her working day by at least two hours and reduce her working week from 6 to 5 working days, thereby allowing her to have Sundays and Mondays off.

Interested in how we managed to achieve all of this?

1. By firstly reviewing everything that both the business owner and her employee did; in other words, we conducted a brief Business Review.
2. We introduced a low-cost piece of technology, $50 to $100, to reduce duplication of work; in other words, we implemented Business Process Improvement.
3. We improved the planning process around what needed to be done and when; in other words, we actively engaged in Business Planning.
4. We engaged a low-cost Virtual Assistant, $600 to $650 per month, to complete most of the business’s digital marketing; in other words, we put into action Improved Business Planning and Process Improvement.

Would you like us to do the same for your business? The size of your operation is irrelevant – a good Business Review can and will identify the areas in which improvements can be made.

Easier said than done? Not when you involve Into The Blue NZ Limited. We are experts in both Business Profit Improvement and Process Improvement Reviews. 

And we’re not afraid to put our money where our mouth is because, if you engage us, Into the Blue offers most mature businesses a Zero-Risk policy… No Improvement – No Fees.

For more information please either reply to this post or email profit@intotheblue.co.nz

Business Improvement

Are you tired of putting ever increasing amounts of time and effort into your business for little or no additional improvement?

Small Business Owners through to experienced and seasoned managers of large businesses or business units all put in additional hours when times are hard – and let’s face it times are currently hard.  We all know that as a business owner or senior manager, no one is going to pay you for the extra energy and effort you put into turning your business around.  Your reward comes from having saved the business from possible failure.  Anything more than that, such as making an incremental step-change, may lead to a possible bonus.

So, the trick is to rapidly make improvements to your business. Easily said, but how, exactly, do you go about it?

Business Improvement – complete a full Business Review to identify ALL the issues and then fix them in order of priority determined by taking the following factors into account:

• Value – which fixes will offer the most value to the business.
• Time – the amount of time required to fix each issue – not all fixes are immediate, but some are.
• Resources – allocate the resources required to fix the issue.

Low hanging, easy-to-fix issues with a high value should be the first to be addressed as they will provide the most rapid return to the business and help with funding the harder-to-fix items.

Is it easy to complete a Business Review?  Not really, but that’s why there are professionals like me around who can rapidly:

• Analyse the financials to identify the main issues both in the gross margin and overheads.
• Review a business’s operating processes and identify improvements.
• Complete a customer analysis to see if your target market has changed.
• Review the business’s supply chain for improvement.
• And during this process communicate with staff at all levels within the business.

Is it expensive to engage Business Advisors like me?

Expense is relative to Profit Improvement and should be treated as an investment.  That’s what we believe in, and it’s why we’re not afraid to put our money where our mouth is because, if you engage us, Into the Blue offers most mature businesses a Zero-Risk policy… No Improvement – No Fees

For more information please either reply to this post or email profit@intotheblue.co.nz.

Additionally, If you think you are doing too many hours in your business or are generally not happy with the way your business is performing, why not take our quick 2 minute health check by clicking on the following link https://intotheblue.co.nz/business-health-check/

For more information please either reply to this post or email profit@intotheblue.co.nz

Profit Improvement For 2026!!

Would you like your business to do better in 2026?  If your answer is YES, then read on.

Doing the same thing that you did this year is going to do little to change your results for next year.  Remember the old definition for madness – “Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting to get a different result.”  Yes, reduced interest rates might help a little, but to make a significant difference you must be prepared TO CHANGE.

Is change hard?  Not necessarily.  It can sometimes be as easy as just looking at your business from a different perspective or through a fresh set of eyes.

We at Into the Blue NZ Limited are experts at looking at businesses from a different perspective because we are that professional set of fresh eyes.

It is our experience from using our Rapid Profit Radar Diagnostic that many business owners and senior managers know that their business can do better – but they just can’t see how, as they are either too close or too emotionally connected to the business, or both.  Fortunately, we are experts in rapidly identifying and finding usually simple solutions that will not only help improve your business profitability but also often help to improve the efficiency and reduce the complexity of operating your business thereby also freeing up valuable lost hours.

