Odds are that if your business is still here. You’ve already made or been forced to make some compromises about what your company looks like. But it’s summertime and we’re all looking for ways to trim the fat, so to speak (Also literally. We’ve been padding on more than just the bottom line since we all started working seven feet from the fridge). We want to review some low-budget ways to make sure your business is operating at maximum efficiency.

The upside of downtime

Now’s a great time to do training or team building. If there were programs you wanted the team to learn or courses you had put on the back burner for another time, welcome to Now. It’s also a great time for team-building exercises that can help normalize our crazy circumstances and create more community at a time when we’re all striving for it. Encourage your team to communicate about their circumstances and any current difficulties so people feel seen and heard during this crazy time! Support your team in having healthy conversations now and you’ll reap the benefits of a productive, happy team for years to come.

Quick, rewrite it

Rework your manifesto or messaging framework. Maybe now that priorities of consumers at large are different, now is the time to pivot your business strategy with them. Consumers have more time to consume content than before. Maybe now is the time to grow that branch of your marketing strategy. Check out our blog post on Content Writing for Noobs for all the secrets to writing content that lasts and is useful!

Take advantage of skills already present in your team.

It’s likely that there are literally fewer of your team members around. Now is a great time to lean into their skills. They are likely more efficient at the skills they find more natural. And who isn’t looking for a way to cut down and increase their production if at all possible?

Trade services with other businesses

If nobody is buying what you’re selling right now, consider working for trade or future services. It keeps you working and talking to your hard-won clients and industry contacts. Could you give a lecture or find a way to collaborate and share audiences with another industry?

Review your subscriptions

Trim the fat. Subscriptions can pile up way faster than we think. Between stock images, online storage, HR software, billing software, scheduling software, video conferencing accounts, Google Suite, Microsoft suites, operating systems, analytics, servers, hosting, internet, and any industry softwares your business uses, just missing out on coupons or deals can spell big losses over the long term. Keep subscriptions tight. Don’t be afraid to call and ask if it’s possible to pause subscriptions that aren’t necessary right this minute for a month or two. There are even apps out there that will review your bank statements for any sneaky recurring payments you might forget.

Find ways to fix your budget

Speaking of budgeting apps, there are a lot of them out there. One in particular that has caught our attention is Divvy. This is a budgeting app that is focused on business. It is a great way to keep track of expense reports without having to scan receipts (truly a blessing).

As our week of low budget tips comes to an end, we hope that you have learned something new. That you have been inspired and are now going to engage in some creative marketing that costs little to nothing.

Of course, if you are looking for some guidance, contact us here at Avant8. This is what we do after all.