Happy Memorial Day! What an oxymoron. Memorial Day is the US federal holiday where we remember the brave men and women who gave their lives for our country while serving in the US Armed Forces. To those men and women and those who served or are serving right now, I say Thank You! But to be honest, not many people really honor the true meaning of the day; Most of us just consider it the unofficial start of summer.This got me to thinking about how it’s also almost the end of the school year, how summer vacation is just around the corner, how my and many other businesses slow down in the summer, and what business owners can do to save money during this time. Here are some ideas:
- STRATEGIZE & IMPLEMENT NOW – Many people only talk to their accountant or bookkeeper during tax season or when they have a problem with their books. Now is the time to talk to me or to your bookkeeper or accountant about things like growing your business and cutting your costs. Once you do this, your slow time of the year could be the time to implement a new strategy.
- OUTSOURCE – If you’re a small to medium sized business owner, the summer could be the time to consider outsourcing one of your non-core functions, like marketing. If you don’t have a newsletter or blog already, try things like having someone write a newsletter for you and sending it out or start a Facebook business page to attract new customers.
- SHARE RESOURCES – Sharing resources could be a great money saver for small to medium-sized business owners. Some businesses used shared office space or even a shared receptionist to cut costs. There’s even a company called ShareDesk that allows users to search for or even rent out a shared space, like a meeting room or office.
- CUT COSTS – I know I’ve encouraged you to implement a new strategy and potentially outsource non-key services, but summer is also the time to cut costs. The saying goes, every penny counts, and that is so true when you’re looking to save money. For instance, Paul Riesel from Overflow Communications will review your office phone bill for free to see if you have the best plan in place. He has cut thousands off the monthly or annual bill of many business owners I know. E-mail me or him at paul@overflowcg.com.
So now with the unofficial start to summer here, it’s time to implement some money saving solutions and give thanks to all those who gave their lives for our freedom. THANK YOU!