So, if you want to get ahead of the competition and hit 2026 at pace, get in touch with us now as there are only just over 35 trading days to the Christmas / New Year holidays.

And we’re not afraid to put our money where our mouth is because, if you engage us, Into the Blue offers most mature businesses a Zero-Risk policy… No Improvement – No Fees.

For more information please either reply to this post or email profit@intotheblue.co.nz

Why Do Projects Often Fail?

Why do projects fail to meet our expectations? And why the bigger the project the bigger the chance of not meeting our expectations?

The answer is very simple – a lack of good Business / Project Planning.

Specific key requirements to good Project Planning include:

• The project vision analysis – what is the need and is it achievable?
• What are the individual steps required to complete the project?
• What are the consequences of a step not working and can it be easily rectified?
• Do we have the expertise to complete the project and, if not, can it be acquired?
• Do we have the resources to complete the project and, if not, can they be acquired?
• Do we have the budget to complete the project – robust forecasting?
• Can the project be completed in time to meet its anticipated need?

Successful projects usually have very good Project / Business Plans.  Rushing or not completing a Project / Business Plan will generally lead to the project not meeting its key expectations, resulting in either a combination or all of the following:

1. Significant budget overruns
2. Significant time delays in completing the project
3. Failure to meet the anticipated benefits of the project

From using our Rapid Profit Radar Diagnostic, we at Into the Blue NZ Limited have found that the two biggest causes for projects failing to meet the three above expectations are  (1) a lack of good planning and (2) the allocation of the resources required to meet the plan.

If, like many businesses, you don’t have the experience to complete a good business or project plan, then give us a call to discuss how we can help you with this business or project critical necessity.

And we’re not afraid to put our money where our mouth is because, if you engage us, Into the Blue offers most mature businesses a Zero-Risk policy… No Improvement – No Fees.

For more information please either reply to this post or email profit@intotheblue.co.nz

Do You Need or Want to Increase Your Business’s Profitability and Efficiency BUT are Worried About The Cost?

Then look no further as Into The Blue NZ Limited can tailor its fees and payment program to meet most businesses’ Profit Improvement Investment Plans.

And Yes, when contracting Into The Blue NZ Limited to complete your Business Improvement and / or Process Improvement reviews, which includes implementation plans to increase your profitability and efficiency, you are making an investment in your business.

What’s more, if required we can put your Implementation Plans into practice for you.

And we’re not afraid to put our money where our mouth is because, if you engage us, Into the Blue offers a guaranteed Zero-Risk policy… No Improvement – No Fees to most mature businesses.

For more information please either reply to this post or email profit@intotheblue.co.nz

Increasing Productivity Part 2 – Increased Capacity

There are several methods to Improve Productivity.  In this second post on Increasing Productivity, we will discuss Increased Capacity.

Capacity can be increased from:

1. Improved staff training on the use of productive assets.
2. Improved loading and unloading systems and procedures.
3. Improved quality and supply of materials.
4. Improved maintenance of existing production assets to reduce breakdown down-time.
5. Keeping good quantities of consumable parts in stock.
6. Upgrading existing production assets.
7. Replacement of old production assets with new production assets.
8. Replacement of current production assets with bigger production assets.
9. Buying additional production assets.

Easier said than done? Not when you involve Into The Blue NZ Limited. We are experts in Capacity Management including being able to identify the lowest cost options to increase your business’s capacity and throughput.  From these we can identify actual monetary profit increases that can be included in both your Profit Improvement and Capex Plans.  And for those of you who are uncomfortable in writing Profit Improvement and/or Capex Plans, we can do that too.

And we’re not afraid to put our money where our mouth is because, if you engage us, Into the Blue offers most mature businesses a Zero-Risk policy… No Improvement – No Fees.

For more information please either reply to this post or email profit@intotheblue.co.nz