Plansmith Blog

How Will Rate Changes Impact Your Budget?

Posted by Craig Hartman on 3/11/20 9:48 AM

Everyone probably has their budgets in place for 2020 by now. And now comes along the Coronavirus and messes everything up. The Fed has already lowered rates by half a point. So, now you’re scrambling to figure out how this will impact your 2020 plans?

Seems like you have a few choices:

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Communicate Your Numbers Like a PRO!

Posted by Jennifer Mello on 3/4/20 11:16 AM

I know my numbers, but how do I communicate them to others within my organization?

It’s a valid question that Plansmith fields regularly from our clients. We’ve got some answers for you.

Everyone relates to numbers, no matter who you're talking to, but not everyone reads them in the same way. So, how do you make the most out of your conversations with everyone who needs to relate to the same numbers?

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Stop Budgeting and Start Planning

Posted by Craig Hartman on 1/17/20 9:16 AM

Most of us have been building annual budgets forever. First on paper spreadsheets, then with electronic spreadsheet like Excel, and now with software budgeting tools that amount to little more than more convenient spreadsheets. But a budget is typically all numeric built with trending and last year’s information. Usually the CEO provides a growth and earnings expectation and we build the budget to make the math work. If you have a system that can also provide rate risk analysis and draw detailed data from your core system, you really have a great system. So, what’s the problem?

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Turn Your Budget into Action

Posted by Bill Smith on 1/9/20 11:05 AM

A budget without a Playbook is just numbers on a page.

You know what your targets are but you also need to define how you will get there.  A Playbook defines the actions needed for success, and the people who will manage the process.

But many managers say they just don’t have the time or resources.

Plansmith’s Playbook is a simple online platform to help you create clearly defined initiatives, track progress, and reach your targets by creating an action plan for your budget.

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Compass 2-Day Event: What to Expect if You Attend!

Posted by Jennifer Mello on 12/2/19 8:43 AM

Technology is a beautiful thing. It allows people to seamlessly engage in business interactions from thousands of miles away. It helps strangers grow real, meaningful relationships. It bolsters professionalism and deepens client/company relations.

However, we find it can leave you feeling like something’s missing.

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One Less Thing to Worry About

Posted by Megan Plis on 10/9/19 4:59 PM

After almost 50 years in the biz, we've learned a thing or two about banking. And since most of our employees have spent time in the industry, we know the heavy hitters that keep bankers up at night.

That's why we designed our business around one specific goal: giving our clients one less thing to worry about.

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We've Walked in Your Shoes

Posted by Megan Plis on 9/20/19 2:35 PM

Running a successful business, like anything worthwhile in life, is difficult. Of course, the same can be said for operating a bank or credit union.

There's never enough time in a day to get everything done. The amount of work per number of hands to accomplish it isn't equitable. The number of new regulations versus training bandwidth is not even close to on par.

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Compass 2-Day Event: September 2018

Posted by Jennifer Mello on 10/1/18 10:59 AM

"It was a very informative two days. It was also helpful to learn different ways to navigate through the tabs and fields in the Compass program."
 

We had nine bankers in our office last Thursday and Friday attending our first 2-day event, and what a success it was! We had a great group ranging from new clients, new users, and more established veterans, banks from $240 MM to $1.6 B in assets, men and women from diverse backgrounds, traveling in from near and far. The group was excited to share thoughts and ideas, and interested in ways we can help them enhance their understanding of the planning concepts and models.

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Planning for Change: A Lesson from Charles Darwin

Posted by Bill Peck on 9/14/18 12:33 PM

“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”

- (Not) Charles Darwin

It’s true.

Although this is a pretty great quote, Darwin never actually said it. It was an attempt by Dr. Leon C. Megginson, Louisiana State University Professor of Management and Marketing, to capture the essence of Darwin’s seminal “On the Origin of Species” for a 1963 speech to the Southwestern Social Science Association. The text of the speech was subsequently published in the Association’s quarterly journal, and the rest is quote-misattribution history.

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15 Ways an Outside Facilitator Can Save Your Next Strategic Planning Session

Posted by Kevin Stang on 7/24/18 3:01 PM

We’ve all been in meetings that weren’t exactly productive. You know how it goes…

  • The meeting begins with little to no agenda
  • You waste most of the time discussing off-topic subjects
  • Debates over seemingly meaningless items end up derailing progress
  • Someone ends up creating more questions than solutions
  • The meeting takes an hour longer than it was scheduled for
  • The team walks away with no clue what to do next
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