Are you running your own small business? If so, you know how difficult it can be to make it through economic downturns. But, you don’t have to wait until the economy turns around to be recession-ready. Here are five things you can do to help you make your small business recession-ready.
Manage your debts
During a recession, businesses tend to be more vulnerable to defaulting on loans. You must keep an eye on your cash flow and manage your debts accordingly.
For example, you might have outstanding invoices. It might be worth offering incentives to encourage customers to pay sooner. The same goes for any due payments owed by your business.
Keeping track of your merchant cash advance or traditional loan balance is essential to pay them off quickly. Doing so will help you maintain a good and responsible income to debt ratio. This ratio is vital when times get tough.
Diversify your revenue
A recession or economic slump can be devastating if you only have one revenue source. There are a lot of variables beyond your control. It’s a brilliant idea to reduce your reliance on only one or two sources of income.
If you run a small business, find ways to diversify your revenue streams. You can add services or products. Consider offering a product or service for free. Such as free delivery with another paid product/service.
Lower your inventory costs
High inventory costs are more challenging than low inventory costs in tough economic times. Start by getting rid of unnecessary inventory. And stock more basic goods that customers are sure to buy.
Learn how much of each product you need in stock by monitoring sales closely. Pay close attention to reordering points. That way, you will know when to restock your shelves or replenish your storage units.
Be careful not to overstock, as it can be easy to overestimate demand during boom times. Overstocking can lead to higher expenses if you have too much inventory on your hands.
Increase product and service value
When assessing a product or service, consider a few things if you’re hoping to increase sales during a recession. First, think about how you can make it so that customers need your product or service more. For example, instead of offering coupons or discounts, provide tools that make your customers better at what they do. A high-quality product goes a long way. You’ll build loyalty with customers who feel like they’re getting insider information.
Market intensively
It can be hard to get noticed in a sea of competition, but it’s even harder when you don’t market yourself. People talking about your business is more important than ever during a recession.
Look at what other businesses are doing right and how they’re doing it better. Then come up with ways that work for your company and put those strategies in place.
Parting shot
Every company has growth potential. But there’s no guarantee it will be enough to stay afloat in a recession. Still, using these tips might aid small businesses during challenging times. These tips can help to increase revenue, reduce costs and remain competitive.
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