| With the ever present bad economic news, you | | | | backgrounds or online services. Very often you |
| can be certain that during the next few months | | | | will find great resources and software for free. |
| and even years that careful control of your | | | | 5. Make sure your business does not become a |
| overheads will be a number one priority for most | | | | graveyard for purchased equipment and software |
| business owners. | | | | that you needed for a short period of time. |
| With careful control measures to ensure that | | | | Always look for a free trial period to test things |
| every dollar spent produces sales revenue in | | | | out before you buy. |
| return, it can be very important to take a close | | | | 6. Time spent planning ahead is never wasted, |
| look at effective ways of reducing your business | | | | always keep a list of business supplies or |
| expenses. | | | | equipment you will need in the future to hand. |
| 1. Perhaps you can find ways in which to barter | | | | Take inventory of your stock, including anything |
| goods and services with other businesses. When | | | | that you may have purchased on impulse that |
| the economic climate indicates that cash flow is | | | | has never been distributed as planned. If you are |
| tightening, you have to think outside the box and | | | | fully aware of what you are likely to need in the |
| find ways of trading goods and services without | | | | future, you can look out for the best deals and |
| utilizing money. | | | | pick them up at sale prices. |
| 2. Networking has always been a great provider | | | | 7. Buy used not new business equipment and |
| of leads and customers for your business. There | | | | supplies and keep your all important cash flow |
| are many ways that you can leverage other | | | | where it is needed. You can find items hardly used |
| businesses trade leads and mailing lists, as this can | | | | for sale all the time on auction sites, used business |
| quickly expand your database without eating into | | | | stores and on message boards and in forums. |
| the advertising budget. When you have to | | | | Make sure you do not get tricked into an inflated |
| reconsider your advertising and marketing | | | | delivery charge though. |
| budgets and make certain of a respectable return | | | | 8. They say it is a buyers market right now and |
| on investment, networking can produce very cost | | | | that means when you are looking to become a |
| effective leads. | | | | buyer you should always try to negotiate a lower |
| 3. Buying wholesale or in bulk will often save | | | | price for equipment and supplies. It does not hurt |
| money for essential business supplies. This is | | | | to try and you will be surprised at how many |
| often a highly competitive market full of | | | | times the answer is a positive one. |
| wholesalers, mail order and of course direct | | | | Every three months you should review your |
| suppliers on the internet. Careful buying of supplies | | | | stock and evaluate your expenses. Always check |
| you use frequently will help reduce and control | | | | every invoice you receive as part of your daily |
| overheads. | | | | schedule, account for every penny coming in and |
| 4. You will be amazed at what you can get for | | | | every penny going out. It is the business owners |
| free on the internet. It is worth spending half a | | | | who have no control that will find it harder to |
| day working your way through freebie sites on | | | | survive in these tough times. |
| the internet before buying software, graphics, | | | | |