by Stephen Reed | Business Consulting, News, Resources, Tax
Failure is a very real possibility for small businesses. It’s a reality that will test your resolve as a business owner as well as the durability of your business strategy. When giving up feels like the only option, here are some tips to turn a sinking ship around.
Network
Connect with other business owners, influential people in your industry, and even professional business consultants. The chances are highly likely that you’re not the first business owner to be going through this phase. Be willing to ask questions and be open to new ideas.
Execute A Strategy
Do you have a clear vision of your overall strategy and the bigger picture for your business? If not, consider working with a professional marketing agency or consultant to help develop an effective plan to nurture client relationships and keep customers engaged in the long game, which will translate to consistent sales.
Invest in Employee Trust and Motivation
You wouldn’t have made it this far without significant contribution from your team, but be sure all employees are on the same page. Do they understand your business model and long-term goals? Are their contributions and talents valued? A dedicated and active team will build company morale and translate to better sales, better products, and better output.
Know Your Client Base
Business survival is dependent upon fulfilling customer needs and expectations, so it’s important to always be in tune to the pulse of industry current events, news, products, advertising trends, and overall awareness. Likewise, it’s crucial to keep your ears open to customer engagement, feedback, and satisfaction. Partake in market surveys, meet the customers you’re serving, have one-on-one meetings with clients, and invest in low-cost advertising methods.
Realize the Potential of Your Assets
If you find your business in dire circumstances, relief may come in the form of your company’s assets, which are meant to supply capital for your business. Trading assets might just prove to be the lifeline you need to keep from going under. For example, you can lease out buildings, office space, or machinery for a generous stipend. If at all possible, negotiate a rental or leasing arrangement rather than sell completely. However, if you’re convinced that selling is the right move for you, strive to maintain some proprietary rights in the property.
Go Back to the Drawing Board
Try to determine where things went awry in your business. If you collect data and monitor negative feedback, the trends will give you a clue. Start asking difficult questions about salaries, the amount of staff you’re employing, and compensation packages. What additional cost-cutting actions can you take?
by Amanda O'Brien | Accounting News, Bookkeeping, Tax Planning, Tax Planning - Individual, Technology
A new survey conducted by Rasmussen Reports for the Consumer Federation of America ? the COUNTRY Financial Security Index – shows a gap between what Americans think they’re spending and what’s happening in reality.
Only 9 percent of the 3,000 respondents of the survey said their lifestyle is more than they can afford, yet 21 percent say they spend more than they make at least a few months every year.
The survey suggests the so-called “perception gap” could shrink if more people used a household budget. Those who budget are more likely to set monthly savings goals (61 percent) than those who don’t (30 percent), COUNTRY Financial says.
Other tips:
Review your spending behavior. Take a look at where the money goes every month and make adjustments where needed, Brannan says.
Start a spending and savings plan. Put money in jars or envelopes or start a Christmas fund. When the money’s gone, stop spending. Some people are even stashing their extra cash under their mattress or in a bedframe outfitted with a safe. In fact, safe sales are up 40 percent from a few years ago, SmartMoney reported.
Rethink expenses. When Joe Mihalic earned an MBA from Harvard Business School that resulted in more than a $100,000 debt, he vowed to repay his debt quickly. He blogged about giving up dinner dates and movies, missing parties and weddings, ending 401(k) contributions, and staying home for Christmas. He stopped buying clothes, sold a second car and motorcycle, rented a spare bedroom, and started a side business. He told Fortune magazine, “A lot of people in this country – regardless of socioeconomic status – have an unhealthy obsession with things and experiences and statuses. We shop brands; we drop names. We try to keep up with the Joneses. We comfortably tolerate an unhealthy level of debt.”
Involve your children in your financial plan. Explain your goals for retirement savings and other things you value, Laura Scharr, principal of Ascend Financial Planning LLC in Columbia, South Carolina, told Fox Business. “Be honest and upfront with your children,” she said.
The COUNTRY Financial survey says budgeters and those who don’t budget do have one thing in common: They miss the mark on their savings goals. Of budgeters, 57 percent achieve their savings goals half the time or less, while the number is 54 percent for the non-budgeters.
How are Americans making ends meet when the budget runs out?
- 36 percent raid their savings accounts.
- 22 percent use credit cards.
- 14 percent adjust their spending next month.
Full Article: http://www.accountingweb.com/topic/cfo/survey-shows-americans-need-spend-less-save-more-set-budget
