Course helps businesses get and stay competitive

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Part of Andy Northrup's job is to help small businesses stay afloat.

As an Employer Services Officer for Employment and Immigration Canada, he solicits employers who have training, human resources or other issues that need to be dealt with. Northrup helps them become more competitive so they can succeed in an increasingly complex marketplace.

One of the ways Northrup does this is by directing managers to relevant courses and programs. And one he's found most helpful is Strategic Management for Independent Businesses.

Developed and conducted by the Federal Business Development Bank, the course responds to a need by businesses undergoing change and restructuring in their industries, says strategic planning manager Dennis Lomore.

The course runs 14 weeks, with seven intensive eight-hour seminar sessions, consultations with specialists such as human resource officers, and individual business meetings with FBDB business consultants.

Hopefully, at the end of the program the employers would be knowledgeable enough to deal with small problems before they become big issues.

Many companies are moving to a more linear style of management, with mangers delegating duties and sharing power with employees. The old hierarchical style of management is becoming passe.

"People are realizing there is a limit to what that style can accomplish," Northrup says.

One of the most effective ways to help companies become more efficient is to have employees take part in implementing changes. For instance, employees would meet with their superiors and discuss what they perceived their jobs as being. how they perform their jobs and how they could make their jobs more productive and valuable.

The FBDB course forces managers to take a long, hard look at their companies by addressing such subjects as analyzing markets the company is aiming at, assessing competitors and looking at the impact government, economy and technology have on the business.

Employers then assess major strengths and weaknesses, opportunities, threats and key issues that must be dealt with. Next, they examine the function of mission statements and action plans and look at how to develop and implement a plan.

"Identifying and developing your competitive advantage to achieve superior performance in your industry is what the program is about," says FBDB's Lomore.

"Without a competitive advantage, companies are at the mercy of competitors and an ever-changing business climate. Strategic management can help to position the business to assure its continued growth and prosperity."